SummaryThe Eurasian 'Silk Road' is considered one the world's most extensive overland trade networks, yet questions regarding the evolution of its ancient routes and the factors that shaped their geography remain unanswered. This is especially problematic in its vast mountainous stretches, where harsh conditions and terrain are seen as impediments to travel. We present a model that uses highland pasture quality to calculate optimized seasonal herding patterns of nomadic societies, who historically
The Ancient Merv Project is a collaboration between the Turkmenistan Ministry of Culture, the Ancient Merv State Park and the UCL Institute of Archaeology. It aims to research, protect and conserve the remains of one of the great historic cities of the Silk Roads. This paper explores a new survey of the Islamic city using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to take comprehensive and systematic vertical photographs to assist in the analysis of the medieval cityscape. The background to the research and the application of the technology are presented, together with our initial conclusions
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