Historical Archaeology and Heritage in the Middle East: A Preliminary Overview

While not a traditional focus of archaeological research in the region, historical archaeology has a growing presence in the Middle East. Themes explored by colleagues interested in the post-1500 archaeological record include both topics of globalization and colonialism relevant to historical archaeology around the world and topics specific to local cultural and historical postmedieval developments—and sometimes both simultaneously. Such has been the growth in relevant studies in the past two decades that a preliminary overview of historical archaeology from Anatolia to Oman and Cairo to Khorasan can now be offered.