Elise Luneau

Excavations at Chopantam and Takhirbai-tepe 1: The Bronze and Iron Ages in the Murghab alluvial fan in Turkmenistan

Since 2004, Dr. Elise Luneau has directed and collaborated on numerous international excavation programs, surveys, and research projects across Central Asia (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan), Iran, and more recently in the South Caucasus (Georgia). She earned her Ph.D. in Central Asian Archaeology from Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne University. Her research focuses on social dynamics and intercultural interactions between ancient communities, the evolution of urban societies, human-environment relationships, ceramic traditions, gender studies, and social differentiation in protohistoric periods.

With the support of the Shelby White and Leon Levy Program for Archaeological Publication, Dr. Elise Luneau will study archival materials and artifacts from the excavations of two key sites in Bronze and Iron Age Turkmenistan: Chopantam and Takhirbai-tepe 1. In collaboration with Dr. Barbara Cerasetti, the custodian of this archival material, she will coordinate contributions from various specialists working on material culture, bioarchaeological and environmental data, oversee the development of a comprehensive research database, and lead the preparation and publication of the final monograph.