THE KHOREZM EXPEDITION PHENOMENON: HISTORIOGRAPHY, SCIENTIFIC SCHOOL AND METHODOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATION (1991–2025)

This article analyzes the historiography, scientific school, and methodological transformation of the Khorezm archaeological-ethnographic expedition (KAEE) from 1991 to 2024, emphasizing its development as an independent object of scholarly inquiry in post-independence Uzbekistan. Although studies of the expedition originated during the Soviet period, systematic reinterpretation became particularly active after independence, when national history, ethnogenesis, and cultural heritage were reconsidered beyond ideological frameworks. The study proposes a three-stage periodization of post-independence scholarship: the formative stage of ethnographic historiography (1991-1998), the stage of conceptual reinterpretation (1998-2016), and the contemporary stage (from 2016 onward), characterized by heritage-oriented and identity-based approaches. The first stage reflects the continuation of S.P. Tolstov’s paradigm, in which KAEE findings were largely accepted as authoritative. The second stage marks a shift toward critical reassessment through new theoretical perspectives, influenced by state cultural policies, UNESCO initiatives, and major commemorative events related to Khorezm’s historical legacy. The third stage corresponds to the reforms of the “New Uzbekistan” era, when the expedition’s legacy began to be examined in relation to cultural heritage preservation, tourism, ethno-integration, and national identity.