Biological and Physical Anthropology Commons^™

Kinship And Religious Identities In Medieval Central Asia (8th-13th C. Ce): Tracing Communities Of Mortuary Practice And Biological Affinity, Elissa Anne Bullion

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ethnic, political, and religious upheaval has cascading impacts on social identity. Kinship and religious ritual are two sources of social identity that are particularly salient in periods of change. Their practice provides access to and protection of important social, economic, and ideological resources that help groups negotiate times of uncertainty. During the medieval period (8th-13th c. CE), Central Asia saw the invasion of Arab armies, the rise of Turkic political dynasties, and the spread of Islam. This period yielded a Turko-Islamic culture that pervades modern dialogues on Central Asian history and culture. The local and regional social systems that sustained …