Mikhail Evgenievich Masson
Encyclopedia
Mikhail Evgenievich Masson (December 5, 1897–1968?) was an important Uzbekistan
i archaeologist from Samarkand
. He was the founder of the archaeology school in Central Asia and a professor, doctor of historical and archaeological sciences and member of the Turkmen Academy of Sciences
.
In 1916 he started studies at the Petrograd Polytechnical Institute to become an engineer and irrigator. However he was required to join the army and returned to Samarkand in 1918. He gained an interested in the protection and restoration of historical landmarks in Samarkand and soon became curator of the Samarkand Oblast Museum. He began conducting archaeological investigations and excursions and added to the museums' collection including panels of the Samanid palace excavated in Afrasiyab.
In 1924, Evgenievich went to Tashkent
and became head of the archaeological department of the Museum of Middle Asia. He was also further educated at the Turkistan Institute for the Oriental Studies and from 1929 to 1936 studied the history of mining at the Geological Committee.
He led further expeditions including the Termez
Archaeological Complex Expedition (1936–1938); the expedition for the archaeological supervision at the construction of the Great Fergana
Channel (1936), STACE - South-Turkmenistan Archaeological Complex Expedition (1946–1968), and KAE - Kesh Archaeological Expedition (from 1963).
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
i archaeologist from Samarkand
Samarkand
Although a Persian-speaking region, it was not united politically with Iran most of the times between the disintegration of the Seleucid Empire and the Arab conquest . In the 6th century it was within the domain of the Turkic kingdom of the Göktürks.At the start of the 8th century Samarkand came...
. He was the founder of the archaeology school in Central Asia and a professor, doctor of historical and archaeological sciences and member of the Turkmen Academy of Sciences
Turkmen Academy of Sciences
The Turkmen Academy of Sciences was founded in 1951. It was closed under president Saparmurat Niyazov, but was opened again with the instruction of his successor, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow....
.
In 1916 he started studies at the Petrograd Polytechnical Institute to become an engineer and irrigator. However he was required to join the army and returned to Samarkand in 1918. He gained an interested in the protection and restoration of historical landmarks in Samarkand and soon became curator of the Samarkand Oblast Museum. He began conducting archaeological investigations and excursions and added to the museums' collection including panels of the Samanid palace excavated in Afrasiyab.
In 1924, Evgenievich went to Tashkent
Tashkent
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and of the Tashkent Province. The officially registered population of the city in 2008 was about 2.2 million. Unofficial sources estimate the actual population may be as much as 4.45 million.-Early Islamic History:...
and became head of the archaeological department of the Museum of Middle Asia. He was also further educated at the Turkistan Institute for the Oriental Studies and from 1929 to 1936 studied the history of mining at the Geological Committee.
He led further expeditions including the Termez
Termez
Termez is a city in southern Uzbekistan near the border with Afghanistan.Some link the name of the city to thermos, "hot" in Greek, tracing its name back to Alexander the Great. Others suggest that it came from Sanskrit taramato, meaning "on the river bank". It is the hottest point of Uzbekistan...
Archaeological Complex Expedition (1936–1938); the expedition for the archaeological supervision at the construction of the Great Fergana
Fergana
Fergana is a city , the capital of Fergana Province in eastern Uzbekistan, at the southern edge of the Fergana Valley in southern Central Asia, cutting across the borders of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan...
Channel (1936), STACE - South-Turkmenistan Archaeological Complex Expedition (1946–1968), and KAE - Kesh Archaeological Expedition (from 1963).