Bamiyan sgraffito: The example of production at the Khwajâ Sabz Push site

Archaeological research at the Khwajâ Sabz Push site in Bamiyan Valley reveals simultaneous production of two distinct sgraffito ceramic types—green/brown painted with simpler incised designs and monochrome with more elaborate, sometimes champlevé decorations—alongside coarse modeled ceramics within a single 12th–13th century workshop. Analysis of nearly 3,700 fragments (representing ~1,450 objects) from production waste, including kiln furniture like bars, tripods, and spacers, demonstrates shared firing equipment and glaze transfer between sgraffito and coarse ceramics, confirming co-production. Production failures and overfiring indicate most sgraffito material was workshop discard. Unlike the locally produced molded siliceous ceramics, which appear only as consumption material, this study highlights advanced technical practices in Bamiyan’s ceramic tradition.

Guionova, G. (2026). Bamiyan sgraffito: The example of production at the Khwajâ Sabz Push site. Archaeological Research in Asia, 47, 100730. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ara.2026.100730