“Islamic Art and Archaeological Practice: Oleg Grabar at Qasr al-Hayr, 1964-1971

In 1964, Oleg Grabar, largely considered to be the founder of the modern field of Islamic art, completed the first of a six-season dig at the medieval Islamic site of Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi, in northeastern Syria. Accompanied by art historian colleagues, Grabar established one of the first American-led excavations in Islamic archaeology. Spurred by the anticipated discovery of elevated objets d’art, such as carved stucco, glass, or painted ceramics, Grabar and his team instead to made discoveries concerning the site's structure that would radically alter existing understandings of the typology of Islamic architecture and urban space. Previously considered to be a royal residence, Grabar's findings would prompt the reinterpretations of Qasr al-Hayr as a medieval town. These conclusions, drawn exclusively from archaeological practice, would challenge previously upheld notions of the history of Islamic urban space, and art history. However, Grabar's published conclusions would first be met with critique from Islamic art historians, only to then be completely reversed by the current generation of practicing Islamic archaeologists. Drawing from an extensive archival corpus held at the University of Michigan, this paper investigates the historiography of Islamic archaeology and its relationship to the field of Islamic art history. Based on a case study of mid-20th century archaeological practice at Qasr al-Hayr, this presentation will shed light on the ways in which Islamic archaeology, in its emerging form, informed the corpus of Islamic art and questions the recent frictions between the subfields of Islamic archaeology and art history.