The French Archaeological Delegation in Afghanistan ( (DAFA)) was created in France in 1922 at the request of the Afghan government and King Amanullah Khan to commence archaeological studies in Afghanistan. After a break in research during the Second World War, work resumed around 1946–47, until it was closed by the pro-Soviet Afghan government on December 15, 1982. Some notable 20th century French archaeologists who were part of the delegation include Jules Barthoux, Daniel Schlumberger, and Paul Bernard.
In 2002, in agreement with the Afghan authorities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to reopen and restart the activities of DAFA in Afghanistan. DAFA's new mission is first of all to develop knowledge of Afghanistan's past, in the framework of French-Afghan archaeological operations. These operations consist of the continuation of the inventory of archaeological remains (prospecting, surveys, etc. ), as well as the conduct of archaeological excavations within the framework of well-defined scientific programs or rescue requirements, which are essentially related to the intensive looting of sites. Philippe Marquis is the current director of the delegation. The archaeological discoveries and finds have contributed to the artifacts located in the National Museum of Afghanistan. They have a base in Mazar-i-Sharif.
DAFA belongs to the network of 27 French research institutes abroad of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Archaeological works
1923–1925: Works in Bactra 1924: Excavations of Païtava (Begram) 1925: Excavations of Begram (Jules Barthoux mission) 1926: Survey in Bactria and first works in Hadda 1927–1928: Excavations of Hadda (Barthoux) 1929: Works in Bamyan 1933: Excavations of Tepe Marandjan (Kabul Province) 1934: Excavations of Khair Khane 1936: Works in Sistan 1936–1937: Excavations of Bagram 1937: Excavations of Fondukistan (Parwan Province) 1937: Shotarak excavations in Sistan and Balochistan Province. 1947: Works in Bactra (by Daniel Schlumberger) 1949–1951: Excavations of Lashkari Bazar (by Schlumberger) 1951–1959: Contribution to the excavation of the prehistoric site of Mundigak (Independent mission led by Jean-Marie Casal) 1952–1961: Excavations of Surkh Kotal (by Schlumberger) 1957: Discovery of the site of the Minaret of Jam 1957: Work in the Foladi Valley ?–1963: Excavations of Kohna Masdjid 1963–1965: Excavations of the monastery of Gul Dara 1963: Excavations of Shakh Tepe 1964: Surveys at Ai-Khanoum 1965–1978: Excavations of the site of Ai-Khanoum (by Paul Bernard) 1974–1976: Surveys of the plain of Ai-Khanoum 1976–1978; Surveys of Upper Tokharestan 1976–1978: Excavations of Shortughai 2004–2007: Excavations of Bactra (Balkh) 2005: Excavations of Al-Ghata 2005–2007: Franco-German works at Herat 2005–2007: Works on the mosque of Haji Piyada. 2010–2014: Excavations in Mes Aynak 2014–2017: Work in Bamyan
Directors The following list is of the directors of the French archaeological delegation.
1922–1945: Alfred Foucher 1934–1941: Joseph Hackin 1941–1942: Roman Girshman 1946–1964: Daniel Schlumberger 1965–1980: Paul Bernard 1980–1982: Jean-Claude Gardin 2002–2006: Roland Besenval 2006–2014: Philippe Marquis 2014–2018: Julio Bendezu-Sarmiento 2018–present: Philippe Marquis
Sources and external links
The opening of the DAFA in Afghanistan (1922-1982) by P. Bernard at the site of l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres. The DAFA on the website of Musée Guimet (Paris, France). Official website of DAFA
References
See also Bernard, Paul: « L'oeuvre de la DAFA en Afghanistan (1922-1982) », CRAI 2002, p. 1287-1323. Olivier-Utard, Françoise: Politique et archéologie : histoire de la Délégation archéologique française en Afghanistan, 1922–1982, 2e édition, préface de Jean-Claude Gardin, Paris, éd. Recherche sur les civilisations, 2003, 423 p. (1re éd., Paris, De Boccard, 1997). Fenet, Annick: Documents d’archéologie militante. La mission Foucher en Afghanistan (1922–1925), Paris, 2010, 695 p. (Mémoires de l’Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres 42). Fenet, Annick: chapter 8 « The original ‘failure’? A century of French archaeology in Afghan Bactria », in R. Mairs (éd.), The Graeco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek world, Routledge, Londres, 2020, p. 142-170. Fenet, Annick and Wang, Helen, ‘Archaeology in Afghanistan in the 20th Century As Reported in the French and British Press’, *Silk Roads Archaeology and Heritage* 1(1), 2023, p. 100–108. https://doi.org/10.5334/srah.11.