# Inspector task sheet

Sarazm: why did the early settlement empty?

## 1. Trace the earliest accessible record

For Sarazm: why did the early settlement empty?, record author or storyteller, collection date, language, translation, page and exact scope. Distinguish evidence of a story being told from evidence of its events. Note which full documents remain unavailable.

Status: proposed; not completed.
Evidence found:
Source and page:
Limits:
Next action:

## 2. Investigate the central question

Map final occupation dates by building and excavation area. Compare regional settlement continuity, burial evidence, destruction layers and environmental records. Treat migration as a testable relocation question rather than a supernatural disappearance. Update the 2010 synthesis against later campaign publications, retaining negative evidence and sampling limits.

Status: proposed; not completed.
Evidence found:
Source and page:
Limits:
Next action:

## 3. Compare explanations without merging evidence

Compare contemporary nearby settlement dates and household assemblages. Seek independently dated destruction or bioarchaeological evidence rather than choosing a dramatic explanation. Preserve contradictions and unsuccessful searches; proposed work remains unperformed.

Status: proposed; not completed.
Evidence found:
Source and page:
Limits:
Next action: