Scholars have convincingly shown that Central Asia was a vital connecting point along the Silk Road, primarily due to its role as a transition zone between East and West Asia. However, the gap in studies in this part of the world leaves many interesting questions unanswered, particularly concerning plant domestication and agricultural diversification. Consequently, the primary objective of this thesis is to shed light on the management, cultivation, and domestication of a wide range of crops in southern Central Asia, encompassing fruits, nuts, grains, legumes, and fiber crops. I combine archaeobotanical and linguistic data and written sources to illustrate the agricultural diversification in the region and its driving forces. This research spans the third to the thirteenth centuries CE, to deepen our understanding of the agricultural history of southern Central Asia. In sum, this thesis brings original insights into the dynamics of agriculture and the introduction of non-native crops during the first millennium CE in southern Central Asia. It highlights the multifaceted nature of agricultural diversification and underscores the importance of considering various driving forces and preservation biases when analyzing and interpreting ancient crop remains
