Archaeology is the study of culture through its material remains. The term "Islamic archaeology," which may be open to misinterpretation, should be seen not as a study of religion, but rather a study of culture, following the lead of Alastair Northedge's 1999 formulation: the subject matter encompasses historic cultures under Islamic political hegemony within which various linguistic, material, and religious aspects may be represented. While the focus is normally on the "central Islamic lands," this field also includes regions influenced by Islamic culture, whether in the (western) Mediterranean, Asia,