BEYOND A SINGLE SOURCE: REASSESSING THE OXUS DEBATE THROUGH THE CHELAB AND LAKE MALANG EVIDENCE

This letter responds to articles by Sophie Ibbotson and Rupert McCowan with Kate Leeming on the source of the Oxus. It recognises their fieldwork, historical framing, and renewed attention to the Chelab Valleys. It questions whether either article provides sufficient evidence for a definitive claim. The main concerns involve competing definitions of source, limited seasonal hydrological data, reliance on visual assessment, and uneven treatment of permanence. The letter calls for comparative, repeated, interdisciplinary research before firm conclusions can be responsibly accepted.