The goal of this study is to replicate the short-term aging that takes place during the production and placement of asphalt mixtures in the field by examining the short-term oven aging (STOA) of asphalt mixtures under carefully monitored laboratory terms. The objective is to determine appropriate STOA durations for Asphalt Concrete (AC) and Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) wearing course mixtures by evaluating and comparing the binder and mixture characteristics of both field-aged and laboratory-aged specimens. Laboratory-fabricated specimens were subjected to aging at 135 \(^{\circ }\) C for various durations (0, 2, 3, and 4 hours). The extracted binders were analyzed for their rheological behavior, including master curves of the complex modulus, complex shear modulus ( \(G^*\) ), non-recoverable creep compliance ( \(J_{nr}\) ) and percent recovery (R %) and compared to those recovered from field-aged samples. In addition, key performance indicators for asphalt mixtures, such as indirect tensile strength (IDT) and resilient modulus (Mr), were evaluated to identify the duration of aging in the laboratory that is most closely aligned with field aging effects. Rheological and mechanical analyses indicated that an STOA period of two hours effectively mirrors field aging for SMA, while three hours is more appropriate for AC, under the specific conditions tested (25 km haul, Odisha aggregates). It is necessary to validate in a range of materials and climates. According to these evaluations, a 2-hour STOA at 135 \(^{\circ }\) C offers a trustworthy simulation for SMA, whereas a 3-hour STOA works well for AC.
