In brief
Remote-sensing technology has unveiled two medieval cities, Tugunbulak and Tashbulak, enriching our understanding of Central Asia's role in trade and cultural exchange.
The discovery of two lost medieval cities in the rugged mountains of eastern Uzbekistan is rewriting the history of the Silk Road. Traditionally viewed as a network connecting lowland urban centers, recent archaeological advancements have uncovered highland settlements that played a significant role in this ancient trade route.Archaeologists, led by Farhod Maksudov of Uzbekistan’s National Center of Archaeology and Michael Frachetti from Washington University in St. Louis, employed cutting-edge lidar technology to map the terrain and identify the remains of these cities. Tugunbulak, a sprawling 120-hectare metropolis perched over 2,000m (6,600ft) above sea level, and its smaller counterpart, Tashbulak, are believed to date back to between the 8th and 11th centuries when a prominent Turkic dynasty ruled the area.Maksudov commented, "The history of Central Asia is now changing with this finding." The team previously stumbled upon Tashbulak's ancient ruins in 2011 while hiking, where they discovered burial sites and numerous pottery shards suggesting prior habitation. However, their expectation of finding such a substantial site at such altitude was unexpected. The following years brought a pivotal breakthrough when a local forestry official pointed the researchers to another potential site—which turned out to be built upon an ancient fortress. These encounters illuminated how historical assumptions of centralized urbanity in lower altitudes may have missed vibrant, high-altitude communities.The team faced skepticism from the academic community regarding the significance of their findings, as prior expectations centered around lower elevation discoveries. Yet, using drone-assisted lidar, they were able to reveal structural complexities such as fortifications, walls, and architectural finesse in Tugunbulak.The discovery suggests that these communities were strategically located not only for trade but also for utilizing natural resources like iron, critical for their economy during the Middle Ages. Yet, leading to environmental degradation could have ultimately contributed to their decline, as deforestation for iron production destabilized the area, resulting in hazardous flash floods and landslides.Experts across the globe have recognized the invaluable contribution of this research to understanding medieval urbanism in Central Asia. According to historian Peter Frankopan, such discoveries reveal the intricate networks linking communities and resource utilization strategies throughout history, marking these high-altitude cities as remarkable treasures in archaeological records.
