Underwater archaeological excavations in Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan, have unearthed the remains of a major medieval trading centre that disappeared beneath the water after a catastrophic earthquake in the early 15th century.
The findings are based on studies conducted in the shallow waters of Lake Issyk-Kul (1-4 m deep). The joint project by the Russian and Kyrgyz Academies of Sciences has mapped large parts of a Silk Road settlement that has been hidden beneath the lake for over 600 years. Archaeologists found roads, public buildings and a large cemetery.
The expedition, led by Maxim Menshikov and Valery Kolchenko, focused on the Toru-Aygyr complex on the north-western shore of the lake. The team recorded four parts of the submerged settlement with underwater drones, diving and drilling techniques. Baked-brick walls, a stone mill, and carefully designed architectural structures were unearthed, and it was clear that the city was a major trading centre, with mosques, baths, and madrasas in the area.
The researchers also discovered a Muslim cemetery of about 14 acres in the UNESCO Silk Road heritage zone. Human remains buried according to Islamic traditions were preserved, due to erosion caused by lake waves. Scientists believe laboratory examination of the remains will shed light on the origins and diets of the medieval population. Historical evidence further suggests that, before the spread of Islam, the region was home to a rich mix of religious traditions, including Tengrism, Buddhism, and Nestorian Christianity.
Lake Issyk-Kul, a closed basin with no natural outflow, was struck by a powerful earthquake in the early 15th century. The earthquake collapsed the city into the lakebed where it was buried under layers of sediment over the centuries. Now, tree-ring studies and radiocarbon dating on wooden beams that were recovered from the site are going on to determine the exact date of the disaster.
Archaeologists are still trying to document what remains of this once bustling production and trade centre before irreversible damage to the site takes place from water erosion.
Sources : Russian Geographical Society
