Archaeologists surveying Uzbekistan’s Jizzakh region have discovered previously unknown Palaeolithic and Neolithic sites alongside a remarkable collection of ancient petroglyphs depicting hunters, animals and a mysterious solar symbol.
The discoveries were made during archaeological fieldwork carried out in September in the Zaamin and Sharaf-Rashidov districts by specialists from Uzbekistan’s Cultural Heritage Agency and the Ya. Gulyamov Samarkand Archaeological Institute.
Researchers identified several new Stone Age sites around settlements in the Zaamin district, providing further evidence that communities repeatedly occupied the Zaamin oasis and surrounding Turkestan Range over thousands of years.
Preliminary investigations identified a Palaeolithic site in the eastern part of Achchi village, while another site, near the village of Peshagor, has been attributed to the Neolithic period.
Additional Neolithic material was discovered in the western part of Achchi and around the village of Arzha.
The presence of both Palaeolithic and Neolithic sites within the same relatively small geographical area is particularly important to researchers. It suggests that this part of the Zaamin oasis and Turkestan Range provided favourable conditions for human occupation across widely separated periods of prehistory.
The discoveries could consequently help archaeologists reconstruct how Stone Age communities moved through the landscape, where they established settlements and camps, and how they exploited the natural resources of the mountainous region.
Ancient Petroglyphs Found on Riverbank
A separate survey produced another significant discovery near the village of Ravots in the Sharaf-Rashidov district.
While exploring the left bank of the Ravotsoy River, archaeologists identified a previously undocumented complex of rock art carved into shale outcrops.
Approximately 30 petroglyphs have so far been recorded across seven rock faces.
The images depict a range of human and animal subjects, including a hunter, mountain goat, cattle and a dog. Among the most striking carvings is the figure of a hunter firing a bow.
Researchers also documented what appears to be a solar symbol, adding another element to the collection that could provide clues about the beliefs and symbolic traditions of the people who created the carvings.
Preliminary assessment suggests the petroglyphs were produced over a considerable span of time, potentially ranging from the Bronze Age to the early Middle Ages. Further investigation will be needed to establish more precise dates for individual carvings and determine whether the rock faces were used repeatedly by different communities.
New Evidence of Jizzakh’s Ancient Past
Together, the Stone Age sites and newly documented rock art could significantly expand knowledge of human activity in the Jizzakh oasis and Turkestan Range.
The discoveries offer archaeologists new evidence for investigating prehistoric settlement patterns, subsistence and economic activity, as well as the cultural changes that affected communities living in the region over thousands of years.
Researchers now plan to conduct larger-scale investigations of the newly identified sites. Future work will include more detailed archaeological surveys, scientific documentation and efforts to establish the chronology of the finds.
The sites will also be studied to determine their wider historical and cultural significance and their relationship with other known archaeological landscapes in Central Asia.
With the initial fieldwork revealing evidence ranging from the Palaeolithic to the medieval period, the discoveries indicate that the mountains and valleys of the Jizzakh region preserve a much longer and more complex record of human activity than individual sites alone might suggest.
Sources : Agency For Cultural Heritage Of The Republic Of Uzbekistan
