Archaeologists Discover Two Lost Cities Along the Silk Road in Uzbekistan

In a groundbreaking discovery, archaeologists using laser-based remote sensing have identified two previously unknown cities in the mountains of Uzbekistan, thriving along the Silk Road from the 6th to 11th centuries AD, Reuters reported yesterday.

The larger city, Tugunbulak, spans about 300 acres and may have housed tens of thousands, making it one of Central Asia’s largest urban centers of its time. It was a hub for metal production, with evidence of kilns and furnaces found at the site.

The smaller city, Tashbulak, featured a cemetery with some of the oldest Muslim burials in the region, reflecting early Islamic influence. Both cities, located at elevations of 6,560 to 7,220 feet, challenge historical understandings of trade and political power in the Silk Road economy.