Around 100 ancient burials discovered in Surkhandarya
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Archaeologists have discovered around 100 burials at the ancient Ozod cemetery in Shurchi district of Surkhandarya region. Preliminary studies indicate that the site is associated with the Sapalli culture of the Bronze Age, the press service of the Agency for Cultural Heritage reported.
Excavations and research at the site are being conducted by the Ya. Gulyamov Samarkand Archaeological Institute jointly with the Silk Road Archaeology Research Center of Northwest University in China. The work began on 15 August.
The Ozod site was discovered in 2023 during field surveys in the eastern part of the Surkhandarya Basin. It is located southeast of the village of Ozod, approximately 6 km from the Dalverzintepa site.
The archaeological site covers an area of approximately 200 by 100 meters. Researchers have identified around 100 burials in the area. Excavations are currently underway in more than 10 graves located in the southwestern part of the cemetery.
Preliminary analysis showed that the structural features of the burials and the archaeological materials discovered have characteristic features of the Sapalli culture, an archaeological culture of the Bronze Age that existed in southern present-day Uzbekistan during the 2nd millennium BC.
“The results of radiocarbon analysis, as well as comparative and typological studies of the finds, make it possible to date the site to 1700–1500 BC,” the statement said.
The Ozod site is of scientific interest for studying the formation and subsequent development of ancient burial traditions in the region. Field archaeological research and excavations are currently continuing at the site.
