This meeting symbolized the continuation of a long-standing fruitful collaboration that has led to the creation of three outstanding books dedicated to archaeological and ethnographic findings directly related to the cultural heritage of Uzbekistan. The new book, which will focus on discoveries at the Paykend settlement, will be the next important step in this joint effort.
During his visit, Andrey Omelchenko and WOSCU representatives discussed the details of preparing the new book, which will be dedicated to the findings at the Paykend settlement. This project is of particular importance as the archaeological expedition at Paykend is the longest-running international archaeological project in Uzbekistan, ongoing for 45 years.
"The expedition of the State Hermitage Museum and the Samarkand Institute of Archaeology at the Paykend settlement has been ongoing for 45 years. Next year we will celebrate the anniversary of this expedition. As part of the WOSCU project 'Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan in World Collections,' a volume dedicated to the studies of the settlement is planned to be published. We aim to summarize our work and highlight the achievements and materials collected over these years. This project is unique and represents an experimental approach that has not been undertaken before. We strive to achieve the most interesting and informative result. The new book will include several sections that will detail different historical periods of Paykend – starting from the ancient period, which will include the history and formation of the settlement, early medieval times, as well as the Samanid era, when Paykend reached its peak of cultural and economic prosperity. All these aspects will be presented based on the archaeological materials accumulated over the past 45 years of the expedition’s work. We aim to showcase the multifaceted and historical significance of Paykend through the lens of archaeological findings," noted Andrey Omelchenko, Senior Researcher of the Central Asia Sector of the State Hermitage Museum.
The new book on Paykend promises to be a significant addition to the existing publications and makes an important contribution to the study of Uzbekistan’s cultural heritage.
