Archaeology is a field distinct from history, which is reconstructed by written sources. An archaeologist is like a detective of the past. He studies history that has no trace of itself. He systematized and classified the artifacts found during the excavations (mostly fragments, fragments) and then tried to restore the unwritten history...
The 21st issue of the "Jadid" newspaper dated May 22, 2026, published an interview with Farhod MAKSUDOV, Director of the National Institute of Anthropology of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Doctor of Historical Sciences. It will discuss the archaeological heritage of Uzbekistan, innovations in the field, discoveries, and findings that have resonated with world archaeologists.
- Compared to other regions, Uzbekistan is a region rich in archaeological heritage. Therefore, today in Uzbekistan, archaeological research is conducted by several large organizations. For example, at the Institute of Anthropology of the Academy of Sciences. Archaeologists work at the Samarkand Institute of Archaeology under the Cultural Heritage Agency, the Department of Archaeology of the National University of Uzbekistan, existing departments in Fergana, Termez, Bukhara, Namangan, Nukus, and the Ma'mun Academy in Urgench. They excavate monuments in their territory every year during the summer season. The season lasts from late spring to early autumn. We all participate in field excavations.
More than 4,800 monuments are included in the national list of protected archaeological heritage in Uzbekistan. Many new monuments are added every year. About five thousand, which is no joke; this is a very rich archaeological heritage.
– What questions are archaeologists facing today?
– Today, one of the priority areas of archaeological science is related to the wide promotion of our rich archaeological heritage. This means fully excavating archaeological monuments, covering them, and turning them into tourist sites. Let not only our people, but also those who came from abroad see, get acquainted with how our culture was formed, compare it with archaeological monuments in their homeland. Let our people, when visiting other places, see and compare such objects. What was our past? How should we view the heritage of our ancestors? Let him know and be proud of this.
– What archaeological discoveries have been made recently?
– We have been collaborating with the University of Washington in the USA for many years. US professors, teachers, and students come and go for a month every summer. Together we will search and study archaeological sites in the mountainous regions of Uzbekistan. They have developed technology, they bring their own new equipment. One of the latest equipment he brought, a scanner called "Lidar," is installed on the drone and begins to record. This device helps to perform large-scale tasks quickly.
There is a place called Tugunbulak in the territory of Zaamin and Bakhmal districts. It was with the help of this drone that we discovered the remains of a 150-hectare city. The altitude is 2,000 meters. Previously, small houses and dwellings were found in mountainous areas. But there was no such thing as rising to the level of a village or a city in science.Look, this place was raised to the level of a city during the Karakhanid era. It lived for 250 years and was abandoned. Even now, it is not easy to build a city in such an area. What made our ancestors settle here and then abandon it? We've been excavating every year for five years. We're about to find out why.
First, the mountain there is geologically rich in iron. Second, it was a pasture. This place should be some kind of political, economic center. It is possible that the Khagan of the Turkic tribes lived there. There is the Shanghai Archaeological Forum, which is held every two years. At this forum, the research conducted in Uzbekistan in the Jizzakh, Zaamin, and Bakhmal mountains was declared one of the 10 largest discoveries in the world. We were issued certificates. This was a joint achievement of Uzbek scientists with American scientists.
Another major discovery of recent years—the Kafirkala site—is being studied by the Samarkand Institute of Archaeology. It is a center of the ancient Sogdian civilization. It is located 25–30 km from Samarkand. Specialists from Samarkand, together with archaeologists from Japan and Italy, are discovering interesting facts during the study of the site. Here is a room resembling an ancient Zoroastrian temple, which was burned down during the Arab invasion as being contrary to Islam. There are carved marks on the burnt wood. Because ash doesn't rot, coal doesn't rot. If it were wood, it wouldn't be here today. The image of Nana is depicted in the source - it is considered the goddess of womanhood and fertility in Zoroastrianism. Extremely rare. When the image is redrawn, clothing, hairstyles of men and women from the period of Sogdian culture 1300 years ago, everything is visible. Even the decorations on the clothes are clearly visible. There are many important elements there. This information does not exist in any written source; it is an unexpectedly large amount of information for history. The find caused such a resonance among archaeologists worldwide that it became one of the main exhibits of the Culture of Uzbekistan exhibition.