Chinese-Uzbek archaeological mission uncovers Kushan-era housing complex and artefacts

A joint Chinese-Uzbek archaeological team has uncovered a substantial Kushan-era residential settlement and a wide array of cultural relics at the Chinar-Tepa site in southern Uzbekistan’s Surxondaryo Region, offering fresh insights into the ancient Silk Road civilisation. This is reported by Global Times, a partner of TV BRICS.

The excavation, covering 350,000 square metres, revealed a residential hub surrounded by burial zones. Within the core settlement area, archaeologists discovered more than 30 house foundations arranged across at least six stratigraphic layers. These multilayered structures span various phases of occupation and abandonment during the Kushan period, estimated between the 1st and 3rd centuries CE.

Among the notable discoveries were remnants of walls, hearths and postholes, alongside a diverse collection of artefacts. These include painted terracotta figurines of humans and animals, ceramic spindle whorls, stone grinding slabs, and Kushan-period coins. The stratified layout of architectural remains provides a reliable chronological framework for understanding the region's settlement patterns and architectural evolution during Kushan rule.

The research team stated that the recovered structures are being stabilised, artefacts are undergoing restoration, and advanced digital techniques, including 3D modelling, are being used for documentation. Environmental samples and botanical and faunal remains are also being analysed to support interdisciplinary research on the region’s ancient ecology and subsistence strategies.

According to the source, since 2019, the joint Chinese-Uzbek team has carried out seven missions along the upper Surxondaryo River, identifying a network of Kushan-period settlements on the river’s eastern bank. Chinar-Tepa, the most expansive and well-preserved site among them, is now considered central to understanding the sociopolitical landscape of the area during the Kushan era.

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