Two meticulously documented medieval metropolises, identified as Tashbulak and Tugunbulak, stand out as some of the most substantial urban settlements uncovered within the mountainous arteries of the Silk Road, the extensive ancient commercial conduit that historically linked the continents of Europe and Eastern Asia.
A drone captured this image of Tugunbulak in 2018. Image credit: M. Frachetti.
Situated at elevations between 2,000 and 2,200 meters above sea level, a topographical parallel to the altitude of Machu Picchu in Peru, Tashbulak and Tugunbulak represent exceptional instances of flourishing urban development in high-altitude environments.
The more diminutive settlement, Tashbulak, encompassed an area of approximately 12 hectares. In contrast, the expansive city of Tugunbulak covered an impressive 120 hectares, positioning it among the most significant regional urban centers of its epoch.
“These settlements would have served as pivotal urban centers in Central Asia, particularly as one transitioned from lower-lying oases into more formidable high-altitude territories,” remarked Professor Michael Frachetti, an eminent archaeologist affiliated with Washington University in St. Louis.
“Contrary to the perception of mountains as obstacles to Silk Road commerce and transit, these elevated regions actually harbored substantial nodes of interregional exchange.”
“It is highly probable that the influx of livestock, valuable minerals, and other prized commodities fuelled their economic vitality.”
“The archaeological record at Tugunbulak reveals a sophisticated urban framework, distinguished by specific material culture that markedly diverged from sedentary traditions found in lowland areas,” added Dr. Farhod Maksudov, the director of Uzbekistan’s National Center of Archaeology.
“It is unequivocally evident that the populace inhabiting Tugunbulak over a millennium ago comprised nomadic pastoralists who cultivated their own distinct and autonomous cultural identity and economic system.”
Composite lidar view of Tugunbulak. Image credit: SAIElab / J.Berner / M. Frachetti.
The intricate network of plazas, defensive fortifications, thoroughfares, and residential structures within Tashbulak and Tugunbulak has been meticulously brought to light through advanced drone-based lidar surveying technology.
“These datasets represent some of the most high-fidelity lidar imagery of archaeological sites ever disseminated,” stated Dr. Frachetti.
“Their acquisition was facilitated, in part, by the distinctive erosional patterns characteristic of this mountainous terrain.”
“Both of these urban sites merit considerably more intensive scholarly investigation,” he further asserted.
“Preliminary excavations conducted at one of the fortified edifices in Tugunbulak suggest that this stronghold—a structure fortified with rammed earth walls measuring 3 meters in thickness—may have functioned as a specialized workshop where indigenous metallurgists transformed abundant iron ore deposits into high-quality steel.”
“Such industrial activity would have constituted a principal element of the city’s economic infrastructure.”
It is already abundantly clear that Tashbulak and Tugunbulak were far more than mere peripheral settlements or transient staging posts.
“The Silk Road’s significance extended beyond the terminal points of China and the Western world,” Dr. Frachetti explained.
“Substantial political powers exerted considerable influence throughout Central Asia. The intricate core of this extensive network also served as a catalyst for significant technological advancements.”
The findings derived from the research team’s endeavors were formally published this month in the esteemed academic journal, Nature.
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M.D. Frachetti et al. 2024. Large-scale medieval urbanism traced by UAV-lidar in highland Central Asia. Nature 634, 1118-1124; doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08086-5
