The Soii Havzak rockshelter, situated within the Zeravshan Valley of Tajikistan, has yielded evidence of multiple Paleolithic occupation phases, characterized by an abundance of lithic artifacts, faunal assemblages, and charred organic material.
The Soii Havzak rockshelter represents one of the scarce multi-layered, stratified Paleolithic locales found in Central Asia. Image attribution: Yossi Zaidner & Sharof Kurbanov, doi: 10.15184/aqy.2024.149.
Soii Havzak is a minor affluent of the Zeravshan River, located approximately 10 kilometers north of Panjakent in northern Tajikistan.
This archaeological site, identified as a rockshelter or overhang, is incised into a cliff face, positioned roughly 40 meters above the adjacent stream.
Professor Yossi Zaidner of Hebrew University, alongside Dr. Sharof Kurbanov from the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, and their research team, undertook excavations across three distinct sectors of the site, uncovering stratified layers indicative of human presence and activity.
The archaeological investigations brought to light a rich collection of Paleolithic stone implements, fossilized animal remains, and botanical evidence.
These discoveries have been chronologically placed within various periods spanning from approximately 150,000 to 20,000 years before the present.
These findings offer compelling substantiation for the significant role Central Asia played in the migratory patterns and evolutionary trajectory of early hominins.
Professor Zaidner remarked, “It transpires that the Zeravshan Valley, historically recognized primarily as a conduit of the Silk Road during the medieval era, served as a pivotal thoroughfare for human dispersal considerably earlier, between 20,000 and 150,000 years ago.”
“This geographical expanse might have functioned as a migratory corridor for several human species, including anatomically modern Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, or Denisovans, potentially coexisting within this territory. Our research endeavors to elucidate the identities of the hominins who inhabited these parts of Central Asia and the nature of their interrelationships.”
Lithic tools from the Paleolithic era unearthed at the Soii Havzak rockshelter in Tajikistan. Image attribution: Yossi Zaidner & Sharof Kurbanov, doi: 10.15184/aqy.2024.149.
The exceptionally well-preserved artifacts recovered from Soii Havzak furnish invaluable insights into the paleoclimate and ancient environmental conditions of the region, alongside the potential for discovering hominin fossil remains that could definitively identify the species that inhabited the area.
“The preservation status of organic constituents, such as combusted wood fragments and skeletal elements, is truly exceptional,” Professor Zaidner stated.
“This level of preservation facilitates the reconstruction of the region’s bygone climate and offers optimism that further stratigraphic investigations may yield clues concerning the biological anthropology of the area’s ancient inhabitants.”
“This is of paramount importance for comprehending the developmental trajectories of human populations and their behavioral patterns within Central Asia.”
The scholarly implications of this research extend broadly to the scientific discourse surrounding human evolution and dispersal, particularly in illuminating the potential interactions among ancient hominin groups.
The Soii Havzak site, nestled within the mountainous terrain of Central Asia, may have functioned as a critical nexus for hominin populations, thereby facilitating the expansion of early humans across extensive geographical territories.
“We are hopeful that the ongoing research at this locale will unveil novel perspectives on how diverse human lineages—such as modern humans, Neanderthals, and Denisovans—might have engaged with one another in this specific region,” Professor Zaidner expressed.
“This archaeological revelation represents a significant advancement in our understanding of prehistoric human history in Central Asia and underscores a valuable collaborative effort among international scientific bodies.”
A scholarly publication detailing these findings has been disseminated in the esteemed journal Antiquity.
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Yossi Zaidner & Sharof Kurbanov. Soii Havzak: a new Palaeolithic sequence in Zeravshan Valley, central Tajikistan. Antiquity, published online November 4, 2024; doi: 10.15184/aqy.2024.149
