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Journal of Sistan and Baluchistan Studies

Journal of Sistan and Baluchistan Studies

NEW EVIDENCE FROM THE NEOLITHIC PERIOD IN THE NURATA HIGHLANDS, UZBEKISTAN

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors
1 Associate Professor, Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage, Samarkand, Uzbekistan / Samarkand State University, Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
2 DsC, Leading Researcher at the Samarkand Institute of Archaeology of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
3 Assistant Professor, Head of the Department of Archaeology, Samarkand State University, Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
4 PhD student, Samarkand State University, Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
5 DsC, Professor of Samarkand State University, Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
6 Associate Professor, Department of History of Kyrgyzstan and Archaeology, Ethnology, Osh State University, Osh, Kyrgyzstan.
7 Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology Chinese Academy of Sciences: Beijing, Beijing, China.
8 Professor, Samarkand State Institute of foreign languages, Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
9 DsC, Professor, Samarkand State University, Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
10 Research fellow at the Samarkand Institute of Archaeology named after Yu. Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Abstract
During the Neolithic period, major changes and innovations occurred in human lifestyle, subsistence strategies and social organization. However, the timing and nature of these developments were not the same in different regions of the world; it seems that each region followed a distinct path shaped by its environmental conditions and cultural background. Although extensive archaeological research has been conducted on the Neolithization and Neolithic period in Western Asia, studies on the Neolithic period in Central Asia are relatively limited, and available data from this vast region are not yet well-documented. Archaeological field activities were conducted in recent years in the Nurata Mountains of Uzbekistan have revealed new data of Neolithic sites. Among these sites, the Zardali site is one of the most important discoveries, which was excavated over three seasons by the archaeological team from the Samarkand state University. The purpose of this research is to analyze the Neolithic period of Uzbekistan based on archaeological findings found from this site. Based on the finding obtained from excavations, this paper provides a detailed description of the cultural layers and materials. The results indicate that the site was established on the slopes of Mount Nurata, near a natural spring, and was most likely occupied on a temporary or seasonal basis. The flaked stone assemblages of Zardali, indicates an industry based on a combination of blade/let and flake production. The blade/let production process used pressure. Based on lithics and absolute dating, this site can be dated to the Neolithic period.
 
 
 
 

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Volume 6, Issue 1
June 2026
Pages 53-62

  • Receive Date 14 September 2025
  • Revise Date 10 November 2025
  • Accept Date 13 November 2025
  • Publish Date 01 June 2026