### Enigmatic Silk Road Cities Uncovered in Uzbekistan's Highlands

The recent archaeological findings in Uzbekistan's mountainous regions unveil a remarkable twist in the historically established narrative of Silk Road trade routes, suggesting higher-altitude settlements once thrived.

Archaeologists have unearthed the remnants of two medieval cities nestled in the lofty mountains of eastern Uzbekistan, potentially transforming our grasp of the historic Silk Road. This ancient network, known predominantly for its lowland cities, has now been shown to include at least two significant highland settlements that served as vital crossroads for trade between East and West. The larger city, Tugunbulak, spans an impressive area of at least 120 hectares and stands more than 2,000 meters (6,600 feet) above sea level, in an environment previously thought to be too inhospitable for expansive civilization.

Farhod Maksudov, an archaeologist involved in the discovery, stated, "The history of Central Asia is now changing with this finding." Research suggests both Tugunbulak and its smaller counterpart, Tashbulak, thrived between the 8th and 11th centuries, during the reign of a prominent Turkic dynasty. Today's population is significantly lower in such elevations, likening them to other high-altitude enclaves, such as Lhasa in Tibet and Cusco in Peru.

The groundbreaking work, led by Mr. Maksudov and Michael Frachetti from Washington University in St. Louis, employed drone technology and a remote-sensing tool known as lidar, which maps environments through reflected light. Their findings were recently published in the journal Nature, sparking interest from scholars who see it as a vital contribution to understanding nomadic lifestyles in the region.

The initial discovery dates back to 2011 when the team uncovered Tashbulak during a mountain trek, revealing burial sites and thousands of pottery fragments. Despite historical records hinting at urbanization in the region, the discovery of a substantial 12-hectare medieval city at over 2,200 meters surprised the researchers. Mr. Frachetti reflected on the challenges faced when presenting their findings to the academic community, where skepticism was prevalent.

In 2016, a local forestry official prompted the investigation of another site near Tashbulak, leading the researchers to find that a local residence was situated atop an extensive medieval citadel.

The breakthroughs came to fruition in 2022 when the team returned with a lidar-equipped drone, unveiling complex structures, walls, guard towers, and fortifications at Tugunbulak, shedding light on previously concealed pieces of history.

According to the team, the favorable winds in the area may have drawn people to settle at these heights, utilizing them for fire generation necessary for iron smelting, given the region’s rich ore deposits. Excavations have already revealed kilns associated with this production. However, this industriousness may have contributed to environmental degradation, as extensive logging for iron production destabilized the already tenuous ecosystem, leading to increased risks of flooding and avalanches.

Experts have noted that such high-altitude settlements deviate from commonly accepted historical patterns that suggest urban centers existed predominantly in lower valley areas. Peter Frankopan from Oxford University described the discovery as a treasure trove of information, which reveals how interconnected ancient communities were across Asia and their resource exploitation activities over a millennium ago.

Scholars affirm that these findings significantly contribute to the understanding of medieval urbanism in Central Asia, with Zachary Silvia from Brown University emphasizing the rarity of high-altitude archaeological sites due to the unique challenges inhabitants faced in such environments. This pioneering research points towards a deeper, more intricate tapestry of historical urban life in Central Asia yet to be fully explored.