Results of archaeological survey in the Alay valley (Kyrgyzstan), 2017

In the ancient times and in the Middle Ages, the Alay Valley was one of strategic parts on the Silk Road, through which various goods were transported, and people and animals migrated. In 2017, the joint Russian-Kyrgyz expedition identified 15 previously unknown archaeological sites from the Paleolithic to the Middle Ages in the western part of the valley. In this article, we describe some of the key findings from this survey. Based on the preliminary results, the discovered sites, including those belonging to the Stone Age, show similarities with the adjacent regions (Pamir-Alay, Pamir, Xinjiang and Central Tian Shan). This suggests that human habitation in the valley and its use as a transport corridor also took place in the ancient times.