Shafaqna English- Archaeologists and historians in Uzbekistan have extended the age of the historic city of Samarkand to 3,000 years, based on new evidence. Previously, the city’s age was estimated at 2,750 years.
According to Shafaqna Persian, citing ISNA, archaeologists and historians in Uzbekistan have announced that the city of Samarkand—one of the most important cultural and historical centers in Central Asia—is much older than previously estimated, and dates back 3,000 years.
Representatives of Samarkand. Saidov, Director of the Samarkand Institute of Archaeology, said: “At first, it was believed that the city was 1,500 years old. Then this number increased to 2,000 and 2,500 years. In 2000, a joint team conducted archaeological excavations and estimated the age of Samarkand to be 2,750 years. But the new findings have led us to reconsider this estimate.”
The recent findings are the result of excavations carried out at the archaeological sites of Afrasiab and Koktepe, as well as near the Amir Timur Arch. The research team employed an interdisciplinary approach, combining archaeology, history, and advanced scientific analyses to gain a more precise understanding of the city’s development process.
In early 2025, a general council was established under the supervision of the Governor of Samarkand to coordinate studies related to the history, culture, and archaeological heritage of the city. This council is composed of the most prominent archaeologists, historians, and scholars both domestically and internationally.
Source: Shafaqna Persian