Archaeologists have identified the remains of a Han Dynasty military garrison in the Tarim Basin. The site includes watchtowers, granaries, and residential quarters, along with wooden slips containing administrative records of passing trade caravans.
The outpost served as a crucial node for securing the Silk Road against nomadic incursions. Recovered textiles, including silk and wool blends, illustrate the cultural fusion occurring at the edges of the empire as East met West through commercial exchange.