The ruins of a previously unknown Sogdian fortress have been discovered in the rugged terrain of the Zeravshan Valley, offering a rare glimpse into the lives of the "Middlemen of the Silk Road." The site, named Kala-i-Zar, contains exceptionally preserved murals depicting caravan scenes, royal banquets, and Zoroastrian deities, according to the Central Asian Antiquity report.
Excavations revealed a sophisticated administrative center where taxes were levied on passing silk and spice traders. The discovery of a cache of legal documents written on leather and birch bark provides new insights into the Sogdian language and their complex mercantile law system, which governed trade from China to the Mediterranean.
- Recovery of high-quality silk fragments with Sassanid-style patterns.
- Discovery of a multi-faith shrine containing Buddhist and Zoroastrian artifacts.
- Detailed mapping of a three-story citadel with defensive bastions.