JERUSALEM, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Archaeologists from Tajikistan and Israel have uncovered a multi-layered archaeological site in Tajikistan's Zeravshan Valley, providing rare evidence of human settlements dating back between 20,000 and 150,000 years, according to a study published on Monday.
The study, a joint effort by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) and Tajikistan's National Academy of Sciences, was published in the journal Antiquity. Excavations at the "Soii Havzak rock shelter" site revealed an abundance of stone tools, animal bones, and remnants of ancient vegetation from the Middle and Upper Paleolithic periods.
The study noted that Central Asia remains "relatively under-explored" in archaeological terms, describing Soii Havzak as "one of the very few multilayered stratified Paleolithic sites in Central Asia," and a valuable location for examining Paleolithic diversity in the region.
The site, located along the Central Asian mountain corridor, may have served as a key transit route for early human populations, the researchers suggested. Further studies will include detailed analyses of the stone and animal remains, as well as radiometric dating, to better understand the site's historical significance.
In a statement released on Tuesday, HU said the research could yield fresh insights into early human development and migration in Central Asia, an important crossroads in human evolution. ■
