Uncovering a lost mountain metropolis
Drone-mounted LiDAR reveals the true extent of two lost-cities in the mountains of Uzbekistan
An isolated plateau in the highlands of southeastern Uzbekistan in Central Asia, looks like an expanse of rolling hills. But look closer and a shard of pottery or the stony remnant of an ancient wall might hint at an archaeological secret hidden for hundreds of years.
Now a team of archaeologists have used drone-mounted LiDAR to virtually peel back the layers of sediment and vegetation. Revealing two ancient cities, much larger than previously imagined, built 2,000 metres above sea level.
The finding of these urban centres, called Tashbulak and Tugunbulak, at such high altitudes, may mean that highland areas may have played a more important role in medieval trade than previously thought.
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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-03464-5
This story originally appeared on: Nature - Author:Dan Fox
