The ancient city of Samarkand, long considered to be around 2,750 years old, may be even older. At a recent session of the Samarkand Regional Council of People’s Deputies, it was decided to revise the official age of the city to 3,000 years based on new archaeological and interdisciplinary research.
Speaking at the session, Mominkhon Saidov, director of the Samarkand Institute of Archaeology, explained that the city’s origins have been debated for more than a century.
“Initial estimates placed the city's formation at 1,500 years ago, then 2,000, and later 2,500 years. In the 2000s, a joint expedition confirmed the age as 2,750 years. However, recent excavations have led to new insights,” he said.
The new findings emerged from excavations carried out at the Afrosiyob and Koktepa archaeological sites, as well as near the Amir Temur Arch at Koksaroy Square. The research team applied interdisciplinary methods, combining archaeology, history, and advanced scientific analysis to reassess the city's timeline.
In early 2025, a public council was established under the governor’s office to coordinate efforts to study Samarkand’s history, culture, and archaeological heritage. The council includes leading archaeologists, historians, and academics from Uzbekistan and abroad.
Based on a re-analysis of artifacts from Koktepa and Afrosiyob, experts now believe that Samarkand’s urban development began at the end of the 2nd millennium BC and the start of the 1st millennium BC. Evidence points to the presence of a major settlement, complete with a governor’s residence and temple, 3,000 years ago.
The session concluded with a decision to recognize these findings and submit the artifacts, data, and documentation from the excavations to relevant ministries and departments for further evaluation and preservation.
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