The expedition, conducted in October, was international and organized in collaboration with the Institute of History, Archaeology, and Ethnology of the NAS KR and the Russian Geographical Society (RGO) along with the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
According to information from the RGO, researchers studied the submerged complex of Toru-Ayghyr, which played a significant role on the Great Silk Road.
During their work, archaeologists surveyed four sites at depths ranging from 1 to 4 meters and discovered the remains of a necropolis dating back to the 13th–14th centuries, as well as structures made of fired brick, large ceramic vessels, and traces of a destroyed building with architectural elements.
The discovered necropolis covers an area of 300 by 200 meters and includes burials performed according to Islamic tradition: skeletons are positioned with their heads to the north and faces turned towards the Kaaba in Mecca. Among the remains retrieved were both male and female skeletons.
Archaeologists emphasize that Toru-Ayghyr was an important trade hub between Asia and Europe, and they suggest that its submersion may have occurred as a result of a strong earthquake in the early 15th century, after which the city was abandoned by its inhabitants.
