ARCHAELOGICAL LANDSCAPE

The archaeological landscape of the Samarkand region is defined by a range of features that reflect its long and layered human history:

• Multi-layered anthropic mounds (tepa / tepe)
  These raised settlement mounds are the result of centuries of continuous human occupation, where layers of construction, abandonment, and rebuilding accumulated over time. They preserve stratified records of everyday life and urban evolution from ancient to medieval periods.

• Complex settlements with long-term occupation
  Sites like Kafir Kala illustrate the sustained use and transformation of urban centers over several centuries. This fortified town features monumental gates, walls, and administrative buildings, providing insight into regional governance, architecture, and cultural exchange from the pre-Islamic to early Islamic periods.

• Burial mounds (kurgan)
  These earth-covered tombs, often associated with elite or nomadic groups, link the region to the wider funerary traditions of the Eurasian steppes. Many date back to the early Iron Age and signal the movement and interaction of diverse cultural groups.

• Abandoned irrigation canals
  Silent witnesses to a once-thriving agricultural infrastructure, these canals reflect the importance of water management in sustaining life in a semi-arid environment. Their presence across the landscape reveals both technological ingenuity and long-term environmental adaptation.

Uzbek version

Arxeologik manzara 

• Tepa: Ko‘p qatlamli antropogen tepaliklar  
  
• Kofir Qal’a: Uzoq muddat yashab turilgan murakkab aholi manzillari
  
• Mozor-qo’rg’on qabristoni: Mozor-qo’rg’onlar Kurgan burial
• Sug‘orish kanallari: Tashlab ketilgan sug‘orish kanallari Irrigation canals 

Russian version

Типичные особенности археологического ландшафта включают:

• тепа/тепе: многослойные антропогенные холмы;
• например, Кафир-Кала: сложные поселения с длительным периодом обитания;
• погребальные насыпи: курганы;
• заброшенные ирригационные каналы