Proto-urban site of Sarazm

About

Amidst the backdrop of the beautiful mountain ranges and vast stretches of green fields, it is hard to imagine the bustling urban center that used to exist in these valleys. Sarazm is more than just an archaeological site; it is a step into an ancient world that shaped human history. The Proto-urban Site of Sarazm is Tajikistan’s first UNESCO World Heritage site and dates back over 5,000 years. The name Sarazm means “the beginning of the earth,” and a proto-urban site is distinguished from a city because it lacks public services and a government. Dense populations of ancient people lived, worked, and conducted trade at Sarazm between 3,900-2,100 BCE. The people of Sarazm were the first to establish extended trade networks along the Silk Road and were skilled in making products from tin and copper. The artifacts they left behind help us unravel ancient ways of life in Central Asia.