Archaeologists have discovered a medieval Silk Road city under Lake Issyk-Kul

An international archaeological expedition has discovered the underwater ruins of a medieval city on the Silk Road in Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan. This was reported on December 6 on the New Atlas portal.

The expedition found the remains of brick buildings, a millstone wheel, architectural fragments with decorations, a Muslim necropolis of the 13th–14th centuries, burials and large ceramic vessels. The discovery confirms the existence of a thriving city before it was flooded by an earthquake in the early 15th century.

"The monument under study represents a city or a large commercial agglomeration on one of the important sections of the Silk Road. At the beginning of the 15th century, as a result of a terrible earthquake, the city went under the water of the lake," explained Valery Kolchenko, head of the archaeological group.

The archaeologists also discovered a Muslim cemetery under water measuring about 300 by 200 m. As the scientists noted, the remains of two people will be studied in detail to understand their age, health and cultural context. In addition, the team found fragments of ceramics and a large one—piece hum container for storing grain or liquids. Three earlier burials are recorded nearby, which indicates a multi-layered history of the territory's use.

Remains of walls and structures of rounded and rectangular shapes, probably parts of residential and public buildings, have also been found underwater. The use of underwater drones made it possible to create a detailed digital map of the ruins to preserve the monument from erosion.

According to archaeologists, Issyk-Kul acts as a "time capsule" where every artifact, from a millstone to a skeleton, reveals the history of trade, religion and life along the Silk Road.

On December 5, Arkeonews reported the discovery of a cameo depicting a Gorgon Jellyfish in Austria. The find dates back to the II century A.D., its age is approximately 1,9 thousand years. The cameo itself is carved from agate in black and white stripes and was most likely made in the Roman cultural and cultural center of Aquileia in the north of the Adriatic Sea. It is assumed that she could have decorated the necklace of one of the rich Roman women.

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