2024/05/17 by Suleymanov, R., Oynazarov, H.
paper · doi:10.34920/1694-5794-2022.36en.005
The Surkhandarya Oasis is located in the extreme south of Uzbekistan and is one of its oldest historical and cultural regions. Its natural boundaries in the west and east are the Kugitang and Babatag Mountain Ranges, in the north it is bordered by the Hissar Range and its numerous spurs, in the south by the Amu Darya River. The region abounds in diverse historical monuments, including those of the Palaeolithic,Bronze Age and Early Iron Age. The Surkhandarya Oasis is one of the earliest centres of fine art development in Central Asia, including rock art. The study of the monuments of rock art in Uzbekistan began in the late 19th century. The most famous rock paintings are those in the Zaraut-Kamar grotto (Kugitang Range),Siypantash (southern slope of the Zeravshan Range), Aksaklatasai and Sangijumasai (Nurata Range). The rock paintings in Zaraut-Kamar, Siypantash and Aksaklatasai probably can be dated to the Late Stone Age(Mesolithic-Neolithic), which makes them one of the oldest rock art monuments in Central Asia. Recently, after some interruption, the collection of materials and the recording of new rock art monuments in the territory of southern Uzbekistan has continued. This article presents new discoveries of petroglyphs made during the 2021-2022 research. It discusses in detail the topography of the petroglyphs’ locations, their techniques, styles and themes. It also makes a comparative and chronological analysis of these petroglyphs.