South Uzbekistan Research Articles

First Full‐Vector Archeomagnetic Data From Central Asia (3 BCE to 15 CE Centuries): Evidence for a Large Non‐Dipole Field Contribution Around the First Century BCE

AbstractUnraveling the short‐term behavior of the Earth's past geomagnetic field at regional scales is crucial for understanding its global behavior and, thus, the dynamics of the deep Earth. In this context, obtaining accurate full‐vector geomagnetic field records from regions where archeomagnetic data are absent becomes essential. Here, we present the first full‐vector archeomagnetic data from Central Asia, derived from the analysis of nine archeological kilns sampled in South Uzbekistan, dating back to the period between 200 BCE and 1429 CE. To obtain these new data, we conducted thermal and alternating field demagnetization procedures, along with Thellier‐Thellier paleointensity experiments, including partial thermoremanent magnetization checks, thermoremanent magnetization anisotropy and cooling rate corrections. The comparison between the new data, previous selected data from Central Asia, and available global models reveals important differences between approximately 400 BCE and 400 CE, especially concerning the geomagnetic field intensity element. In order to investigate this in detail, we have developed a regional update of the SHAWQ global models family by incorporating, for the first time, high‐quality data from Central Asia. The results suggest that this deviation is linked to non‐dipolar sources of the geomagnetic field in Central Asia reaching a maximum contribution around the first century BCE. According to the updated global paleoreconstruction, this non‐dipole feature, manifested at the Earth's surface as low intensities, is associated with the presence of a reversed flux patch at the core‐mantle boundary beneath this region.

Results of the introduction of tree plants into South Uzbekistan from the North America

The article presents the results of the introduction of woody plants into South Uzbekistan from North America. It is noted that 43 species of woody plants were tested from the Atlantic-North American region. In particular, 1 species were tested from the Appalachian province of this region. Thirty-eight species have been introduced from the province of the Atlantic Lowland, of which 26 are also found in the Appalachian province. The flora of the province of the Atlantic Lowland is much younger than the flora of the Appalachian Province and contains fewer relict and endemic taxa, which is explained by the geological youth of the lowland itself. From both provinces of this area, the vast majority of species are very promising and promising. From the Rocky Mountains, only 3 species have been tested. Although they are endemic to this province, under our conditions they have proved to be quite resilient. They belong to the hemixerophytes. Of the 3 provinces of the Madreana region, 9 species were tested, 6 of them were introduced from the California province. Most of the tested species of this area turned out to be resistant in the conditions of Southern Uzbekistan.

Effective Use of Recreation Resources of South Uzbekistan

In this article, the geographical location of the Surkhandarya region of the Republic of Uzbekistan, its healing springs and their importance in the treatment of diseases, the beautiful and fresh air natural areas in the mountain and sub-mountainous regions, and the construction of health centers that meet world standards in these regions, as well as some issues of the further development of the recreational sector in the region problems, as well as the issues that should be resolved in their elimination are highlighted.

Suillus granulatus (L.) Roussel as a new macrofungus for southern Uzbekistan

This article provides information about the macrofungus Suillus granulatus (L) Roussel which was new one for South Uzbekistan. The identified macrofungus was found near the trees of Pinus eldarica Medw. The hymenium layer, basidiosporous basidia layer, spores and spores form small bodies (subfusiform) in the inner part of the spores in the shape of a drop.

Regional distribution and ecological-phytocenotic description of dominant plants of Southern Uzbekistan

This article analyzes the results of the research conducted by scientists in the study of plants of the region. Taking into account the laws of the distribution of plants in the regions, the dominant plants of the desert, hill, mountain and pasture regions of South Uzbekistan are given an ecological and phytocenotic description. In particular, the results of the expedition conducted to study the plants distributed in each region, and the results of experimental research are highlighted. According to it, information on the Latin name of plants, ecological status, distribution according to soil types, dominance characteristics, communities is provided. The formation of vegetation cover specific to the climate of each region was analyzed. In particular, dryness (lack of moisture) and high temperature for the desert determine unfavorable climatic conditions for plant life. Here, the shortness of the growing season of plants, mainly due to the lack of precipitation, early drying of the soil, often determines the summer and winter dormancy of two dormant periods in the seasonal development of plants. Despite the fact that desert conditions are unfavorable for plants, it is possible to observe their diversity during the seasonal vegetation period. Adir is located between a barren desert and a mesothermal mountain, and according to the living conditions of the plants, the stage part is arid, and the upper part is close to the mountain.

Morphotype broadening of the grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) from Oxus civilization 4000 BP, Central Asia

The region of Transoxiana underwent an early agricultural-demographic transition leading to the earliest proto-urban centers in Central Asia. The agronomic details of this cultural shift are still poorly studied, especially regarding the role that long-generation perennials, such as grapes, played in the cultivation system. In this paper, we present directly dated remains of grape pips from the early urban centers of Sapalli and Djarkutan, in south Uzbekistan. We also present linear morphometric data, which illustrate a considerable range of variation under cultivation that we divide into four distinct morphotypes according to pip shape. While some of the pips in these two assemblages morphologically fall within the range of wild forms, others more closely resemble modern domesticated populations. Most of the specimens measure along a gradient between the two poles, showing a mixed combination of domesticated and wild features. We also point out that the seeds recovered from the Djarkutan temple were, on average, larger and contained more affinity towards domesticated forms than those from domestic contexts. The potential preference of morphotypes seems to suggest that there were recognized different varieties that local cultivators might aware and possibly propagating asexually.

Capparis spinosa L. Cenopopulation and Biogeochemistry in South Uzbekistan.

The article provides an analysis of the cenopopulation and tissues element composition of the medicinal caper plant Capparis spinosa L. distributed on Calcisols formed on eroded alluvial-proluvial gravel textured rocks in the south of the Fergana Valley (Uzbekistan, Central Asia). The predominance of immature plants in the cenopopulation was detected in the Arsif hills massive, and quantitative indicators of micronutrients in the vegetative and generative organs of C. spinosa L. were determined. The study of biomorphological characteristics of the plant during the growing season (April-October) was carried out in the identified 10 observational experimental field populations. The cenopopulation dynamics and plant development patterns of Capparis spinosa L. were characterized for environmental conditions of south Uzbekistan for the first time. Soil, plant element analysis was performed by neutron-activation method. In this case, the samples were irradiated in a nuclear reactor with a neutron flux of 5 × 1013 neutrons/cm2 s, and their quantities were determined in accordance with the half-life of chemical elements. It has also been compared with research materials conducted by world scientists on the importance and pharmacological properties of botanicals in medicine and the food industry, as well as their botanical characteristics. The plant can serve to conserve soil resources, as it prevents water and wind erosion of dense clay soils in the dry subtropical climate of Central Fergana and could be considered an effective agent of destroyed soils remediation. The development of this plant will contribute to the diversification of agriculture in Uzbekistan (Central Asia) and the development of the food industry and pharmacology.

Pottery of the steppe piedmonts of the Bactro-Sogdian Borderlands: The case of Iskandar Tepa (mid-2nd–1st c. BC)

Iskandar Tepa is a recently excavated rural settlement site in the steppe piedmonts of the Kugitang, the westernmost foothills of the Pamir-Alay Mountain range in south Uzbekistan. Archaeological and numismatic investigation suggests that the site might have belonged to the system of outposts or watch-posts serving the strategic needs of the last Greco-Bactrian rulers to control the Sogdian-Bactrian borderlands and especially to control the communication routes leading through this region. This phase was followed by the occupation of the site by newly arrived (semi)nomadic people who took control of northern Bactria's territory during the second half of the 2nd century BCE. A quantitative and typological examination was performed on the pottery recovered at the site aiming to provide a preliminary overview of the ceramic repertoire and complementary chronological data for accurate dating. Different wares of all functional categories were identified with a predominance of closed shapes of the table and common wares, and the pithoi or large storage jars. We established typological analogies with the ceramic prototypes found in other coeval and nearby settlements and also recognized variations among the sites. Complementary to the previous archaeometric studies on ceramics from northern Bactria, we also present the characterization of a small ceramic assemblage to investigate their provenance and technology using a combination of analytical methods (WD-XRF, XRD, and OM). Archaeometric results reveal various paste recipes associated with specific chronologies and functional purposes, whose provenance can be located in several pottery workshops within the Amu/Sherabad/Surkhan rivers floodplain. The study demonstrates that ceramic prototypes and exchanges evolved during the period of occupation of the site, which has been preliminarily fixed between the 2nd century BCE and the 1st century CE.

Rapid Intensity Decrease During the Second Half of the First Millennium BCE in Central Asia and Global Implications

AbstractRecent paleomagnetic studies have shown that important short‐lived intensity fluctuations occurred during the first millennium BCE. However, the knowledge of the spatial and temporal extension of these features is still limited by the scarce availability of robust data. In this study we focus on the study of the intensity decrease that took place in Central Asia during the second half of the 1st millennium BCE after the high intensities that characterized the Levantine Iron Age Anomaly. Since previous archeointensities available for this period and region were obtained without accomplishing modern standards of quality, we present here new archeointensities that are derived from classical Thellier and Thellier experiments, including partial thermoremanent magnetization (pTRM) checks, thermoremanent magnetization (TRM) anisotropy and cooling rate corrections at the specimen level. The new 51 archeointensities, together with previous archeointensities, have been used to present a new local paleosecular variation curve for Central Asia. The results confirm the existence of an important geomagnetic field intensity decrease in South Uzbekistan from the 4th century BCE to the end of the 1st century BCE associated with rates of changes up to −15 μT/century. A critical analysis of the archeointensity global database indicates that this feature was present at continental scale, from Western Europe to Central Asia. However, this trend is not identified in other regions such as Japan or Mexico. Finally, the comparison with the dipole moment derived from recent global geomagnetic field reconstructions suggests a strong influence of non‐dipolar sources upon this continental intensity feature.

Results of the introduction of tree plants into South Uzbekistan from the Circumboreal floristic region

215 species, 4 forms and 5 hybrids grow in arboretums, parks and urban plantings of Southern Uzbekistan– a total of 224 taxa of woody introduced species, representing 113 genera from 52 families. Introduced plants came from 8floristic regions of the earth. The Circumboreal floristic area is home to 54 introduced species, of which 24 are found onlyin this area. They are originally from 10 provinces of the area. The range of 16 species lies in the boundaries of Irano-Turanregion, of 4 – in East Asian, of 3 – in the Mediterranean, of 2 species – in the Irano-Turan and Mediterranean regions. Thelargest number of species from the Circumboreal floristic region was introduced from the East European, Central European, West Siberian, Caucasian and Euxin provinces, where xeromesophytes, especially with increased drought resistance, aswell as mesothermophytes, which turned out to be more adapted in our conditions, prevail. Consequently, these provincescan serve as the main sources of introduction for southern Uzbekistan. Species from the North European, Central Siberian and Transbaikal provinces are less adapted. Representatives of these provinces are mesophytes and microthermophiles,and therefore they grow depressed and often do not bear fruits.

Genetic Continuity of Bronze Age Ancestry with Increased Steppe-Related Ancestry in Late Iron Age Uzbekistan.

Although Uzbekistan and Central Asia are known for the well-studied Bronze Age civilization of the Bactria–Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC), the lesser-known Iron Age was also a dynamic period that resulted in increased interaction and admixture among different cultures from this region. To broaden our understanding of events that impacted the demography and population structure of this region, we generated 27 genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism capture data sets of Late Iron Age individuals around the Historical Kushan time period (∼2100–1500 BP) from three sites in South Uzbekistan. Overall, Bronze Age ancestry persists into the Iron Age in Uzbekistan, with no major replacements of populations with Steppe-related ancestry. However, these individuals suggest diverse ancestries related to Iranian farmers, Anatolian farmers, and Steppe herders, with a small amount of West European Hunter Gatherer, East Asian, and South Asian Hunter Gatherer ancestry as well. Genetic affinity toward the Late Bronze Age Steppe herders and a higher Steppe-related ancestry than that found in BMAC populations suggest an increased mobility and interaction of individuals from the Northern Steppe in a Southward direction. In addition, a decrease of Iranian and an increase of Anatolian farmer-like ancestry in Uzbekistan Iron Age individuals were observed compared with the BMAC populations from Uzbekistan. Thus, despite continuity from the Bronze Age, increased admixture played a major role in the shift from the Bronze to the Iron Age in southern Uzbekistan. This mixed ancestry is also observed in other parts of the Steppe and Central Asia, suggesting more widespread admixture among local populations.

Honey significance of forest lands in south Uzbekistan

A characteristic feature of any plant group is the species composition. Therefore, the study of the honey productivity of a particular community is primarily ascertained by the species composition of plants and the calculation of the number of individuals of each type of melliferous plants per unit area. The number of plants is determined by laying out test plots of the studied areas. To calculate the nectar and honey productivity of associations, we use the data on the honey productivity of one plant, obtained by us as a result of research. Due to the variety of soil, climatic and natural conditions, the mountain range of the Surkhandarya region is characterized by a large variety of plant groups and their complexes. Since we did not set ourselves the task of covering all the diverse flora and vegetation of the mountains with surveys, we will restrict ourselves to those communities that play a certain role in beekeeping as a forage base, where primary melliferous plant species participate in associations.

On species of the genus emMacrosaldula/em (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Saldidae) of the Palaearctic Region, with description of emM. graziae/em sp. nov.

In this paper, we present new data on the genus Macrosaldula Leston Southwood, 1964 based on material held in the collections of the National Museum (Prague, Czech Republic) and the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg, Russia). Macrosaldula graziae sp. nov., from South Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, is described. Among the Central Asian species of the genus, it is close to M. tadzhika (Kiritshenko, 1912) by the presence of long erect setae on the body dorsum, but the latter species differs in the smaller body size, the presence of light spots on the corium, and in the structure of the male genitalia. In extremely dark specimens of M. jakowleffi (Reuter, 1891), the hemelytra are opaque, with short erect setae. Siberian M. rivularia (J. Sahlberg, 1878), M. simulans Cobben, 1985 and the Far Eastern M. koreana (Kiritshenko, 1912) and M. violacea Cobben, 1985 are distinguished from the new species by the short pubescence on the dorsum. We provide new distributional data for M. clavalis Cobben, 1985 (Georgia), M. jakowleffi (Reuter, 1891) (China: Xinjiang: Altai Mts.-first record), M. miyamotoi Cobben, 1985 (Japan: Honshu), M. nivalis (Lindberg, 1935) (Afghanistan-first record, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan), M. scotica (Curtis, 1835) (Georgia: Adzharia; Russia: Murmansk District), and M. tadzhika (Afghanistan-first record, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan). The record of M. scotica from Uzbekistan is disconsidered, and the two specimens are referred to M. graziae sp. nov.

The Current State Of Preservation Of The Epic Tradition Of Epic Poetry Of South Uzbekistan

The Current State Of Preservation Of The Epic Tradition Of Epic Poetry Of South Uzbekistan

КАМЕННЫЕ КРЕСТОВИДНЫЕ БУСИНЫ БРОНЗОВОГО ВЕКА ЦЕНТРАЛЬНОЙ АЗИИ И СРЕДНЕГО ВОСТОКА (К ВОПРОСУ О ДАТИРОВКЕ КУЛЬТУРЫ ЗАМАНБАБА)

The excavations of the Zamanbaba cemetery (belonging to the culture of the same name) in the ancient delta of the Zeravshan river (Bronze Age, South Uzbekistan) yielded 10 cross-shaped stone beads. The author of this paper thinks that the center for the production of such beads ap- peared in Northwestern Afghanistan at the end of the first quarter of the III mil. BC, after which they found their way to the south of Afghanistan (Mundigak) and to Southwestern Tajikistan (Farkhor). No items of this type are known to have been found in the regions lying to the south and southeast of Mundigak, while in the western (Tepe Hissar) and southwestern (Susa) regions of Middle East they and their replicas are represented by single finds only. They were mainly exported to the northwestern (Altyn-depe, Ulug-depe, Khapuz-depe, Parkhai II), northern (Za- manbaba) and northeastern (Farkhor) regions of Central Asia. Single beads could reach (probably, through multistage exchange) very distant lands, as is evidenced by the finds of analogous artifacts at the Sopka-2/4A cemetery in Southwestern Siberia, which can possibly be dated to the second quarter of the III mil. BC. The period of existence of cross-shaped stone beads in Central Asia embraces a long span of time from the end of the first quarter of the III mil. BC to the end of the first quarter of the II mil. BC. Therefore they cannot help to narrow the date of Zamanbaba culture.

САНОАТДА МАҲАЛЛИЙ МУТАХАССИСЛАР ТАЙЁРЛАШГА ТАРИХИЙ НАЗАР

In the article : In the second half of the 20 century the process of preparation of local experts in South Uzbekistan industry changes in this field a clear evidence-based analysis of the problematic processes that resulted from the discriminatory policy toward the Soviet government-dominated local policy makers

Molecular Characterization of Leishmania RNA virus 2 in Leishmaniamajor from Uzbekistan.

Here we report sequence and phylogenetic analysis of two new isolates of Leishmania RNA virus 2 (LRV2) found in Leishmania major isolated from human patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis in south Uzbekistan. These new virus-infected flagellates were isolated in the same region of Uzbekistan and the viral sequences differed by only nineteen SNPs, all except one being silent mutations. Therefore, we concluded that they belong to a single LRV2 species. New viruses are closely related to the LRV2-Lmj-ASKH documented in Turkmenistan in 1995, which is congruent with their shared host (L. major) and common geographical origin.

A Transformation of Foothills of South Uzbekistan (In The Sample of Kashkadarya Basin)

A Transformation of Foothills of South Uzbekistan (In The Sample of Kashkadarya Basin)

The Islamic Ancient Termez Through the Lens of Ceramics: A New Archaeological and Archaeometric Study

ABSTRACT This paper presents an archaeological and archaeometric study of a range of Islamic ceramics (9th-17th centuries) from Termez (south Uzbekistan), a city which has been proven to be both a production centre and a trading post. Pottery was manufactured in a number of workshops located in the lower city (shahristan) and its suburbs (rabad) and is consistent with the products of the most important Central Asian centres. For the first time, the fabrics of glazed and unglazed wares and two pottery moulds from two excavated areas at Termez were examined by WD-XRF, XRD and petrographic thin section analysis in order to determine the features of local manufacture and identify possible imports.

The Mousterian child from Teshik‐Tash is a Neanderthal: A geometric morphometric study of the frontal bone

In the 1930s subadult hominin remains and Mousterian artifacts were discovered in the Teshik-Tash cave in South Uzbekistan. Since then, the majority of the scientific community has interpreted Teshik-Tash as a Neanderthal. However, some have considered aspects of the morphology of the Teshik-Tash skull to be more similar to fossil modern humans such as those represented at Skhūl and Qafzeh, or to subadult Upper Paleolithic modern humans. Here we present a 3D geometric morphometric analysis of the Teshik-Tash frontal bone in the context of developmental shape changes in recent modern humans, Neanderthals, and early modern humans. We assess the phenetic affinities of Teshik-Tash to other subadult fossils, and use developmental simulations to predict possible adult shapes. We find that the morphology of the frontal bone places the Teshik-Tash child close to other Neanderthal children and that the simulated adult shapes are closest to Neanderthal adults. Taken together with genetic data showing that Teshik-Tash carried mtDNA of the Neanderthal type, as well as its occipital bun, and its shovel-shaped upper incisors, these independent lines of evidence firmly place Teshik-Tash among Neanderthals.