Mummified Bodies Discovered for the First Time in Tajikistan
For the first time in Tajikistan, archaeologists have discovered over 25 burial sites, including three mummified bodies. This discovery is a first for the country, with similar mummies previously found only in Kyrgyzstan and China.
According to information from asiaplustj.info, the remains were found in the village of Iskodar, located in the Ayni district. The discovery came after a local resident reported an ancient gravestone in the Sary-Basty cemetery area, which led the Tajik National Museum to send a specialist for research.
– When I arrived, I began excavating and studying the bones, and unexpectedly found three mummified bodies, one of which was very well preserved, – said Muhsin Bobomulloev, a specialist from the National Museum’s Archaeology and Numismatics Department.
Similar mummified bodies were found in the early 20th century in Kashgar (China) in the Tarim Basin, as well as in 1956 in Batken District of Kyrgyzstan, where a female mummy was discovered. This mummy was reburied in 2017.
– These are rare cases, but such mummies provide anthropologists with valuable information. DNA samples and other crucial tests can be taken from them. We can determine the person’s age, gender, nationality, diseases, what they ate, and what caused their death. Scientists can reconstruct their appearance and create portraits showing what people of that time looked like, which is very important, – emphasized the archaeologist.