Dushanbe (TDI): Fossils dating back an estimated 85 million years have been uncovered in Tajikistan’s Sughd region, marking a significant addition to the region’s rich prehistoric landscape.
The discovery was made in Kansai village, a renowned paleontological site celebrated for its diverse fossil record from the Cretaceous period, which includes remnants of ancient reptiles, amphibians, and aquatic life.
The excavation, led by a team of Russian and Tajik scientists, follows in the footsteps of historic expeditions.
In the 1960s, Soviet scientist Anatoly Rozhdestvensky’s team made notable findings in the area, including the femur of a therizinosaur.
Further explorations in the 1980s by scientist Lev Nesov identified traces of Cretaceous mammals.
This recent dig, led by Associate Professor Pavel Skuchas from St. Petersburg State University, focused on smaller vertebrates and involved Tajik researchers such as Umed Nabiev, a master’s student in paleontology, and ecologist Gafurjon Karimov.
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Fossils were retrieved from the walls of a large canyon, where Upper Cretaceous sediment layers held remains of lizards, salamanders, frogs, and fish.
“We employed a washing technique to carefully extract even the smallest bones and teeth,” Nabiev explained, adding that a special adhesive was used to protect the fragile finds.
Among the larger discoveries were crocodile and turtle shells, along with bones belonging to an 85-million-year-old dinosaur.
Researchers hope to determine which part of the dinosaur’s skeleton the bones represent.
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The excavation is set to continue next May, with plans to explore new sections of the canyon previously mined for cement production.
“While the larger animals have been well-studied, remains of smaller animals, such as amphibians and reptiles, have received less attention,” Nabiev noted, emphasizing the team’s intent to focus on smaller vertebrates in future expeditions.
Discovery Joins Growing List of Archaeological Findings
This discovery joins a growing list of significant archaeological finds in Tajikistan.
In 2023, artifacts found at the Oshkhon site in the Eastern Pamirs suggested human presence dating back around 14,000 years.
In 2021, a joint Tajik-German excavation in Khushdilon, near Danghara district, uncovered remnants of a Hellenistic sanctuary from the 3rd to 1st centuries B.C., shedding light on the region’s deep historical and cultural heritage.
