Sarazm (Tajik: Саразм) is an ancient town and a jamoat in north-western Tajikistan. It has a history dating back to the 4th millennium BC, with carbon-14 dating results showing it was occupied between 3900 and 2100 BC. Today, Sarazm is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The jamoat is part of the city of Panjakent in the Sughd Region and had a population of 27,877 people in 2015. It includes 21 villages, such as Chimqal'a (the main village), Abdusamad, Bostondeh, Kamar, Kamar-Tash, and Sohibnazar.

The archaeological site of the ancient city of Sarazm is located near the village of Sohibnazar, which is on the left bank of the Zeravshan River, close to the border with Uzbekistan. The culture of Sarazm came much earlier than the arrival of the Andronovo steppe culture in South Central Asia during the 2nd millennium BC.

Archeology

The site is located 15 kilometers west of the city of Panjakent. It covers an area about 1.5 kilometers long and between 400 to 900 meters wide. At its peak, the site covered up to 90 hectares, with 35 hectares remaining open and unobstructed.

This site is important to archaeologists because it represents the first known early farming community in this part of Central Asia. It is also the northernmost and easternmost of these early farming settlements. Sarazm was the first city in Central Asia to trade with other settlements across a large area, including the Turkmenistan steppes and the Aral Sea to the northwest, and the Iranian Plateau and the Indus region to the south and southeast.

The site was first studied in 1977 by Abdullah Isakov of the Tajikistan Academy of Science. During the first excavation, eight areas were tested, and three were fully explored. In 1987, seven areas were excavated, and twenty tests were conducted.

The site was studied through partnerships between Tajikistan and international researchers. A major collaboration began in 1984 between French and Tajik scientists. In 1985, a three-year agreement was signed between the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the Tajik Academy of Science. This partnership continued until 1998, when the focus shifted to preserving the site. Most scientific analysis of materials was done by French researchers, led by experts in pottery and mineral studies.

In 1985, two American professors, P.L. Kohl and C.C. Lamberg-Karlovsky, joined a joint archaeological project between the United States and the Soviet Union.

The site has four layers of human activity, separated by long periods of abandonment. These layers were identified during the first excavations. The total depth of remains is about 1.5 to 2 meters, covering roughly a thousand years of use. Not all four layers are found in every area, suggesting the settlement moved over time. The layers are numbered Sarazm I, II, III, and IV, with Sarazm I being the oldest.

The exact dates of the layers are uncertain, but most experts agree the site was first occupied around the first half of the 4th millennium BC. Initial dating used radiocarbon testing, which was later recalibrated in 1985 by an American-USSR team. French researchers also conducted radiocarbon tests during their excavations.

Dates were also confirmed by finding artifacts from other cultures. For example, clay fragments from the Namazga II and III periods in Turkmenistan and Togau pottery from Baluchistan suggest the site was occupied from the first half of the 4th millennium BC to the second half of the 3rd millennium BC.

After the first excavation, Isakov noted that the people of Sarazm practiced agriculture, herding, and metalworking. Metal tools and decorations, such as daggers, chisels, and axes, were found in layers II, III, and IV. Evidence suggests metal was worked in Sarazm using techniques similar to those in Mesopotamia, the Iranian Plateau, and the Indus Valley.

Some experts believe Sarazm was one of the largest centers for producing and exporting metal in Central Asia around 3000 BC.

Ceramics found at Sarazm show connections to the Iranian Plateau, Northern Baluchistan, and Turkmenistan. For example, pottery from the Bronze Age cultures of Seistan and Baluchistan was discovered.

Agriculture was supported by irrigation systems that used water from the Zerafshan River and mountain sources. Wheat and barley (both types) were found at the site, but no evidence of broomcorn millet or pulses was discovered. The barley found at Sarazm resembles that found in sites in Pakistan and China. The people also raised cattle, sheep, and goats, focusing on products like milk, wool, and leather.

The Sarazm III period marked the peak of the city’s economy, with population growth, improved building techniques, and specialized crafts like pottery (using a newly invented slow wheel) and advanced metalwork.

The city may have been revived as a mining hub for nearby turquoise. The Zerafshan Valley is rich in minerals like gold, silver, copper, and tin. The town likely mined and processed these resources.

Most structures found were multi-room homes, but some buildings appear to have served communal purposes. These buildings had regular brick walls, sometimes painted with colored coatings, though their exact use remains unclear. Two main construction methods were used: sun-dried bricks and hand-shaped earth.

The Sarazm I layer was damaged by later layers and is not well understood. Buildings from the second period had narrow passageways connecting homes to courtyards with bread ovens. Floors during the Sarazm III period were often burned. Some buildings had large hearths, which may have been used for religious purposes, similar to those found in Turkmenistan.

Fortifications were discovered during the second excavation.

Burial sites were circular, 15 meters in diameter, with walls surrounding them. Valuables like pottery and beads were found in some tombs. A larger burial area has not yet been explored.

Anthropologist Khodzhaiov concluded that the people of Sarazm likely originated from southern Central Asia and Southwest Asia, sharing genetic links with other Eneolithic sites in Turkmenistan, such as Göksür and Qara-depe.

At its peak, Sarazm was economically prosperous, with richly decorated pottery featuring patterns like circles, crosses, and triangles painted in red, yellow, and blue. Rosette designs may indicate knowledge of the solar calendar.

Terracotta statues of women and animals were also found, showing an emerging trend in sculpture.

Religious beliefs are unclear, but altars with sacred fires were discovered.

Sarazm is believed to have connections with the Göksür culture through migration patterns in the region.

World Heritage Site status

The ancient site of Sarazm was added to the World Heritage List in July 2010. It is described as an archaeological site that shows how people lived in Central Asia from the 4th millennium BCE to the end of the 3rd millennium BCE. It is the first World Heritage Site in Tajikistan.

To protect the site, some areas are covered with metal roofs, and others are buried under soil. With help from local people and the CRATerre research institute, a special layer made of rice husks and earth was created to cover fragile parts of the site that were previously exposed.

• Stone seal from Sarazm, mid-2nd millennium BCE. Tajikistan National Antiquities Museum, Dushanbe, SZM Y-137.
• Sceptre from Sarazm, second half of the 3rd millennium BCE.
• Arrow points, 4th–3rd millennium BCE.
• Handled stone or weight from Sarazm, 4th–3rd millennia BCE.
• Bronze axe head from Sarazm, second half of the 3rd millennium BCE. Tajikistan National Antiquities Museum, Dushanbe, P 1147/525.