On 26 November 2025, more than 300 valuable archaeological artefacts were officially transferred to two major Turkmen museums on Wednesday in solemn ceremonies held at the State Museum of the State Cultural Centre of Turkmenistan in Ashgabat and the History and Local Lore Museum of Arkadag City, the Turkmen state news agency TDH reports. The handover is part of the … [Read more...]
President Serdar Berdimuhamedov attended the opening ceremony of the archaeological exhibition “Ancient Civilizations of Turkmenistan” in Rome
As part of his official visit to the Italian Republic, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov attended the opening ceremony of the archaeological exhibition "Ancient Civilizations of Turkmenistan." The head of state was warmly welcomed by Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri in the square in front of the Capitoline Museum. A literary and musical performance by Turkmen … [Read more...]
For the First Time in Italy: Capitoline Museums to Host the Exhibition “Ancient Civilizations of Turkmenistan”
From 25 October 2025, to 12 April 2026, the halls of Palazzo dei Conservatori at the Capitoline Museums in Rome will host the unique exhibition “Ancient Civilizations of Turkmenistan.” For the first time in Italy, the public will have the opportunity to explore archaeological treasures that reveal the grandeur of the ancient cultures of Margiana and Parthia. The … [Read more...]
Archaeology of Margiana: Professor Barbara Cerasetti on the Mysteries of the Bronze Age and Turkmenistan’s Contribution to Studying Ancient Civilization
An autumn archaeological expedition has concluded at the Togolok settlement in Turkmenistan—one of the most prominent Bronze Age sites in the historical region of Margiana. The research was led by Professor Barbara Cerasetti, Director of the Turin Center for Archaeological Research and scientific coordinator of joint initiatives under the International Association for the Study … [Read more...]
Turkmenistan: Mausoleums of the Prophet Muhammad’s Companions – Ancient Islamic Shrines of Khorasan
Yazgul Tirkishova, Chief Curator of the “Ancient Merv” State Historical and Cultural Reserve Turkmenistan’s cultural heritage sites, including the “Ancient Merv” State Historical and Cultural Reserve, are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, affirming their outstanding universal value. The preservation and promotion of national cultural heritage are integral to … [Read more...]
Exhibition on Turkmenistan’s Ancient Cultures to Open in Rome in October 2025
The Italian archaeological project TAP-Togolok has announced the opening of the exhibition “Rise of Cultures in Turkmenistan: Bronze Age Margiana and the Parthian Kingdom” on 24 October 2025, at the Palazzo dei Conservatori, Musei Capitolini in Rome. This landmark event is organized by Roma Capitale, Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali, the Ministry of Culture of … [Read more...]
Jewel of Architecture: The Mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar
Yazgul Tirkishova, Chief Curator, State Historical and Cultural Reserve "Ancient Merv" As you approach the Mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar in the State Historical and Cultural Reserve "Ancient Merv" (Mary province, Turkmenistan), it's impossible not to feel its primal power. It seems to rise organically from the earth itself, surrounded by gentle, sloping hills that resemble … [Read more...]
Ancient Hunters in Eurasia: Archaeological Discoveries in Uzbekistan Reshape the History of Hunting
In the Obi-Rakhmat Grotto in Uzbekistan’s Tashkent Region, archaeologists have uncovered evidence that bows and arrows were used in Eurasia much earlier than previously thought. The findings, published in the scientific journal Plos One by an international team of researchers from France and Russia, were reported by the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Siberian … [Read more...]
50 years of archaeological research of Gonur-depe in Margiana: new finds and research of the ancient city
2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the start of the first excavations at the world-famous archaeological site Gonur Depe in Ancient Margiana, or the so-called Margush (Mary province, Turkmenistan). In 1972, the outstanding archaeologist Viktor Sarianidi discovered this ancient city, and from 1974 until the end of his life he studied the ancient site. Dr. Nadezhda Dubova, … [Read more...]
American Archaeologist Believes Hidden Civilization Lies Beneath Turkmen Hills
Renowned American archaeologist Fredrik Hiebert, a leading expert on the ancient agricultural culture of Anau, believes in the existence of a hidden civilization beneath the Anau hills in Turkmenistan. Fredrik Hiebert, a doctor of Archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania, worked with Victor Sarianidi and Turkmen archaeologists studying the Anau. Together with the … [Read more...]
The Institute of Ethnology and Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences revealed details on the latest discoveries in Turkmenistan’s ancient Margiana
From mid-September to the second half of October 2024, the Russian-Turkmen Margian Archaeological Expedition conducted excavation season in Turkmenistan under an agreement between the Institute of Ethnology and Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan. The expedition was led by Dr. Nadezhda Dubova from the Russian side, and … [Read more...]
An Ancient Seal Depicting an Astronomical Object Discovered in Turkmenistan
Russian and Turkmen archaeologists conducting excavations at the Gonur-Depe settlement in the Karakum Desert have unearthed a seal featuring a celestial body and a distinctive arrangement of three stars. This is believed to be the oldest known depiction of an astronomical object found in Turkmenistan. Nadezhda Dubova, a leading researcher at the Institute of Ethnology and … [Read more...]
The ancient settlement in Turkmenistan “Parz-depe” reveals its secrets
Recep Jommyev, archaeologist, Senior Researcher at the Institute of History and Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences Archaeological excavations commenced at the historical and cultural site of Parz-depe this spring, focusing on a comprehensive study of the stratigraphy of its cultural layers. The goal was to determine the periods of human habitation and uncover information … [Read more...]
Russian and Turkmen archaeologists continue excavations in ancient Margiana
The Russian-Turkmen Margiana Archaeological Expedition, a joint effort between the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan, has been conducting archaeological excavations at the renowned Gonur-depe monument in the Karakum Desert. Led by Dr. Nadezhda Dubova, chief researcher at the Institute of … [Read more...]
A specialist of the Turkmen-French archaeological expedition trained students of the Culture Institute in preserving ancient artifacts
In 1994, during the visit of French President Francois Mitterrand to Turkmenistan, an agreement was reached between the National Center for Scientific Research of France (CNRS) and the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan on the establishment of an archaeological mission. Within the framework of this cooperation, the Turkmen‐French Archaeological Mission (MAFTur), has been … [Read more...]
80 million-year-old paleodictyon fossil found in Turkmenistan
A rock sample bearing the enigmatic traces of an unknown ancient organism, likely a paleodictyon, has been found in Turkmenistan. Estimated to be 60-80 million years old, the finding was handed over to the State Museum of the State Cultural Center of Turkmenistan. The imprints resemble honeycombs, with grids of hexagons measuring 8-12 millimeters across, covering an area of … [Read more...]
European Archaeologists Discover a Wealth of Artifacts During Autumn Expedition in Turkmenistan
The autumn field campaign of the Togolok Archaeological Project (TAP) in Turkmenistan has recently been completed with great success, the Italian Embassy in Turkmenistan reports. Togolok 1 is a Bronze Age settlement in the Murghab region, where ancient Margiana (the territory of the modern Mary province) once flourished. During the expedition, a lot of new evidence and data … [Read more...]
A pyramid of the Bronze Age discovered in Kazakhstan
nCa Report A team of archaeologists of the L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (ENU) of Kazakhstan has discovered a large-sized steppe pyramid of the Bronze Age, not found in the steppes of Eurasia. According to a press release of ENU, excavations are underway in the Abai region. The press release says that since 2014, the scientists of the Archaeology and … [Read more...]
European scientists will resume studying the secrets of ancient Margiana
After a long break due to the Covid–19 pandemic, the European archaeological project "TAP-Togolok" (Togolok Archaeological Project), headed by Dr. Barbara Cerasetti, will resume work in Turkmenistan in September 2023 at the Bronze Age settlement of Togolok 1 in the Murghab region on the territory of ancient Margiana, the TAP Togolok project reports. Ancient Margiana, once … [Read more...]
Russian Archaeologists Discover Ancient Unknown Board Game in Turkmenistan
A team of Russian archaeologists from the Institute of the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IHMC RAS) and the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology of the Russian Academy of Sciences during excavations in Turkmenistan discovered a complete set for an unknown ancient board game, TASS reports with reference to the director of the IHMC RAS Andrey … [Read more...]
Russian archaeologists return to Turkmenistan and discover previously unseen artifacts
In the south-east of Turkmenistan, in one of the most severe deserts in the world - in the Karakum Desert, in the legendary and semi-mythical country of Margiana, at the ancient settlement of Gonur-depe, after a four-year break due to the pandemic, archaeological excavations were resumed. Here, in April and May 2023, the Russian-Turkmen Margiana archaeological expedition spent … [Read more...]