This file photo taken on June 24, 2025 shows members of the Luoyang-Fergana Sino-Uzbekistan joint archaeological team posing for a group photo at the Kuva Site in the Fergana Valley, eastern Uzbekistan. (Xinhua)

Chinese and Uzbek archaeologists have found early city walls constructed and modified between the 3rd century BC and the 10th century AD at the ancient city of Kuva in Uzbekistan, shedding new light on the history of a key Silk Road settlement.

Located in the Fergana Valley in eastern Uzbekistan, the Kuva site, now spanning about 110,000 square meters, used to be a very important hub on the ancient Silk Road. Its historical connection to China dates back over two millennia, as it is believed to have been part of the ancient state of Dayuan, recorded by Chinese envoy Zhang Qian during the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD).

A joint team from the Luoyang Institute of Archaeology in central China's Henan Province and Uzbekistan's Fergana State University has been conducting fieldwork at the Kuva site since 2023.

Liu Bin, leader of the Chinese team, said remains of a palace, city gates, walls, house foundations, streets and workshops have been identified. In 2025, the team focused on excavating the northern gate and the adjacent moat area.

The team determined that the walls had undergone multiple modifications in terms of layout and function, using both adobes and mud bricks as building materials, which confirms the continuous use of these walls from around the 3rd century BC to the 10th century AD.

The long-term use and repeated modifications of the walls reveal the enduring vitality, adaptability and complex functions of this key Silk Road hub, Liu said, while adding that the evolution of construction techniques provides crucial material useful for studying architectural crafts, material choices and potential cultural influences of different eras.

The team has also conducted a systematic survey and exploration of the eastern part of the palace complex, discovering features such as wall foundation trenches and a surrounding moat. These findings provide crucial information for reconstructing the city's overall layout.

"This year, we plan systematic excavations in the palace area to further clarify the complete layout and functional zones of the ancient city," Liu noted. 

This file photo taken on June 24, 2025 shows archaeologists working at the Kuva Site in the Fergana Valley, eastern Uzbekistan. (Xinhua)

This aerial drone file photo taken on June 28, 2025 shows the Kuva Site in the Fergana Valley, eastern Uzbekistan. (Xinhua)

This aerial drone file photo taken on June 28, 2025 shows the Kuva Site in the Fergana Valley, eastern Uzbekistan. (Xinhua)