Written in the Soil: How Ancient Farmers Along the Silk Road Built a Sustainable Landscape

Ravat is an archaeological landscape in the foothills of the Tien Shan Mountains in Kyrgyzstan. More than fifteen centuries ago, people living here created fields, irrigation canals and a productive agricultural system in a place where water was always limited. Our project explores how this ancient community managed water, cultivated the land and adapted to a semi-arid environment. Using archaeology, geoarchaeology, drone documentation and soil analysis, we are trying to read the story preserved in the landscape — and in the soil itself. The research is carried out in close cooperation with Kyrgyz colleagues and supports the study, protection and public awareness of Kyrgyzstan’s cultural heritage.