Protecting Historic Treasures: Uzbekistan

Protecting a desert fortress at Kampir-Tepe

Not far from the banks of the Amu Darya River near Termez are the remains of Kampir-Tepe, a vast complex dating from the post-Alexandrian period to the Kushan era (400 to 200 years before the current era).  Discovered some 35 years ago, nearly 15 hectares of the site have been excavated by Uzbek archaeologist Dr. Edvard Vasilievich Rtveladze.  The work unearthed military fortifications, a citadel, dwellings, a port and even a religious complex thought to be dedicated to Zoroastrian ceremonies. The excavations helped shed light on the economic, cultural and political structures of a significant Central Asian culture.

In 2005, Dr. Rtveladze received a grant from the U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation to help preserve and protect the excavated areas of this significant site. He also received funds to document the artifacts that he and his team discovered here. The work is geared toward eventually opening the site to tourists and scholars as a museum complex.