Archaeologists in the Kamashinsky district of Kashkadarya region have made significant discoveries related to ancient religious practices. An altar used for religious rites and a unique ossuary—an ancient vessel for storing bones—were found.
These finds were made at the Odirmon monument, where excavations are being conducted for the first time this year by specialists from the Samarkand Archaeological Institute. The altar was located in the northeastern part of this monument.
The structure measured 70 centimeters in height and 90 centimeters in width, showing signs of fire damage. The altar's floor was paved with burnt bricks, and it was surrounded by a layer of clay plaster up to three centimeters thick. The discovery of several layers of renewed plaster indicates that the altar was used for a long time and underwent regular repairs.
On the exterior of the ossuary, patterns stylized as deer and an arch tree were preserved. After restoration work, experts plan to conduct a more detailed study of these images.
Preliminary estimates date the Odirmon monument to the period from the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century CE. These artifacts—the altar and the ossuary—may provide substantial assistance to researchers in understanding the religious beliefs, rituals, and burial traditions of the ancient population of this area.
Previously, at the Kurgantepa monument, located in the Urgutsky district, archaeologists found the head of a early medieval gypsum sculpture. This find was discovered among the remains of an ancient temple, where fragments of clay sculpture and a wall painting depicting a four-armed deity were also found in 2024.
