An earthquake hid: archaeologists discovered the "Atlantis" of the Tien Shan (5 photos)

Archaeologists have once again proven that science can expand the horizons of time and space, bringing back to life entire eras that seemed lost forever.





At the bottom of Lake Issyk-Kul, the pearl of the Tien Shan, a joint expedition from the Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences of Kyrgyzstan discovered traces of a medieval trading settlement that flourished along the Great Silk Road seven centuries ago.



Issyk-Kul has a maximum depth of 668 meters, making it the eighth deepest lake in the world.

These are not just ruins, but a true time capsule, preserving brick buildings, a millstone, ceramics, and even remnants of the daily lives of people who vanished after the catastrophic earthquake of the early 15th century.





Scientists led by Viktor Kolchenko worked in extremely difficult conditions: at depths of 1 to 4 meters, where the lake's salty water preserves artifacts better than any museum. They surveyed four sites in the Tor-Aygyr area using underwater drones and scuba gear, and discovered a 13th-14th-century necropolis with burials, fired bricks indicating advanced architecture, and metallurgical slag.



Each find was recorded with pinpoint accuracy to reconstruct the life of this trade hub where caravans from China, Persia, and Rus' intersected.



The artifacts have already been sent to laboratories for analysis, where they will conduct radiocarbon dating and spectral analysis.

Scientists are confident that the results will rewrite the chapters of textbooks on the history of the Silk Road, demonstrating how the natural disaster changed the region's demographics. And most importantly, it is a reminder that dozens more similar settlements may be hidden beneath the waters of Issyk-Kul, waiting to be discovered.