Foziltepa

Foziltepa (Qangʻli fortress) — an early medieval archaeological monument (late V century — XII century). Located in the southwest of Tashkent, in the Izzasoy valley. There are hypotheses that the monument was a observation point of the Qangʻlis at the time. In fact it is the ruin of a prosperous farmer’s fortified settlement from the early Middle Ages. Investigated by the Tashkent archaeology expedition under Ya.G.Gulomov (1967—68). The preserved area of F. is about 20 m, to its north‑east there is a village, whose traces are recorded up to a distance of 250 m. The hill area is 41×35 m.

Stratigraphic studies conducted at F. showed that life in the early Middle Ages continued in two phases: 1) the period of accumulated household waste layer and the construction of a mudbrick wall (late V century — early VII century); 2) the period when a solid building (fortified tower) was erected on top of the mudbrick foundation (second half of VII century — VIII century). The first inhabitants of Foziltepa undoubtedly belonged to the late Qovunchi culture. Excavations carried out at the foot of Foziltepa determined the age of the village that appeared around the hill. According to the research, the village was formed on relatively flat ground (the difference between the continental layers at any two points does not exceed 0.3 m). The village covered a much larger area, and in the second half of the VI century a palace or arch building was constructed in part of its ruins. Unbroken ceramic vessels from Foziltepa: jars, pitchers, serving bowls, small bowls (VI—VII centuries) were found.