Teshik Tash Cave

Uzbekistan is a treasure trove for archaeologists and historians from all over the world. Long-term research by scientists and unique finds have repeatedly confirmed that our homeland was inhabited by people at the dawn of human development, for example, during the Stone and Bronze Ages.

If you find yourself in the Surkhandarya region and you will pass the southern slopes of Baysun, by all means visit the famous Teshik-Tash cave and grotto.

Not far from the marble cliffs of Baysun, on the pass near the Zovtalashsay gorge, there is a huge stone with a huge hole, which was nicknamed Teshik-tash by the local population, which means "leaky stone". At an altitude of 1,550 meters above sea level, the Karshi steppe and the main road leading to the village of Derbent can be seen from the top of the mountains. If you go down this road, you can get to the famous Teshik Tash grotto. This place is famous for the fact that in the 30s of the XX century, scientists discovered the remains of a 9-year-old Neanderthal boy and ancient animals - goat horns, the remains of a wild horse and a leopard. Tools dating back to the Stone Age were found nearby.

During the war years, scientists (the school of academician M.E. Masson and G. Pugachenkova) made a real breakthrough in the field of archeology here, and after a while it was proved that the remains belonged to a girl 8-9 years old. The works of the anthropologist M.M. Gerasimov have recreated the image of a Neoderthal girl, which you can see in the Archaeological Museum of Termez. Mountain goat horns and other animal remains found around the burial site indicate that funerals at that time were held in the form of a special ritual with chants and sacrifices.

Today, Teshik-tash is one of the most unique archaeological reserves in Uzbekistan. The picturesque nature of the local region, preserving the millennial culture of our country, is striking.