Archaeologists identify possible 2,200-year-old Greek military camp in Uzbekistan
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Archaeologists in southern Uzbekistan have identified a possible Hellenistic military camp at Iskandar Tepa, dating to around 2,200 years ago. The site, previously thought to be a small rural settlement, may be the first such camp found in Central Asia. The findings were published in June 2026 in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.
Key Facts
- Iskandar Tepa is located in the Sherabad District of Surkhandarya Region, within the ancient borderlands between Bactria and Sogdiana.
- A Czech-Uzbek archaeological expedition identified the site in 2017.
- A perimeter ditch about 400 meters long enclosed an area of roughly 1.2 hectares and measured between 4 and 7 meters wide.
- Geophysical surveys revealed around 90 elongated pits, many interpreted as graves in a burial ground that developed after the main period of occupation.
- The findings were published in June 2026 in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.
Site Identification
Iskandar Tepa is located in the Sherabad District of Surkhandarya Region, within the ancient borderlands between Bactria and Sogdiana. A Czech-Uzbek archaeological expedition identified the site in 2017. At first, it was interpreted as a Greco-Bactrian settlement, with later research suggesting it may have been a watch post. The mound had no known local name when archaeologists discovered it, so they gave it the working name Iskandar Tepa, equivalent to “Alexander’s Hill.”
Military Camp Evidence
The site occupies a naturally protected hilltop, and a perimeter ditch about 400 meters long enclosed an area of roughly 1.2 hectares and measured between 4 and 7 meters wide. Researchers found little evidence of permanent buildings inside the enclosure, a combination more consistent with a temporary fortified camp than with a permanent settlement. Coins associated with Hellenistic rulers help date the site and support the interpretation that a military unit may once have occupied it. Archaeologists found large ceramic storage vessels known as khums buried in the ground, along with what appears to have been a canal up to 1.1 meters wide that carried water from several kilometers away. Researchers suggest that the vessels may have been used to store water for a temporary garrison.
Burial Ground
Geophysical surveys revealed around 90 elongated pits, many interpreted as graves in a burial ground that developed after the main period of occupation at Iskandar Tepa or partly overlapped with it. Temporary military camps from the Hellenistic period are extremely difficult to identify archaeologically because, unlike cities and fortresses, they left relatively few permanent structures.
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Archaeologists identify possible 2,200-year-old Greek military camp in Uzbekistan
