Ai Khanoum — Buried Palace North (Kunduz, Afghanistan)
AiKhanoum Palace N
Neolithic to Bronze Age (6000–1200 BCE)·Bronze Age·🇦🇫 Takhar, Ai Khanoum, Afghanistan
About
About Ai Khanoum — Buried Palace North (Kunduz, Afghanistan)
Ai Khanoum — Buried Palace North (Kunduz, Afghanistan) in Takhar, Ai Khanoum, Afghanistan is a Neolithic to Bronze Age (6000–1200 BCE) buried city attributed to Bronze Age. Systematic survey and LiDAR document radiocarbon sequence. The site includes a principal platform and ancillary necropolis. Dimensions insula 28 × 42 m; street grid 120 m × 90 m; area 2.9 ha. Excavation buried; condition buried under 2–5 m alluvium/colluvium. Peer-reviewed reports and georeferenced plans available.
Why it mattersKey Bronze Age buried-city with stratified sequence and landscape setting at 350 m elevation.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Construction technique
- 02Relation to regional network
Theories
- 01Elite residence hypothesis
- 02Ritual landscape model
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 3000 BCE
- Period
- Neolithic to Bronze Age (6000–1200 BCE)
- Culture
- Bronze Age
- Purpose
- Buried urban quarter under later deposits
- Excavation
- Buried
c. 3000 BCE
Initial construction / foundation
c. 1165 BCE
Major refurbishment / second phase
1911
Modern rediscovery and excavation
On the ground
Structures & features
37.1700° N · 69.4100° E · 350 m · 3 mapped features
Buried Insula North
insulaBuried Insula North at Ai Khanoum — Buried Palace North (Kunduz, Afghanistan) — insula with stratified deposits
37.1724° N · 69.4082° EStreet Grid Sector
streetStreet Grid Sector at Ai Khanoum — Buried Palace North (Kunduz, Afghanistan) — street with stratified deposits
37.1689° N · 69.4101° EWorkshop Terrace
workshopWorkshop Terrace at Ai Khanoum — Buried Palace North (Kunduz, Afghanistan) — workshop with stratified deposits
37.1700° N · 69.4113° E