Five consecutive Bronze Age burials found at Gonur-depe, digs to resume in spring 2027

The third and final stage of the Russian-Turkmen Margiana archaeological expedition has ended at Gonur-depe, a Bronze Age site in the Merv oasis of Turkmenistan. The work took place in September and October 2026, and further excavations are planned for spring 2027. The expedition is led by Nadezhda Dubova.

The main find is a set of five consecutive burials, a multi-stage complex built one after another. Archaeologists say it is the first time such a sequence has been recorded here. The grave holding two adults and a child had the richest offerings of the group. In total about 160 objects were found, 27 of them ceramic vessels, along with a rare bronze farming tool, a chisel and a gouge.

The finds are being studied at the Mary Velayat Museum of History and Local Lore and at the State Museum in Ashgabat, for a catalogue of objects from the ancient Murghab delta. The first volume, on the large stone objects of Margiana, appeared online in 2021. The team also plans 3D digital and physical copies of unique pieces, while the many thousands of fragments of the Gonur mosaics are being restored at the Museum of Fine Arts in Ashgabat.