8th-century coins and unique manuscript discovered in Namangan

A rare manuscript dating back to the 8th century, along with coins minted during the Abbasid era of the same period, has been discovered in the Namangan region, the regional administration’s press service reported.

The collection of the Yangi Akhsikent complex, part of the Akhsikent Archaeological Park, has been enriched with 68 new coins and 27 books. It is noted that the silver coins from the Abbasid rule feature fine Arabic calligraphy. The manuscript contains valuable information on geometry, mathematics, astronomy, and medicine. Among the findings are also coins from the Samanid and Karakhanid dynasties, as well as coins minted in Sweden between 1667–1670 and in Great Britain in 1836.

It is stated that the first silver coins were issued in the 3rd century BC. The obverse featured the portrait of the king, while the reverse bore images of various deities, sacred animals, or inscriptions of the kings’ names along with their emblems.

Excavation work is still ongoing.

It is worth noting that earlier, an international team of archaeologists discovered stone sickles, seeds of wild barley and other grains, as well as plant remains collected by local hunter-gatherers about 9,200 years ago in the Toda cave in southern Uzbekistan.