[MR] BBC: High-altitude Silk Road Cities

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

Yesterday the BBC reported on the discovery of two lost cities on a branch
of the famed Silk Road in Uzbekistan.

The cities are believed to be Tugunbulak and the somewhat smaller
Tashbulak. Both are mentioned in ancient records, but until now their
locations were unknown. Oddly, these cities are both in very high
mountains, around 6,600 feet above sea level (for comparison, Denver is
"officially" at 5,280 feet, so it can claim the title "The Mile-high City").

Researchers think the cities were centers of iron production between
the 8th and 11th centuries CE, which made them important contributors to
Silk Road trade.

More on this story is at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c238kv8ddeyo .

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆
Continuing a crusade to keep Merry Rose relevant and in business.