Jingszo !

Here, we present archaeobotanical data for ancient barley grains in association with sickle blades and grinding stones from the cave of Toda in the foothills of southern Uzbekistan.

This finding helps shed light on one of the greatest mysteries in central Asian archaeology—how did the Kelteminar people live?

We complement our data with a suite of radiocarbon dates, a detailed palynological study, an analysis of wood charcoal remains, and a detailed analysis of all aspects of the archaeological remains.

These data, collectively, paint the clearest picture thus far of the prehistory of this poorly studied corner of the ancient world.