The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences. Vol. XXXVII. Part B5. Beijing 2008 
per 1 inch. Eastern Bukhara edited by of A.E. Snesarev, St. 
Petersburg (in Russian) dated from 1892 year. The scan copy of 
map of the French government ‘Who covers whole Asia’ with 
scale 1:1000000, Topo Sheet Nour-Ata, Paris, dated from 1904 
year. Kindly rendered by Mr. Markus Hauser - Central 
As./Turkes./PamirArchive www.angelfire.com/nb/russianmaps 
The physic geography map of Middle Asia (East) with scale 
1:1500000, GUGK USSR, dated from 1964 (?). The toposheet 
of ‘Dzhizak’K-42-B with scale 1:500 000, GUGK USSR dated 
from 1984 year. The tourist map of the Great Silk Road of 
Uzbekistan, with scale 1:2000000, State committee of the 
Uzbekistan for land resources, geodesy, cartography and state 
cadastre, Tashkent, 2006 year. The historical scheme of 
Khorezm and Bukhara Khans’ possessions in 16 centuries from 
book of History of Uzbekistan, volume 3, edited by A.A. 
Askarov, Tashkent, 1993 year. The map of finds silk materials 
in Russia from 11 to 13 centuries age in book of Caucus and 
Middle Asia in ancient and middle age time, Moscow, Science, 
1981, pp.140, the author of map M.V. Fekhner. The Atlas of 
Tadjik SSR, Dushambe -Moscow, GUGK USSR, 1968 year. 
Archeological memorials with scale 1:1500000, the author H. 
Yu. Mukhitdinov pp. 190-191, Middle Asia in 7-8 centuries 
with scale 1:4500000 by author D.D. Djalilov p. 194, State of 
Samanians from 9 to 10 centuries with scale 1:8000000 by 
author N.N. Negmatov, p. 195. The scheme of Arab routes from 
9 to 14 centuries in book of the Islamic renaissance, by author 
of A. Mez (Die renaissance des Islamic) in russian second 
edition, Edited by V.I. Belyaev, Moscow, Science, 1973, pp. 
410. The thematic vegetation cover map of south-eastern 
Kyzylkums sand, with scale 1:500000, by auth. U. Allanazarova 
and T. Rakhimova, Tashkent, 2005 y. (Scientific Centre of Plant 
Production ‘Botanika’ Academy of Science of Uzbekistan) 
(applied under creation of GIS layer AALS 2005 y.). 
Satellite images sources: Resource 01 MSU-E, FCC, 19 April 
1998 year. 
dBases sources: Narrative dB of historical of human impact in 
Nuratau area from Paleolith to Bukhara Emirate times (end of 
19 th centuries). 
GIS dBases: of physical geography of Uzbekistan dated from 
1998 year with scale 1:1000000, historical map of human 
impact in Nuratau area from Paleolith to Middle age times with 
scale 1:500000 dated from 2003, the map of rock arts locations 
in Samarkand and Dzhizak provinces with scale 1:500000 dated 
from 1995 year, the map of dynamic changes of Aydar-Amasay 
Lake Systems from 1984 to 2005 years with scale 1:500000, 
Digital elevation models of Nuratau area with scale 1:500000, 
dated from 1984 year. All sources from I.T. Muminov Ph.D. 
thesis (unpublished). 
Bibliographical sources: more than 300, beginning from 1823 
year. (Since indication of complete list of 350 bibliographical 
sources meets difficulties conditioned by restriction of volume 
of the work, author referred only to the most important sources). 
Instruments (sensors, systems etc.): PC Pentium III 
866Mhz/512 Mb RAM/64 MB Geofors MX video card/19’ 
Fujitsu-Siemens monitor; HP SJ 4200; GIS Software - Maplnfo 
Professional v. 6.0. En. and GIS utillite A112pts v. 0.9 alfa 
(created by Emmanuel Pare). MS’ Word’97; MS’ Excell’97; OS 
MS’ Windows 98 SE. 
Results 
Ancient caravan roads existed in Nuratau area before 
appearance of GSR: They connected domestic, local and 
subregional centres each with other. Through Nuratau area went 
most important transit ways of trade connecting Mavarounnahr 
with states of Central Asia, India, Seven-rivers, Volga side, 
South Urals and Siberia. In 15 century B.C. Soghdiana and 
Bactria obtained metals from areas of Eastern Kazakhstan and 
Altay [probably through Nuratau area] (Vasil’ev, 1947). In 6 
century B.C. inside Nuratau area itself deposits of gold, copper, 
iron, lead and turquoise (North and South slopes of Nuratau 
ridge, Gobduntau) were also mined (Aleskerov, 1974; Buryakov, 
2003). On base of rock arts interpretation it is assumed that 
from middle of 5 century B.C. in area of Bukantau mountains 
camels were tamed and bred (Os’kin, 1976). 
From first quarter of 7 century B.C. troops of Midians of 
Kiaksar (Khuvakhshtr) penetrated into basin of Zarafshan river 
from Persia. It is admitted that in second quarter of 6 century 
B.C. army of Persian king Kir II arrived middle side of Yaksart 
(Syrdarya river) near its output from Ferghana valley, i.e. they 
discovered Hungry steppe. At the beginning of 6 century B.C. 
Dariy 1 could managed to conquest lands of ‘Sacks which was 
behind the Soghd’, i.e. to arrive the basin of upper Syrdarya - 
Ferghana valley (Magidovich, and etc. 1982). This way, at 
ancient times through Nuratau area went commercial routes 
connecting subregional mining centres, agricultural and 
breeding areas with other culture areas. Those routes were 
placed in eastern and western parts of Nuratau area. At east the 
route from Bactria passing Zarafshan, going by Dzhizak gate 
had arrived Hungry steppe where the route divided. One branch 
of the route went along Malguzar and Turkistan ridges through 
Kayrakum gate to Ferghana valley. The other branch passing 
diagonally Hungry steppe arrived middle side of Syrdarya River 
and Tashkent oasis. At west the route branching off meridional 
path (which went to south Urals, Volga side, Siberia and Seven- 
Rivers region) passing through mining centre of Central 
Kyzylkums went along south slope of Nuratau ridge further to 
Zarafshan valley. In that place a part of the route united the east 
branch, whilst its second part went to upper side of Zarafshan 
River, and the third part branching went to upper side of 
Amudarya River to Khorezm and its lower side to Badakhshan. 
The east and west directions of the route also joined domestic 
roads of the area which passed mountain gorges. Metals and 
turquoise were brought to Soghdiana and Bactria by those roads. 
Routes at period of existence the GSR: Routes of GSR passed 
by different roads at different times. Due to methodic of B.Ya 
Stavitskiy (2007), time period of GSR existence should be 
divided onto 5 stages. They are: Beginning stage (from 3 till 1 
centuries B.C.), Imperial (from 1 till 4 centuries), pre-Islamic 
period (from 5 till beginning of 8 c.), Arab-Islamic (end of 8c. - 
beginning of 13 c.), Mongolian and post-Mongolian (from 
middle of 13 to 16 cs.) Author would like to note that he 
enforced to highlight only main outlines of studied phenomena 
omitting historical background due to restrictions of volume of 
the work. 
At first stage of the GSR: existence a segment of north road 
‘Beydao’ passed through Nuratau area. That road starting in 
Loulan, going along Tian-Shan by river Tarim, to west till Shule 
(Kashgar). From Kashgar the route leaded to Ferghana valley 
through mountain pass Terek Davan, next it went to land 
Kantzuy (Maverannakhr) (Tikhvinskiy and etc., 1988). I.e. the 
route passed through Uzgen - Osh - Khodjekent - Zaamin - 
Dzhizak - Samarkhand - Bukhara - Chardjev - Merv - Serahs 
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