Bronze Coin May Contain Earliest Known Usage of the Word "Turk" - Archaeology Magazine

Bronze Coin May Contain Earliest Known Usage of the Word "Turk" - Archaeology Magazine

TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN—A small bronze coin found at an ancient site near Tashkent has the potential to reshape archaeologists’ understanding of early Turkic civilization, reports Türkiye Today. According to archaeologist Gaybulla Babayarov of the Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences, the late sixth– or early seventh–century object is stamped with the phrase “Turk-Kagan” written in the Sogdian language. While the word “kagan,” sometimes spelled khagan, r…

The coin found in Uzbekistan not only contains one of the oldest "Turkic" inscriptions - it also paints a new picture of the complexity of the early Turkic state and society.