Kerderi

Kerderi, a group of abandoned settlements located on what was once the seafloor of the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan, provides crucial insights into the region's climatic and hydrological history. Inhabited during the 14th century when the Aral Sea receded to expose land, Kerderi features mausoleums and evidence of agriculture such as rice and wheat cultivation. The settlements also engaged in trade as part of the Silk Road. By the 16th century, the Aral Sea began to refill, eventually submerging the site under 19 meters of water by 1960. Kerderi's rediscovery in 2001 sheds light on historical human adaptation to environmental changes and the dynamic history of the Aral Sea.