Geophysical insights from the first geomagnetic field absolute intensity curve for central Asia (2200BCE–2000CE), and implications for archaeomagnetic dating

Until now, the lack of high-quality paleointensity data has left Central Asia as a major gap in global and regional reconstructions of geomagnetic field intensity variations. Here, we present the first intensity paleosecular variation curve (PSVC) for Central Asia, spanning the last 4000 years and based on 35 new high-quality paleointensity data obtained from 71 well-dated pottery fragments from Uzbekistan, integrated with previous archaeomagnetic data and direct geomagnetic observations. The new PSVC reveals a long-term increase in field intensity from ~ 32.5 µT (2000 BCE) to a pronounced peak of ~ 79.7 µT (400 BCE), followed by a rapid decline and a distinctive V-shaped minimum between 400 BCE and 400 CE. Cross-correlation with records from the Levant, Greece, and India shows a close match in the timing of intensity changes, suggesting large-scale geodynamo processes behavior across Eurasia. The new PSVC not only provides key constraints on the evolution of the geomagnetic field over the last millennia but also serves as a novel archaeomagnetic dating tool for Central Asia, offering a valuable approach to refine the typological classification of central Asian pottery.