This data release contains the data used to interpret the origin of the shallow lakes in the Khorezm Province, Uzbekistan, and the history of pesticide use around these lakes. The data include 1) lake sediment core data for age dating (cesium-137 and lead-210) for 12 lakes in Uzbekistan, 2) lake sediment core data for loss on ignition (LOI550)for determining organic carbon content of 12 lakes in Uzbekistan, 3) plant pollen occurrence and abundance from lake sediment cores for 6 lakes in Uzbekistan and 4) lake sediment core data for pesticide occurrence of DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) and its degradates and γ-HCH (gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane) for 12 lakes in Uzbekistan, The interpretation of these data will be published in the Journal of Paleolimnology.