Identifying seasonal settlement sites and land use continuity in the prehistoric southern Siberian steppe – Zhelvak 5 (Tuva)

The identification of camp sites of Iron Age cultures on the Eurasian steppes has long been a problem as the traces of seasonal settlements are faint and often destroyed by agricultural activities. Recent research has found increasing evidence for less mobility and a larger role farming played in the mixed and locally adapted economies of peoples on the steppes. Here we present the results of the investigation of a settlement from the Uyuk Valley and contextualize it with data for seasonal camp sites and settlements in Iron Age South Siberia. Contrary to the long-held beliefs that Iron Age herding societies were truly nomadic and did not establish permanent settlements, archaeological research in South Siberia is gradually starting to reveal a different picture. Remote sensing and on-ground surveys uncovered six Scythian-period settlement sites in Tuva occupying southern hill slopes in sheltered topographic settings. Excavations at Zhelvak 5 revealed a stratified site with materials from the Bronze Age to the Late Iron Age and beyond. The archaeological material speaks towards continuity of economic exploitation of this landscape and the establishment of seasonal camp sites in the same place over a prolonged period of time

The magnetic survey of the early Scythian burial site and settlements in the Turan-Uyuk valley in Tuva

In 2019, Polish archaeologists took part in an expedition of the Hermitage Museum, led by K.V. Chugunov, in Chinge-Tey cemetery, Tuva (Russian Federation). This paper presents the result of magnetic surveys carried out within the so-called western chain of barrows and the around the princely barrow of Chinge-Tey I. This method of non-invasive research is very well suited to the landscape and has produced a significant body of information. Among others, the survey of the western chain identified a stone mantle in barrow 8, which makes it different from other barrows from this group, whose mounds were built of earth. Another important result is the identification of a stone circle surrounding a cult feature (certainly associated with eschatological rituals) known as the northern complex. The presence of the circle came as a surprise for the investigators of the site, as it does not manifest itself at all on the surface of the site. On the other hand, it is worth noting one negative result, which nevertheless allows for some conclusions, namely the lack of detectable anomalies connected with one of the tombs in the vicinity of Chinge-Tey I (barrow 15). Despite being clearly discernible in the landscape, and even more evident in LIDAR images, the barrow is invisible on images produced with a magnetometer. This means that one cannot rule out a possibility that other structures undetectable by magnetic surveys may be present within the investigated part of the cemetery. Nevertheless, one cannot but arrive at the conclusion that the results generated by the magnetic research provide significant information concerning the spatial arrangement of the cemetery and are helpful in planning archaeological excavation