The Complex of Mausoleums at the Village of Lapas: on the question of site attribution

The purpose of the study: The paper presents the results of comprehensive archaeological studies on the largest necropolis of the Golden Horde elite in the Ulus of Jochi – Lapas complex of mausoleums. A critical analysis of the information from written sources, materials, obtained during the studies in 1995-1997 and archaeological works on the Lapas complex in 2018-2022, were carried out. Research materials: The materials of topographic works carried out by the Volga Archaeological Expedition IA RAS in 1995-1997 and the data of decryption of remote sensing of the Earth, got by specialists of the Progress Rocket Space Centre in 2013, were used. The results of magnetometric and geodetic studies, conducted at the Lapas complex of mausoleums in 2018-2022, are presented. The results of the first archaeological excavation, conducted in order to study the stratigraphy and planography of the buried site (mausoleum No. 1), are shown. The analysis of the numismatic collection from the site is presented. Results and scientific novelty: Interdisciplinary research, held on the Lapas mausoleum complex, including topographic, geophysical, geodetic and archaeological works, allowed to make a number of assumptions and conclusions about the time of creation, activity and destruction of the complex, its general structure and design features, the potential of the archaeological site, its role and significance in the culture of the Golden Horde. The presented scientific research is pioneering, as earlier comprehensive studies of such level on archaeological sites of the Golden Horde period were not conducted

Development of modern methods for the diagnostics of murals in architectural monuments

The paper studies monitoring of the state of murals, retrieval of data pertaining to this state and management and storing of the said data. The possibility of integration of traditional methods of mural mapping and modern methods of data visualization, including new Google Project Tango device technology for fixation of complex textures of inner 3D volumes of architectural monuments has been investigated (for instance Assumption Cathedral). We further discuss the express-scanning of automated cartogramming for further comparison of states and methods of assessing the damage done to the mural. Results indicate that additional work is needed to improve the precision of the method.peer-reviewe

Interdisciplinary Studies of the Mausoleum Complex Nearby the Village of Lapas (2022–2023)

Nearby the village of Lapas in the Astrakhan region, there is a complex of Golden Horde mausoleums. In 2022, 2023 the Institute of Archaeology named after A.Kh. Khalikov of the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences continued the comprehensive studies of this site. The results of the excavations allowed: to identify part of the mausoleum structures (brick floor, coated with alabaster mortar); to confirm information about the dismantling of the building walls for bricks; correct the interpretation of magnetometry data. In 2022, the mausoleum complex was photographed using an aerial laser scanning. A digital elevation model (DEM) was created, the analysis of which allowed us to assume the presence of previously unknown mausoleums. In 2023, using magnetometry, the remains of several complexes, probably structures made of raw bricks on the same site, were recorded, which can be divided into groups according to orientation. The results obtained confirm the presence of an unknown number of objects of this monument that have not yet been identified, and outline ways for further studies

Experience Of The International Cooperation of the Archaeological Institute named after A.Kh. Khalikov TAS with Scientific Organizations of Uzbekistan in 2022-2023

The Institute of Archaeology named after A.Kh. Khalikov of the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences has been actively cooperating with scientific centres and universities of the Republic of Uzbekistan since 2022. One of the fields of cooperation is the implementation of the scientific and educational project "Bolgar International Archaeological School". The support of the International Institute for Central Asian Studies (Samarkand, Uzbekistan) and the successful implementation of the scientific and educational project served as the beginning of closer and fruitful cooperation. In March 2023, jointly with Termez State University, an interdisciplinary study of the archaeological heritage site "Palace of Termezshahs", dating from the XI–XII centuries, was carried out. In May-June 2023, archaeological studies were conducted together with the Nukus State Pedagogical Institute named after Ajiniyaz on the Khaivan-Kala fortified settlement of the VII–X centuries. Within the scientific and educational cooperation at Termez State University, specialists of the Institute of Archaeology named after A.Kh. Khalikov RT implemented an additional professional training programme "Geoinformation technologies and non-destructive methods"

Proceedings of the 8th International Scientific Conference “Dialogue of Urban And Steppe Cultures in the Eurasian Space” Dedicated to the Memory of G.А. Fedorov-Davydov

The article presents a brief overview of the proceedings of the 8th International Scientific Conference “Dialogue of Urban and Steppe Cultures in the Eurasian Space” held on September 20–25, 2018 in Pyatigorsk and Praskoveya village in Stavropol of the Russian Federation. The topics of the International Scientific Conference dedicated to the memory of G.А. Fedorov-Davydov covered a wide range of issues on historical geography, characteristics of the material culture and technological impulses of relations between the cultures and civilizations of the Mongol Empire and the Golden Horde. The second series of issues was related to a systematic study of Bolgar settlement and the general activities of the Bolgar Archaeological Expedition. Particular attention was paid to interdisciplinary studies conducted within the framework of the complex project “The Ancient Town of Bolgar and the Island Town of Sviyazhsk” implemented in 2010–2018. The third series of discussed issues was associated with the particular features of the establishment of urban settlements in steppe Eurasia related to topography characteristics and localization of archaeological sites. The issues of the continuity of medieval cultural traditions were considered

Architectural decoration of the mausoleum no. 1 of the khan necropolis nearby the village of Lapas in the Astrakhan region

This article continues a series of scientific works aimed at the study of the central mausoleum of the Khan necropolis nearby the village of Lapas in the Astrakhan region. It deals with one of the elements of architectural decoration – a tile-lintel, most often found and having a wide variety of types. The article examines the genesis of this type of tile and the ways of its appearance in the Lower Volga region. A wide range of analogies at the sites of medieval architecture of Central Asia is engaged. The authors made a technological analysis of this group of items, examined in detail all the types of revealed ornaments, and determined a scheme for recording the sizes of the findings. For the first time, a detailed typology has been developed for the tiles-lintels, including all the samples known on the site to date. In addition to architectural and artistic features, tiles-lintels have a chrono-marker function, allowing, together with other information sources, to date the construction time of the mausoleum

Muslim Archaeology: Scope and Content of the Concept

The authors address the concept of ‘Muslim Archaeology’, which is treated as a scientifi c discipline and a special direction in antiquity studies, against a broad background of similar disciplines, such as Biblical Archaeology and Church Archaeology. The goal of the ‘Muslim Archaeology’, in the authors’ opinion, is to accumulate sources and ensure their analytical processing, interpret material objects and sites, and reconcile these data with the narrative sources in order to ensure a comprehensive reconstruction of the history of Muslim civilization and religious life of the Muslim societies. The study of Muslim antiquities requires a multidisciplinary approach to generalize research in the fi eld of archaeology, history of religion and church, history of art and architecture. Methods of this discipline must be applied to study material and spiritual aspects of religious life in the broadest historical and cultural context, using all available archaeological sources from respective periods. To emphasize, Muslim Archaeology as a scientifi c discipline, which is free of its own confessional interests, is able to open new possibilities for a study of culture, economy, everyday life as well as to offer independent sources and new data on history and civilization of Muslim countries for scientifi c discussion

On the main results of scientific activities in 2014 by the Institute of Archaeology named after A.Kh. Khalikov of Tatarstan Academy of Sciences

The scientific research activities performed in 2014 by the Institute of Archaeology named after A.Kh. Khalikov, Tatarstan Academy of Sciences, covered a wide range of fundamental and applied research related to the implementation of various programs and projects in the field of research and preservation of the historical and cultural heritage of the peoples of Tatarstan, Russia, and Eurasia as a whole. The following priority research directions have been formulated as follows: “Archaeology of ancient Volga-Kama region population: formation and interaction of cultures” for the Department of prehistoric archaeology, and “Medieval Turkic-Tatar civilization: its emergence, development, and interaction with the peoples of Eurasia” for the Department of medieval archaeology. These are based upon up-to-date principles of interdisciplinary research conducted in close cooperation with leading research centers, institutions of higher education, state and corporate entities of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Russian Federation and foreign countries

Postcranial Skeleton Morphology of the Population of Bolgar (by materials from dig CXCI)

The article characterizes a series of postcranial skeletons of a population group from Bolgar settlement dated by the Golden Horde time. The anthropological material was obtained during archaeological excavations in the north-western part of the site in 2013 (dig CXCI). Remains of 23 individuals were analyzed with the help of an osteometric program: 8 men and 15 women, all having a mesomorphic skeleton structure. The male remains demonstrate a better development of muscles on the humerus and femur, suggesting that shoulder and thigh were the most physically loaded parts in the lifetime of these individuals. Comparatively heavy bones of the lower limbs are the most remarkable feature of the analyzed female skeletons. A comparison of male and female skeletons showed strong resemblances, indicating a weakly developed sexual dimorphism. Values of the reconstructed body height allow supposing that men were quite tall, while women were rather short. The new materials compared to the earlier studied osteological series from Bolgar settlement (necropolises: dig CXCI, Khan's Shrine, Small Minaret, the 'Quadrangle') confi rmed resemblances between the groups according to the above features

All-Russian Research Conference "1st Starostin Readings"

The publication presents a brief summary of the activity of All-Russian Research Conference "1st Starostin Readings: References Monuments of the Middle Volga and Kama Regions of the First Half and Middle of the 1st Millennium A.D." dedicated to the 80th anniversary of P.N. Starostin. The conference took place in Bolgar (the Tatarstan Republic) on October 3–7, 2016, and was dedicated to the issues of identification and study of monuments from the Volga-Urals dated mid-1st Millennium A.D. representing reference monuments in terms of the chronological classification of groups (horizons) of antiquities and their historical and cultural interpretation