History, Archeology and Ethnography of the Caucasus

The article notes that over the past decade, as a result of active research in historical, military and local history archives, as well as archaeological exploration, the list of existing ancient structures on the coast of the foothills of the Black and Caspian Seas has expanded significantly. On the example of densely urbanized areas of coastal settlements, the general trends in the formation of archaeological gaps are traced, which gave information gaps in the system of historical reconstruction of the eras of antiquity and the Middle Ages. It is noted that in the studied areas, the ancient coastal centers of urbanization suffered significant losses due to climatic changes in sea levels relative to zero. Also, the described sites were actively affected by numerous uncontrolled developments of newly formed settlements at the end of the 19th and throughout the 20th centuries. Due to the imperfection in the system of legislation in the field of preservation of the archaeological historical and cultural heritage, not only the archeological monuments themselves were lost, but also the documents reflecting the fact of their existence. Sub-legislative acts are imperfect in this matter to this day. When comparing the events that took place simultaneously on the coasts of the Black and Caspian Seas in different epochs, one can see the localization and fate of the studied ancient centers of intersection of cultures and ethnic groups common to the regions. It is emphasized that if there is an appropriate combination of monitoring of archaeological sites and legislative support for its effectiveness, a number of monuments of historical and cultural heritage can be identified and introduced into scientific circulation.