ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS AT THE MUGINSKY SITE IN 2021

Authors

  • Murad Sahbanovic Sajpudinov Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography Dagestan Federal Research Center 0000-0002-5111-2083 (unauthenticated)
  • Natal'a Evgen'evna Rabogina Institute of the Problems of North Development Tyumen Scientific Center, SB RAN 0000-0003-1098-0121 (unauthenticated)
  • Aleksandr Vladimirovic Borisov Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science of the Russian Academy of Sciences
  • Idris Abdulbutaevic Idrisov Institute of Geology DSC RAS

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32653/CH1841141-1159

Keywords:

Eastern Caucasus, Mountainous Dagestan, Mughi settlement, Chalcolite, Middle Bronze age, paleobotanical studies.

Abstract

 The paper provides the results of the archaeological exploration of the Muginsky site (Akushinsky district of the Republic of Dagestan) and paleobotanical analysis of the obtained material. As a result of the investigations carried out, various archeological materials, mainly ceramic ware, have been uncovered. The finds of a fragment of a stone mace head and a flint knife-shaped blade are of particular interest. In addition, a large number of animal bones, mainly of small cattle, were found. Exploration of the Muginsky site have provided new and important material for the cultural and historical characteristics of the culture of the central part of Mountainous Dagestan and the chronology of the site, allowed us to determine the two-layered nature of the site and date it to the final phase of the Eneolithic (Layer 4) and the Middle Bronze Age (Layer 3). The radiocarbon dating for Layer 3, with calibration (1770 ± 50 BC), attributes it between the 19th–18th centuries BC. Paleobotanical examination of finds from the cultural layer of the Muginsky site has revealed an atypical combination of barley and rye grains. The rye grains found are the earliest evidence of the presence of this cereal in the Eastern Caucasus, which raises the question of the time and ways of dissemination of this cultivated crop from the primary area. This subject requires further research and obtaining more extensive paleobotanical collections from cultural layers and the resource zone around sites. This will expand our understanding of the economic activities of the local population, such as the development of agriculture and the emergence of terraced agriculture.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

  • Murad Sahbanovic Sajpudinov, Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography Dagestan Federal Research Center
    Junior Researcher
  • Natal'a Evgen'evna Rabogina, Institute of the Problems of North Development Tyumen Scientific Center, SB RAN
    Cand. Sci. (Geology), Deputy Head
  • Aleksandr Vladimirovic Borisov, Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science of the Russian Academy of Sciences
    Cand. Sci. (Biology), Head of Laboratory of Archeological Pedology
  • Idris Abdulbutaevic Idrisov, Institute of Geology DSC RAS
    Cand. Sci. (Geology), Leading Researcher

References

Isakov MI. Archaeological sites of Dagestan. Makhachkala, 1966. (In Russ.).

Abakarov AI., Davudov OM. Archaeological map of Dagestan. Makhachkala, 1993. 325 p. (In Russ.).

Magomedov R.G. Ginchinskaya culture. Mountains of Dagestan and Chechnya in the Middle Bronze Age. Makhachkala, 1998. 378 p. (In Russ.).

Lebedeva EYu. Recommendations for the collection of samples for archaeobotanical analysis. Analytical studies of the laboratory of natural science methods. Issue 1. Moscow: Institute of Archeology RAS. 2009: 258–267. (In Russ.).

Lisitsina GN., Prishchepenko LV. Paleoethnobotanical finds of the Caucasus and the Middle East. Moscow: Nauka, 1977. 127 p. (In Russ.).

Lebedeva EYu. About mountain farming in Ossetia in the Bronze Age (archaeobotanical research at the Chidgom settlement). Materials of conservation archaeological research: cities, settlements, cemeteries: coll. Art. / Ed.: Z.Kh. Albegov, A.V. Engovatova. T. 17. Cheboksary: Perfectum, 2015: 68–76. (In Russ.).

Lebedeva EYu. The first results of archaeobotanical research on the archaeological sites of Adygea. Analytical research of the laboratory of natural science methods. Issue. 2. Moscow: Institute of Archeology RAS: Taus, 2011: 244–257. (In Russ.).

Sergeev AYu., Lebedeva EYu. On the issue of early Alanian agriculture: finds of cultivated and weed plants on the Podkumskoe-2 fortification (II-IV centuries AD). Brief reports of the Institute of Archeology. No. 249-II. 2017: 311-328. (In Russ.).

Gadzhiev MG. Early agricultural culture of the North-Eastern Caucasus. M., 1991. 264 p. (In Russ.).

Mirzoev R.N. Weapons of the ancient population of the North-Eastern Caucasus (III-II millennium BC). Makhachkala, 2021. 184 p. (In Russ.).

Published

2022-12-25

Issue

Section

Expedition

How to Cite

1.
Sajpudinov MS, Rabogina NE, Borisov AV, Idrisov IA. ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS AT THE MUGINSKY SITE IN 2021. ИАЭК. 2022;18(4):1141-1159. doi:10.32653/CH1841141-1159