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1. Case studies and archaeological feedback

Geophysical and Archaeological Survey of the Alanic Barrow Cemeteries in the Northern Caucasus (Russia)

Dmitry S. Korobov, Vladimir Yu. Malashev et Jörg W. E. Fassbinder
p. 87-90

Résumé

– Satellite images were used to identify barrow cemeteries in the North Caucasus.

– Magnetic prospection helped to recognize circular and rectangular ditches in the cemeteries.

– Archaeological excavations fully confirmed the results of the magnetometry survey.

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Texte intégral

Introduction

1One of the most striking cultural phenomena of the Central Ciscaucasia in the era preceding the Great Migration period is the early stage of the Alanic culture (2nd-4th century AD). More than 1,500 burials have been excavated to date at dozens of barrow cemeteries. A comprehensive study of monuments of this kind, using remote sensing data and geophysical survey methods, was carried out in 2019-2020 by a joint team from the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Department of Geophysics of the University of Munich. A number of methodological techniques have been developed for the identification and localization of sub-mound catacombs (Korobov et al., 2013; 2020). This technique was used to investigate two of the largest necropolises in the Central Ciscaucasia, Kievskiy and Beslan, which are located in Northern Ossetia.

Results of remote sensing data analysis

2High-resolution satellite images available in the public domain allow an accurate determination of the boundaries of the burial mound cemeteries of the early Alans and an outlining of prospective research areas. Several satellite images available on Google Earth were used for recognizing barrows in the Kievskiy cemetery. The images show numerous burial mounds (roughly 1,050 barrows were recognized) occupying a huge space of about 2.4 sq km. A small area east and south-east of the local cemetery was selected for the project (Fig. 1a). The spatial analysis of the Beslan cemetery was carried out with the help of a commercial WorldView-3 Earth observation satellite image taken on 3 April 2017, with a spatial resolution of 35 cm/pix. The total area of the necropolis within the known boundaries is about 3.24 sq km (Fig. 1b). This cemetery, one of the foremost of early Alanic culture, could contain at least 13,500 burials based on barrow and grave concentration in the extensively excavated areas.

Figure 1. The Kievskiy (a) and Beslan (b) barrow cemeteries on satellite images. A – hillfort boundaries; B – boundaries of the cemetery with burial mounds; C – assumed boundaries of the open settlement; D – areas of the geophysical survey.

Figure 1. The Kievskiy (a) and Beslan (b) barrow cemeteries on satellite images. A – hillfort boundaries; B – boundaries of the cemetery with burial mounds; C – assumed boundaries of the open settlement; D – areas of the geophysical survey.

Results of magnetic prospection

3Based on the interpretation of satellite images of these two cemeteries, three areas were selected for magnetic research. Survey Area 1, measuring 80 × 120 m, was located approximately 2 km west of the Kievskoe hillfort (Fig. 1a) in the Kievskiy kurgan cemetery. At the Beslan cemetery two areas were surveyed, one located directly next to the outermost ditches of the Zilgi hillfort (Survey Area 1) and the other at a distance of 2.5 km to the east, at the edge of the burial ground (Survey Area 2) (Fig. 1b); both had dimensions of 120 m by 120 m. The Geometrics G858 caesium magnetometer was set up in the so-called “duo-sensor” configuration described in publications (Fassbinder, 2017).

4The outlines of the burial mounds in the magnetogram appear as linear, square and circular positive anomalies corresponding to the more humus-rich fill of the ditches surrounding the mounds. As a rule, the anomalies do not have sharp boundaries, their edges are blurred and the contrast is low. A brighter spot is usually present in the centre of the square and circular ditches, corresponding to the humus-rich fill of ancient robbery holes reaching to the burial entrances (Fig. 2). Some ditches have a higher contrast and clearer boundaries on the cited magnetogram, while others are barely discernible. In total at least 13 mounds with circular ditches were identified in Survey Area 1 of the Kievskiy cemetery. Two of them (Kur.254 and Kur.265) were selected for archaeological excavation. At least 18 mounds with clear boundaries were identified in Survey Area 1 at the Beslan cemetery; seven of these were square in shape and 11 were circular. Ten other square-shaped ditches and 16 circular ditches were vaguely recognizable (Fig. 2a). Two ploughed mounds (Kur.876 and Kur.877) surrounded by square ditches were selected for archaeological excavation. The circular ditch of Kur.878, difficult to trace on the magnetogram, was located north of the square ditch of Kur.877 (Fig. 2a). Survey Area 2, on the eastern periphery of the necropolis, is particularly endangered by erosion. However, it was characterized by a high contrast between the fill of the ditches and the surrounding soil. As a result, 18 ploughed mounds bounded by circular ditches could be identified with a high degree of probability; nine other ditches, mostly in the north-eastern part of the surveyed area, are more tentative (Fig. 2b). Two barrows (Kur.874 and Kur.875) with circular ditches, 20-22 m in diameter, were selected for excavation.

Figure 2. Results of the magnetic survey in the Beslan cemetery: a) Survey Area 1; b) Survey Area 2.

Figure 2. Results of the magnetic survey in the Beslan cemetery: a) Survey Area 1; b) Survey Area 2.

Archaeological excavations

5All the investigated burial mounds were completely ploughed over and could not be traced on the surface. Nevertheless, the surrounding ditches were perfectly preserved and were visible both on the ground (Fig. 3a) and from the air in low-altitude photography (Fig. 3b). The circular and square shape of the ditches surrounding the mounds, recognized in the magnetograms, was fully confirmed in excavation (Fig. 3a and 3b).

Figure 3. View of the ditches around the burial mounds in the Beslan cemetery: a) from the ground (Kur.874); b) from the air (Kur.876–878).

Figure 3. View of the ditches around the burial mounds in the Beslan cemetery: a) from the ground (Kur.874); b) from the air (Kur.876–878).

6The burial mounds contained usually one central grave in a T-shaped chamber. The entrances to some of the chambers were at a considerable depth (up to 4 m). All of the tombs were heavily plundered in antiquity. The grave inventory left by robbers –a belt buckle and fittings as well as fibulae and pottery– was found displaced, mainly in the chamber fill. These findings helped to clarify the chronology of the burials and establish that barrows with circular ditches were earlier than those with square ones.

Conclusions

7To sum up, the use of non-invasive methods based on remote sensing data analysis and magnetometric survey, combined with limited area excavations, provided substantial new data on well-known archaeological sites, which the Kievskiy and Beslan burial grounds evidently were, within the shortest time possible. For the first time it was possible to specify the full extent of these sites and their boundaries, and trace their spatial features. The results of small-scale excavations expanded considerably the chronology of the burials (from the first half of the 3rd century AD to the end of the 4th century AD), and traced the evolution of ancient settlement, and in the case of the Beslan finds, proof that the burial ground near the open settlement was used again in the middle of the 7th century AD.

8Based on the results of this work, it is clear that methodologically similar research has broad prospects for the study of the settlements and cemeteries of the North Caucasian Alans, especially at the early stage of their cultur in the Central Caucasus.

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Bibliographie

Fassbinder, J.W.E., 2017. Magnetometry for Archaeology. In A.S. Gilbert (ed.), Encyclopedia of Geoarchaeology, Springer, Dordrecht, 499-514.

Korobov, D., Malashev, V., Fassbinder, J.W.E., 2013. Aerial Photography and Geophysical Prospection in Northern Caucasus – New Results from the Kislovodsk Basin. In W. Neubauer, I. Trinks, R.B. Salisbury, C. Einwögerer (eds.), Archaeological Prospection. Proceedings of the 10th International Conference, Austrian Academy of Science Press, Vienna, 210-213.

Korobov, D.S., Malashev, V. Yu., Fassbinder, J.W.E., 2020. The Comprehensive Study of the Early Alan Burials of the Fourth Century in North Ossetia. Brief Communications of the Institute of Archaeology, 260: 441-458.

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Table des illustrations

Titre Figure 1. The Kievskiy (a) and Beslan (b) barrow cemeteries on satellite images. A – hillfort boundaries; B – boundaries of the cemetery with burial mounds; C – assumed boundaries of the open settlement; D – areas of the geophysical survey.
URL http://journals.openedition.org/archeosciences/docannexe/image/8748/img-1.jpg
Fichier image/jpeg, 3,6M
Titre Figure 2. Results of the magnetic survey in the Beslan cemetery: a) Survey Area 1; b) Survey Area 2.
URL http://journals.openedition.org/archeosciences/docannexe/image/8748/img-2.jpg
Fichier image/jpeg, 1,5M
Titre Figure 3. View of the ditches around the burial mounds in the Beslan cemetery: a) from the ground (Kur.874); b) from the air (Kur.876–878).
URL http://journals.openedition.org/archeosciences/docannexe/image/8748/img-3.jpg
Fichier image/jpeg, 4,2M
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Référence papier

Dmitry S. Korobov, Vladimir Yu. Malashev et Jörg W. E. Fassbinder, « Geophysical and Archaeological Survey of the Alanic Barrow Cemeteries in the Northern Caucasus (Russia) »ArcheoSciences, 45-1 | 2021, 87-90.

Référence électronique

Dmitry S. Korobov, Vladimir Yu. Malashev et Jörg W. E. Fassbinder, « Geophysical and Archaeological Survey of the Alanic Barrow Cemeteries in the Northern Caucasus (Russia) »ArcheoSciences [En ligne], 45-1 | 2021, mis en ligne le 16 août 2021, consulté le 06 décembre 2025. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/archeosciences/8748 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/archeosciences.8748

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Auteurs

Dmitry S. Korobov

Corresponding author, Institute of Archaeology, Russian Academy of Sciences Dm. Uljanova str., 19, Moscow, 117292, Russia

Vladimir Yu. Malashev

Institute of Archaeology, Russian Academy of Sciences Dm. Uljanova str., 19, Moscow, 117292, Russia

Jörg W. E. Fassbinder

Geophysics Dept. Earth & Environmental Sciences Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Theresienstr. 41/IV, 80333, Munich, Germany

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