STUDIA ARCHAEOLOGICA INSTITUTI ARCHAEOLOGICI ACADEMIAE SCIENTIARUM MONGOLICAE, 2014
The Institute of Archaeology in cooperation with Natural Heritage Center of
Mongolia, in June 201... more The Institute of Archaeology in cooperation with Natural Heritage Center of Mongolia, in June 2014 carried out excavation on Stupa of Kherlen Bars-1 (Tsagaan Ovoo soum, Dornod ajmag). The internal section of the Stupa was consisted of 4 parts naming them as A, B, C and D. The part A, northwestern section that is congregated with dust and other remains, was chosen for excavation. Result of excavation were comprehensible, surrounding of the Stupas stone foundation (on the rammed earth base placed 1-2 layers of stone approximately 30 cm thick stone) is started on the brick but it is most commonly consists of parallel blocks with 8-9 stone-layers. For many years in the Stupa of accumulated sediments originated from many different cultural horizons and layers. Excavation in the first layers be found animal bones, ash, and there was a mixture of yellow dust on religious quite late belongings pieces of fabric, clay Tsatsa, pieces of paper pages, such as cotton and center Soyombo letters written on suspension items were found. It used to believe until the end of the stupa is a reflection.
Cities in the Eurasian steppes, a core of nomadic empires, are rare. Erecting a city from scratch... more Cities in the Eurasian steppes, a core of nomadic empires, are rare. Erecting a city from scratch is even less typical. However, Khar Khul Khaany Balgas, situated north of the Khangai Mountains in central Mongolia, is such an exceptional example, never built over by subsequent settlements. Overlooked until now because researchers dated its latest settlement phase into the 17th century a.d., the first radiocarbon dates and material culture prove its existence during the Mongol empire only. During the past years, we conducted comprehensive geophysical and topographic mapping of the site, as well as a pedestrian survey, including its hinterland, and excavated a kiln. The layout of the city resembles that of the capital, Karakorum. Both cities together reveal that the Mongol Khans had a specific idea about the organization of a city. They were dependent on Chinese craftsmen to erect the buildings but not on Chinese city planning and ideology.
Between 2000 and 2005 archaeologists and students of the Institute of Archaeology, Mongolian Acad... more Between 2000 and 2005 archaeologists and students of the Institute of Archaeology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, and the Department of Pre and Early Historical Archaeology, University of Bonn, excavated parts of a craftsmen quarter in the center of the old Mongolian capital Karakorum (Fig. 1) where — according to William of Rubruck, a Franciscan monk, who stayed there several months during spring 1254 (cf. Rubruck/Jackson 1990) — a Chinese population lived and worked in the 13 th century CE. The excavations in the center of the first capital of the Mongol Empire were carried out within the Mongolian–German Karakorum Expedition with the goal in the first instance of answering questions concerning the founding, the duration of settlement and the end of occupation of the entire town. In addition, interest focused on the profession and occupation of the people living in the urban center (Bemmann et al. 2010).
In the thirteenth century AD, the city of Karakorum was founded as the capital of the Mongol Empi... more In the thirteenth century AD, the city of Karakorum was founded as the capital of the Mongol Empire. Relatively little archaeological attention, however, has been directed at the site and the phenomenon of steppe urbanism. The authors report new magnetic and topographic surveys of the walled city and the surrounding landscape. The resulting maps reveal the city in unprecedented detail. Combining the magnetic and topographical data with aerial photographs, pedestrian surveys and documentary sources reveals the extent, layout and organisation of this extensive settlement. Road networks and areas of variable occupation density and types of activities deepen our understanding of this important commercial hub and royal palace, which is conceptualised as a form of ‘implanted’ urbanism.
SUMMARY The international project " Geo-Archaeology in the Steppe – Reconstruction of Cultural La... more SUMMARY The international project " Geo-Archaeology in the Steppe – Reconstruction of Cultural Landscapes in the Orkhon valley, Central Mongolia " was set up in July 2008. It is headed by the Department of Pre-and Protohistoric Archaeology of Bonn University. The project aims at the study of prehistoric and historic settlement patterns, human impact on the environment and the relation between towns and their hinterland in the Orkhon valley, Central Mongolia. The multidisciplinary project is mainly sponsored for three years by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and bridges archaeology, natural sciences and engineering (sponsorship code 01UA0801C). Archaeologists of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences and of the Bonn University, geographers of Free University Berlin, geophysics of the Institute for Photonic Technology Jena and the RWTH Aachen University, and geographers and engineers of the German Aerospace Centre Berlin collaborate in the development of new technologies and their application in archaeology 1. On the basis of Russian aerial photographs from the 1970s, an initial evaluation regarding potential archaeological sites was made. Due to the poor geometric and radiometric resolution of these photographs, identification of archaeological sites in many cases remained preliminary, and detailed information on layout and size could not be gained. The aim of the flight campaign in September 2008 was therefore the confirmation of these sites as well as their high resolution survey. A 10 megapixel range finder camera was used for the recording of high resolution aerial photography. This image data is suited for accurate determination and mapping of selected monuments. The airborne camera was adapted and mounted on an electrically operated eight propeller small drone. Apart from high resolution geo-referenced overview pictures, impressive panoramic images and very high resolution overlapping image data was recorded for photogrammetric stereoscopic processing. Due to the overlap of 85% along and across the track each point in the image data is recorded in at least four pictures. Although a smaller overlap might be sufficient for generating digital surface models (DSM), this redundancy increases the reliability of the DSM generation. Within this photogrammetric processing digital surface models and true ortho photo mosaics with a resolution up to 2,5 cm/pixel in X, Y, Z are derived.
Das Orchontal im Herzen der Mongolei – seit 2004 UNESCO-Welterbestätte – bildete das Zentrum mehr... more Das Orchontal im Herzen der Mongolei – seit 2004 UNESCO-Welterbestätte – bildete das Zentrum mehrerer frühmittelalterlicher reiternomadischer Großreiche. Mithilfe modernster Prospektionsmethoden erforscht nun ein deutsch-mongolisches Team erstmalig die Einbindung der weltbekannten Hauptstädte Karakorum und Karabalgasun in das Siedlungsgefüge dieses Kernraumes mit seiner Vielzahl an Residenzen, Manufakturen und Nekropolen (...)
The international project "Geo-Archaeology in the Steppe - Reconstruction of Cultural Landscapes ... more The international project "Geo-Archaeology in the Steppe - Reconstruction of Cultural Landscapes in the Orkhon valley, Central Mongolia" was set up in July 2008. It is headed by the Department of Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology of Bonn University. The project aims at the study of prehistoric and historic settlement patterns, human impact on the environment and the relation between towns and their hinterland in the Orkhon valley, Central Mongolia. The multidisciplinary project is mainly sponsored for three years by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and bridges archaeology, natural sciences and engineering (sponsorship code 01UA0801C). Archaeologists of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences and of the Bonn University, geographers of Free University Berlin, geophysics of the Institute for Photonic Technology Jena and the RWTH Aachen University, and geographers and engineers of the German Aerospace Centre Berlin collaborate in the development of new technologies and their application in archaeology1. On the basis of Russian aerial photographs from the 1970s, an initial evaluation regarding potential archaeological sites was made. Due to the poor geometric and radiometric resolution of these photographs, identification of archaeological sites in many cases remained preliminary, and detailed information on layout and size could not be gained. The aim of the flight campaign in September 2008 was therefore the confirmation of these sites as well as their high resolution survey. A 10 megapixel range finder camera was used for the recording of high resolution aerial photography. This image data is suited for accurate determination and mapping of selected monuments. The airborne camera was adapted and mounted on an electrically operated eight propeller small drone. Apart from high resolution geo-referenced overview pictures, impressive panoramic images and very high resolution overlapping image data was recorded for photogrammetric stereoscopic processing. Due to the overlap of 85% along and across the track each point in the image data is recorded in at least four pictures. Although a smaller overlap might be sufficient for generating digital surface models (DSM), this redundancy increases the reliability of the DSM generation. Within this photogrammetric processing digital surface models and true ortho photo mosaics with a resolution up to 2,5 cm/pixel in X, Y, Z are derived.
B etween 2000 and 2005 archaeologists and students of the Institute of Archaeology, Mongolian Aca... more B etween 2000 and 2005 archaeologists and students of the Institute of Archaeology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, and the Department of Preand Early Historical Archaeology, University of Bonn, excavated parts of a craftsmen quarter in the center of the old Mongolian capital Karakorum (Fig. 1) where -according to William of Rubruck, a Franciscan monk, who stayed there several months during spring 1254 (cf. Rubruck/Jackson 1990)a Chinese population lived and worked in the 13 th century CE. The excavations in the center of the first capital of the Mongol Empire were carried out within the Mongolian-German Karakorum Expedition with the goal in the first instance of answering questions concerning the founding, the duration of settlement and the end of occupation of the entire town. In addition, interest focused on the profession and occupation of the people living in the urban center (Bemmann et al. 2010).
Cities in the Eurasian steppes, a core of nomadic empires, are rare. Erecting a city from scratch... more Cities in the Eurasian steppes, a core of nomadic empires, are rare. Erecting a city from scratch is even less typical. However, Khar Khul Khaany Balgas, situated north of the Khangai Mountains in central Mongolia, is such an exceptional example, never built over by subsequent settlements. Overlooked until now because researchers dated its latest settlement phase into the 17th century A.D., the first radiocarbon dates and material culture prove its existence during the Mongol empire only. During the past years, we conducted comprehensive geophysical and topographic mapping of the site, as well as a pedestrian survey, including its hinterland, and excavated a kiln. The layout of the city resembles that of the capital, Karakorum. Both cities together reveal that the Mongol Khans had a specific idea about the organization of a city. They were dependent on Chinese craftsmen to erect the buildings but not on Chinese city planning and ideology. The version of record of this manuscript has been published and is freely available in Journal of Field Archaeology https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00934690.2022.2085916 https://doi.org/10.1080/00934690.2022.2085916
In 2005 Judith Kolbas published a remarkable interpretation of the Uyghur site Tsagaan Sumiĭn Bal... more In 2005 Judith Kolbas published a remarkable interpretation of the Uyghur site Tsagaan Sumiĭn Balgas, Khotont sum, Arkhangaĭ aĭmag, situated in a valley on the northern slope of the Khangaĭ mountain range north of a small creek which finally enters north of Karabalgasun into the Orkhon River. The dating and its implication for urbanism in Mongolia are discussed.
STUDIA ARCHAEOLOGICA INSTITUTI ARCHAEOLOGICI ACADEMIAE SCIENTIARUM MONGOLICAE, 2014
The Institute of Archaeology in cooperation with Natural Heritage Center of
Mongolia, in June 201... more The Institute of Archaeology in cooperation with Natural Heritage Center of Mongolia, in June 2014 carried out excavation on Stupa of Kherlen Bars-1 (Tsagaan Ovoo soum, Dornod ajmag). The internal section of the Stupa was consisted of 4 parts naming them as A, B, C and D. The part A, northwestern section that is congregated with dust and other remains, was chosen for excavation. Result of excavation were comprehensible, surrounding of the Stupas stone foundation (on the rammed earth base placed 1-2 layers of stone approximately 30 cm thick stone) is started on the brick but it is most commonly consists of parallel blocks with 8-9 stone-layers. For many years in the Stupa of accumulated sediments originated from many different cultural horizons and layers. Excavation in the first layers be found animal bones, ash, and there was a mixture of yellow dust on religious quite late belongings pieces of fabric, clay Tsatsa, pieces of paper pages, such as cotton and center Soyombo letters written on suspension items were found. It used to believe until the end of the stupa is a reflection.
Cities in the Eurasian steppes, a core of nomadic empires, are rare. Erecting a city from scratch... more Cities in the Eurasian steppes, a core of nomadic empires, are rare. Erecting a city from scratch is even less typical. However, Khar Khul Khaany Balgas, situated north of the Khangai Mountains in central Mongolia, is such an exceptional example, never built over by subsequent settlements. Overlooked until now because researchers dated its latest settlement phase into the 17th century a.d., the first radiocarbon dates and material culture prove its existence during the Mongol empire only. During the past years, we conducted comprehensive geophysical and topographic mapping of the site, as well as a pedestrian survey, including its hinterland, and excavated a kiln. The layout of the city resembles that of the capital, Karakorum. Both cities together reveal that the Mongol Khans had a specific idea about the organization of a city. They were dependent on Chinese craftsmen to erect the buildings but not on Chinese city planning and ideology.
Between 2000 and 2005 archaeologists and students of the Institute of Archaeology, Mongolian Acad... more Between 2000 and 2005 archaeologists and students of the Institute of Archaeology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, and the Department of Pre and Early Historical Archaeology, University of Bonn, excavated parts of a craftsmen quarter in the center of the old Mongolian capital Karakorum (Fig. 1) where — according to William of Rubruck, a Franciscan monk, who stayed there several months during spring 1254 (cf. Rubruck/Jackson 1990) — a Chinese population lived and worked in the 13 th century CE. The excavations in the center of the first capital of the Mongol Empire were carried out within the Mongolian–German Karakorum Expedition with the goal in the first instance of answering questions concerning the founding, the duration of settlement and the end of occupation of the entire town. In addition, interest focused on the profession and occupation of the people living in the urban center (Bemmann et al. 2010).
In the thirteenth century AD, the city of Karakorum was founded as the capital of the Mongol Empi... more In the thirteenth century AD, the city of Karakorum was founded as the capital of the Mongol Empire. Relatively little archaeological attention, however, has been directed at the site and the phenomenon of steppe urbanism. The authors report new magnetic and topographic surveys of the walled city and the surrounding landscape. The resulting maps reveal the city in unprecedented detail. Combining the magnetic and topographical data with aerial photographs, pedestrian surveys and documentary sources reveals the extent, layout and organisation of this extensive settlement. Road networks and areas of variable occupation density and types of activities deepen our understanding of this important commercial hub and royal palace, which is conceptualised as a form of ‘implanted’ urbanism.
SUMMARY The international project " Geo-Archaeology in the Steppe – Reconstruction of Cultural La... more SUMMARY The international project " Geo-Archaeology in the Steppe – Reconstruction of Cultural Landscapes in the Orkhon valley, Central Mongolia " was set up in July 2008. It is headed by the Department of Pre-and Protohistoric Archaeology of Bonn University. The project aims at the study of prehistoric and historic settlement patterns, human impact on the environment and the relation between towns and their hinterland in the Orkhon valley, Central Mongolia. The multidisciplinary project is mainly sponsored for three years by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and bridges archaeology, natural sciences and engineering (sponsorship code 01UA0801C). Archaeologists of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences and of the Bonn University, geographers of Free University Berlin, geophysics of the Institute for Photonic Technology Jena and the RWTH Aachen University, and geographers and engineers of the German Aerospace Centre Berlin collaborate in the development of new technologies and their application in archaeology 1. On the basis of Russian aerial photographs from the 1970s, an initial evaluation regarding potential archaeological sites was made. Due to the poor geometric and radiometric resolution of these photographs, identification of archaeological sites in many cases remained preliminary, and detailed information on layout and size could not be gained. The aim of the flight campaign in September 2008 was therefore the confirmation of these sites as well as their high resolution survey. A 10 megapixel range finder camera was used for the recording of high resolution aerial photography. This image data is suited for accurate determination and mapping of selected monuments. The airborne camera was adapted and mounted on an electrically operated eight propeller small drone. Apart from high resolution geo-referenced overview pictures, impressive panoramic images and very high resolution overlapping image data was recorded for photogrammetric stereoscopic processing. Due to the overlap of 85% along and across the track each point in the image data is recorded in at least four pictures. Although a smaller overlap might be sufficient for generating digital surface models (DSM), this redundancy increases the reliability of the DSM generation. Within this photogrammetric processing digital surface models and true ortho photo mosaics with a resolution up to 2,5 cm/pixel in X, Y, Z are derived.
Das Orchontal im Herzen der Mongolei – seit 2004 UNESCO-Welterbestätte – bildete das Zentrum mehr... more Das Orchontal im Herzen der Mongolei – seit 2004 UNESCO-Welterbestätte – bildete das Zentrum mehrerer frühmittelalterlicher reiternomadischer Großreiche. Mithilfe modernster Prospektionsmethoden erforscht nun ein deutsch-mongolisches Team erstmalig die Einbindung der weltbekannten Hauptstädte Karakorum und Karabalgasun in das Siedlungsgefüge dieses Kernraumes mit seiner Vielzahl an Residenzen, Manufakturen und Nekropolen (...)
The international project "Geo-Archaeology in the Steppe - Reconstruction of Cultural Landscapes ... more The international project "Geo-Archaeology in the Steppe - Reconstruction of Cultural Landscapes in the Orkhon valley, Central Mongolia" was set up in July 2008. It is headed by the Department of Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology of Bonn University. The project aims at the study of prehistoric and historic settlement patterns, human impact on the environment and the relation between towns and their hinterland in the Orkhon valley, Central Mongolia. The multidisciplinary project is mainly sponsored for three years by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and bridges archaeology, natural sciences and engineering (sponsorship code 01UA0801C). Archaeologists of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences and of the Bonn University, geographers of Free University Berlin, geophysics of the Institute for Photonic Technology Jena and the RWTH Aachen University, and geographers and engineers of the German Aerospace Centre Berlin collaborate in the development of new technologies and their application in archaeology1. On the basis of Russian aerial photographs from the 1970s, an initial evaluation regarding potential archaeological sites was made. Due to the poor geometric and radiometric resolution of these photographs, identification of archaeological sites in many cases remained preliminary, and detailed information on layout and size could not be gained. The aim of the flight campaign in September 2008 was therefore the confirmation of these sites as well as their high resolution survey. A 10 megapixel range finder camera was used for the recording of high resolution aerial photography. This image data is suited for accurate determination and mapping of selected monuments. The airborne camera was adapted and mounted on an electrically operated eight propeller small drone. Apart from high resolution geo-referenced overview pictures, impressive panoramic images and very high resolution overlapping image data was recorded for photogrammetric stereoscopic processing. Due to the overlap of 85% along and across the track each point in the image data is recorded in at least four pictures. Although a smaller overlap might be sufficient for generating digital surface models (DSM), this redundancy increases the reliability of the DSM generation. Within this photogrammetric processing digital surface models and true ortho photo mosaics with a resolution up to 2,5 cm/pixel in X, Y, Z are derived.
B etween 2000 and 2005 archaeologists and students of the Institute of Archaeology, Mongolian Aca... more B etween 2000 and 2005 archaeologists and students of the Institute of Archaeology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, and the Department of Preand Early Historical Archaeology, University of Bonn, excavated parts of a craftsmen quarter in the center of the old Mongolian capital Karakorum (Fig. 1) where -according to William of Rubruck, a Franciscan monk, who stayed there several months during spring 1254 (cf. Rubruck/Jackson 1990)a Chinese population lived and worked in the 13 th century CE. The excavations in the center of the first capital of the Mongol Empire were carried out within the Mongolian-German Karakorum Expedition with the goal in the first instance of answering questions concerning the founding, the duration of settlement and the end of occupation of the entire town. In addition, interest focused on the profession and occupation of the people living in the urban center (Bemmann et al. 2010).
Cities in the Eurasian steppes, a core of nomadic empires, are rare. Erecting a city from scratch... more Cities in the Eurasian steppes, a core of nomadic empires, are rare. Erecting a city from scratch is even less typical. However, Khar Khul Khaany Balgas, situated north of the Khangai Mountains in central Mongolia, is such an exceptional example, never built over by subsequent settlements. Overlooked until now because researchers dated its latest settlement phase into the 17th century A.D., the first radiocarbon dates and material culture prove its existence during the Mongol empire only. During the past years, we conducted comprehensive geophysical and topographic mapping of the site, as well as a pedestrian survey, including its hinterland, and excavated a kiln. The layout of the city resembles that of the capital, Karakorum. Both cities together reveal that the Mongol Khans had a specific idea about the organization of a city. They were dependent on Chinese craftsmen to erect the buildings but not on Chinese city planning and ideology. The version of record of this manuscript has been published and is freely available in Journal of Field Archaeology https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00934690.2022.2085916 https://doi.org/10.1080/00934690.2022.2085916
In 2005 Judith Kolbas published a remarkable interpretation of the Uyghur site Tsagaan Sumiĭn Bal... more In 2005 Judith Kolbas published a remarkable interpretation of the Uyghur site Tsagaan Sumiĭn Balgas, Khotont sum, Arkhangaĭ aĭmag, situated in a valley on the northern slope of the Khangaĭ mountain range north of a small creek which finally enters north of Karabalgasun into the Orkhon River. The dating and its implication for urbanism in Mongolia are discussed.
Uploads
Papers by Munkhbayar L
Mongolia, in June 2014 carried out excavation on Stupa of Kherlen Bars-1 (Tsagaan
Ovoo soum, Dornod ajmag). The internal section of the Stupa was consisted of
4 parts naming them as A, B, C and D. The part A, northwestern section that is
congregated with dust and other remains, was chosen for excavation.
Result of excavation were comprehensible, surrounding of the Stupas stone
foundation (on the rammed earth base placed 1-2 layers of stone approximately
30 cm thick stone) is started on the brick but it is most commonly consists of
parallel blocks with 8-9 stone-layers.
For many years in the Stupa of accumulated sediments originated from many
different cultural horizons and layers. Excavation in the first layers be found
animal bones, ash, and there was a mixture of yellow dust on religious quite
late belongings pieces of fabric, clay Tsatsa, pieces of paper pages, such as cotton
and center Soyombo letters written on suspension items were found. It used to
believe until the end of the stupa is a reflection.
Mongolia by Munkhbayar L
The version of record of this manuscript has been published and is freely available in Journal of Field Archaeology https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00934690.2022.2085916
https://doi.org/10.1080/00934690.2022.2085916
Mongolia, in June 2014 carried out excavation on Stupa of Kherlen Bars-1 (Tsagaan
Ovoo soum, Dornod ajmag). The internal section of the Stupa was consisted of
4 parts naming them as A, B, C and D. The part A, northwestern section that is
congregated with dust and other remains, was chosen for excavation.
Result of excavation were comprehensible, surrounding of the Stupas stone
foundation (on the rammed earth base placed 1-2 layers of stone approximately
30 cm thick stone) is started on the brick but it is most commonly consists of
parallel blocks with 8-9 stone-layers.
For many years in the Stupa of accumulated sediments originated from many
different cultural horizons and layers. Excavation in the first layers be found
animal bones, ash, and there was a mixture of yellow dust on religious quite
late belongings pieces of fabric, clay Tsatsa, pieces of paper pages, such as cotton
and center Soyombo letters written on suspension items were found. It used to
believe until the end of the stupa is a reflection.
The version of record of this manuscript has been published and is freely available in Journal of Field Archaeology https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00934690.2022.2085916
https://doi.org/10.1080/00934690.2022.2085916