Археологические памятники Калмыкии, исследованные И. В. Синицыным и У. Э. Эрдниевым в 1961–1970 гг.: историографический обзор

Abstract

Introduction. The article analyzes the results of archaeological excavations conducted by a joint expedition of the Kalmyk Research Institute of Language, Literature and History, Kalmyk Republican Ethnography Museum, and Saratov State University in the territory of Kalmykia between 1961 and 1970. The works were directed by Uryubdzhur E. Erdniev and Ivan V. Sinitsyn. The historiographic review deals with publications of results of archaeological excavations held within mound burial sites (Lola 1 and 2, Arkhara, Elista, East Manych, Kermen Tolga, and Gashunsky) and analytical papers based on data obtained during explorations of the mentioned monuments. Goals. The paper aims to analyze published works by I. Sinitsyn and U. Erdniev and gradually reintroduce the 1961–1970 studies into scientific discourse. Methods. The work applies both common scientific methods (typology, comparison, analogy) and specific history research ones (the comparative-historical and typological-historical methods). Results. The insight into results of I. Sinitsyn and U. Erdniev’s archeological surveys reveales that the bulk of the publications deal with monuments investigated between 1961 and 1970, and when it came to reconstruct elements of material and spiritual cultures data from archeological studies once held in adjacent territories were used. Certain parts of the works examine results of field excavations, namely, describe the mounds, burials, sacrificial sites, and discovered remains of the buried individuals and accompanying utensils. Some publications deal with outcomes of field excavations only, being released in the form of separate articles in a number of collections, while others are essentially analytical papers investigating monuments of certain cultures and periods that were published as articles conference reports. The publications consolidated results of the large scale archeological excavations, and were – then and there – unique ones to have described cultural and historical processes inherent to ancient and medieval communities that had inhabited Kalmykia and adjacent territories. It is also noteworthy that in the face of the then vigorous economic activities within the Ergeni Upland and Kuma-Manych Depression all the investigated monuments were threatened with complete destruction. And it was only due to U. Erdniev and I. Sinitsyn’s initiatives and efforts that the numerous monuments never disappeared but were preserved for science, and the results of those works were used in their reviews and reports, and are still applied by contemporary researchers.