The article is dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the birth of the famous Soviet and Russian archaeologist, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor of Bashkir State University Niyaz Abdulkhakovich Mazhitov. The object of the research is the works of the scientist published in the second half of the 1950s - the first half of the 1960s. The subject of the research is the theoretical developments of N.A. Mazhitov on the problems of cultural genesis in the Southern Urals in the Early Middle Ages, considered through the prism of his archaeological research and ethnocultural constructions. It is shown that despite the so-called "non-theoretical" period established in the studied period of time in archaeology and the absence of methodological works on cultural genesis in general, N. A. Mazhitov's publications showed a historical and cultural approach to studying the history of the Southern Urals in the I millennium AD. The methodological basis of the study is the analysis of the main publications of Niyaz Abdulkhakovich written in the initial period of the scientist's research activity related to the study of mainly the monuments of the 1st millennium AD. Bakhmutin, as well as the Pianobor and Turbasli archaeological cultures. An analytical review of N.A. Mazhitov's works devoted to the study of the ethnic history of the Southern Urals in the Early Middle Ages, conducted for the first time, allows us to conclude that his research was based, among other things, on the theoretical positions of cultural studies both in the study of the development of individual archaeological cultures of the Southern Urals in the I millennium AD, and in the study of ethnogenetic processes occurring in the region in general. Considering the ethnic history of the Bashkiria population in the designated period of time, Niyaz Abdulkhakovich largely appealed to the ethnocultural processes taking place in the region associated with changes in spiritual and material culture. Based on his work, the main factors that influenced their transformation can be called migration, socio-economic factor, intercultural interaction, traditions and innovations.