Archaeological studies in Astrakhan region

On June 10, 2023, the archaeological expedition of the Institute of Archaeology named after A. Kh. Khalikov of the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences on the study the mausoleum complex nearby the village of Lapas in the Kharbali district of the Astrakhan region, which will last until the end of July, started. The archaeological works are carried out as a part of the State Program of the Republic of Tatarstan “Preservation of the national identity of the Tatar people”.

Specialists of the Institute of Archaeology named after A. Kh. Khalikov of the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences and students of the Institute of International Relations, Institute of Physics, Institute of Management, Economics and Finance KFU, as well as students and staff of the Institute of Regional Development of the Penza region will participate in the work of the expedition.

The mausoleum complex has been studied by the institute since 2018, but  this site has been known for quite a long time, mentions of it have been preserved in travel notes of travelers and diplomats since the XVIII century, where the mausoleums appear as “royal burials”. It is assumed that they belong to the khans of the Golden Horde and their retinue.

In the 2023 field season, the study of the largest mausoleum, that dates back to the first half of the XIV century, the time of Uzbek khan’s reign, will be continued.