Unprecedented Archaeological Excavations in the UrFU Campus Construction Area

09:57, May 18, 2023

Archaeological research involves more than 60 people

Large archaeological excavations are carried out in the Karaseozersky peat bog in the Novokoltsovsky microdistrict of Ekaterinburg. More than 60 people are involved. Sergey Chairkin, a Senior Researcher at the Institute of History and Archaeology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told TASS about the findings and the scope of the work.

"The Archaeological Research Protection Group of the Institute of History and Archaeology of the UB RAS annually conducts self-contracted archaeological research, including in the historical part of Ekaterinburg. This year the most significant and extensive works are planned in the Karaseozersky peat bog in the Novokoltsovsky district. In the middle of the bog, which used to be a lake, there was a small island. It was inhabited by people from the Neolithic period - from the 7th-8th millennium BC - until the 19th century. Today the campus of the Ural Federal University is being built there. Excavations began in 2020. In 2023 we will have to excavate a new area of about 11,000 square meters. It is an unprecedented for Ekaterinburg and the Urals zone area of archaeological research of primeval archaeology," said Sergey Chairkin.

The archeologist added that this monument is interesting because part of the cultural layer is covered with peat and sapropel, which is a good preservation of wood products.

"On the shore of the lake there was a 19th century fishermen's dugout. We found glazed pottery, a bell and a fragment of a plate from the Kuznetsov Porcelain Factory. Excavations in 2023 have already begun. More than 60 people are involved. The first finds of this year are an arrowhead and an "iron" - a sacred object whose function is still unknown. Stone and iron axes were also found earlier, as well as a coin of Nicholas I dated 1841. Since peat and sapropel preserve wood products well, it is quite possible that we will find more sacred objects made of wood, such as the Shigir Idol," says Sergey Chairkin.

Shigir Idol is considered to be the world's oldest preserved wooden sculpture, its age reaches 12,100 years.

The news article was translated by UrFU International Marketing Office. 
info.international@urfu.ru, +7 (343) 375-45-19