As the head of the department of archeology of the Azov historical-archaeological and paleontological museum-reserve Andrey Maslovsky told the correspondent, 30 burials were found on the territory of one of the households on 14 square meters.
Excavations were carried out at the intersection of Chekhov and Lenin streets. The candidate of historical sciences explains that this place was the central part of the main city necropolis of the medieval Azak (former name of Azov), which existed until the 18th century. In this medieval cemetery, 70 thousand people are supposedly buried in 120-150 years.
As for 30 burials, they belong to the Golden Horde period. Unfortunately, not all have survived to study them in detail. The graves were recently damaged during the laying of sewers.
However, one stone crypt and one wooden one were found. In those times, only wealthy citizens could afford a stone crypt. The rest of the people were buried simply and modestly.
During excavations, archaeologists also discovered the burials of a soldier from the era of the Russian-Turkish wars.
“He has a molded button, which was not in the 14th century, and leather shoes. After Azak, the largest administrative center of the Golden Horde, was destroyed in the XIV century, only a small "stub" of the city remained. And when the Russian-Turkish wars begin, the entire territory of modern Azov becomes a siege camp. During the reign of Catherine and Anna Ioannovna, epidemics occur. And the Russian army is losing many soldiers. Therefore, we find their burials everywhere,”says Andrey Maslovsky.
In addition, in 2018, a previously unknown 14th-century necropolis was found on Pushkin Street. Eight whole burials were found there. In general, in medieval Azak, the population was heterogeneous and each group had its own burial ground. Archaeologists this year found the 39th in a row.