The Arkaim archaeological complex evokes various assessments. Some consider it just a monument of the Bronze Age, others are sure that this is evidence of the power of an ancient civilization.
Accidental find
Arkaim, located in the Chelyabinsk region, is considered one of the most significant archaeological sites in Russia, largely because for scientists it is still a big mystery. Despite the fact that Arkaim is called a city, it looks completely inconspicuous. Archaeologists could not see it: only schoolchildren drew the attention of scientists to unusual reliefs.
In 1987, for the needs of the local irrigation system, it was necessary to build a reservoir. According to the rules, before such a plan of work, it was required to explore the area for archaeological finds. Having started excavations at the site of the discovered elevations, scientists realized that they had stumbled upon something very remarkable.
Despite the indisputable archaeological value of the find, the authorities were going to flood the construction zone of the irrigation system. Only thanks to the intervention of the Director of the Hermitage, Boris Piotrovsky, was it possible to defend this unique historical object. In 1991, the territory around the settlement was declared a protected area, joining the complex to the Ilmensky Mineralogical Reserve as a branch.
The location of the Arkaim settlement is a cape at the confluence of the Bolshaya Karaganka and Utyaganka rivers, its diameter is about 170 meters. The object got its name from the height dominating the terrain, which is located 4 km south of the archaeological site. It is assumed that the toponym "Arkaim" has a Türkic etymology and is translated as "ridge", "back", "base".
Promotional video:
Country of cities
Large-scale excavations in Arkaim have been launched since 1991. A group of archaeologists led by Gennady Zdanovich uncovered about half (about 8000 m²) of the area of the settlement. The study of the site was carried out using natural scientific methods - paleosoil, geological-mineralogical, geological-morphological, as well as using radiocarbon dating.
The part of the object remaining in the ground was investigated using archeomagnetic methods. Here, for the first time in the Trans-Urals, the reconstruction method was applied and drawings of a possible type of settlement were made. As a result, scientists managed to completely restore the layout of the settlement.
The monument turned out to be rich in all kinds of archaeological finds. The remains of a person (burials of babies in the walls of dwellings) and pets, harness and craft tools, molds for casting metal products and fragments of chariots were found here. In addition, a water supply system and a storm sewage system were identified.
In addition to the settlement itself, several dozen unfortified ancient settlements were discovered nearby, which gave archaeologists a reason to call the entire complex "Country of cities". After examining the skulls, scientists found that the inhabitants of the settlement belonged to the Caucasian race. Radiocarbon analysis has shown that the age of the structures can be from 3600 to 3900 years.
Walled city
The uniqueness of Arkaim is not so much in its antiquity as in its concept. Archaeologists claim that the city was built according to a premeditated plan, with a complex and multifunctional architecture.
Arkaim was a wooden fortress, consisting of two “apartment buildings”. Its walls were five meters thick and more than eight meters high. The city possessed complex fortifications and engineering structures. There were foundry workshops where bronze was produced. However, the history of the origin of the city remains a mystery.
According to one of the most widespread versions, the city was the spiritual center of the peoples living here, priests lived and performed rituals here, their fellow tribesmen gathered here for sacred festivities. In the center of the settlement there was a square, which served as an open-air temple.
According to archaeologists, Arkaim also served as a military garrison: during the raids of nomads, the entire population of the district flocked to its protection. In addition to the cult center and the garrison, the city had territories occupied by industrial premises. How long Arkaim existed is unknown. Its walls, according to scientists, did not know traces of the assault. However, it was found that there was a large fire in the city, as a result of which Arkaim was completely burnt out.
Tourists traveling to Arkaim are usually disappointed. When you are near the complex, you won't really see anything. The outlines of the ancient settlement appear only from a bird's eye view.
Place of power
Arkaim is interesting not only for scientists, but also for followers of alternative history and esoteric teachings. The first step towards the unscientific development of Arkaim was made back in 1991 when astrologer Tamara Globa visited the excavation site.
Supporters of esoteric teachings recognize Arkaim as a "place of power", adherents of alternative history call it "the ancestral home of the Slavs" and even "the cradle of civilization." Someone says that there was an ancient observatory here, someone is looking for sacred knowledge left by the ancient Aryans here.
Those who are especially greedy for mysticism come here in search of anomalous phenomena, and sometimes their heated imagination is really able to see a miracle. Perhaps the most daring hypothesis is that Arkaim is the birthplace of Zarathustra.
However, adherents of traditional science point out that the level of development of the "Arkaim civilization", described in the publications of esotericists, usually appears to be significantly overestimated in comparison with the real state of affairs.
Nevertheless, the phenomenon of Arkaim forced historians to reconsider their ideas about the Bronze Age in Russia. It is quite obvious that Siberia 3 thousand years ago was by no means the backyard of world civilization: a high level of metallurgy assigned this region a prominent place in the cultural space from the Mediterranean to Altai.
Repin Taras