Archaeological Works at the Objects of the Irtysh Border Line in the Field Season of 2025

This article describes field research of 2025 on fortifications of the Irtysh Border Line of the 18th century. Two sites of the fortification line were investigated: sections of the defense system of the first Omsk fortress (city of Omsk) and the presumed remains of the fortifications of the “Solyanoy Povorot” redoubt (outpost) in Cherlak District of Omsk Region (hereafter Solyanoy Redoubt). Preliminary research of the fortress area involved analysis of the written sources, cartographic evidence from the 18th century, and data from the previous archaeological works in the adjacent areas. Test pits were made using this information, providing important stratigraphic observations and revealing the exact location of the southwest bastion and ditch of the western curtain wall of the first Omsk fortress. This information makes it possible to accurately align the fortress outline with the modern urban landscape and to identify specific features of fortification’s design and operation. Research at the Solyanoy Redoubt site was aimed at confirming or disproving its association with fortifications of the Irtysh Border Line of the 18th century. Stratigraphic research by the authors did not reveal a cultural layer at the site. Topographic survey showed that the dimensions of the site did not correspond to the standards typical of small redoubts (outposts) of that period, while historical descriptions of the Solyanoy Redoubt indicated that the actual object lacked a system of defensive ramparts and ditches. Thus, the combination of archaeological and historical evidence does not make it possible to consider the site a part of the Irtysh Border Line of the 18th century

Ditch · Regional Socio-Economic Development Trends · Security, Politics, and Digital Transformation · Soil and Environmental Studies