Archaeological Sites of Elista Surveyed by S. Arapov in 1992

Introduction. The earliest surveys of kurgans in the vicinity of Elista were conducted in 1929 . To date, this area of Kalmykia — southern part of the Ergeni Upland — remains a most underexplored one. Only burial sites from the Bronze, Iron and Middle Ages have been investigated here. However, there is still no consolidated list of existing archaeological sites located in the city district of Elista. Meanwhile, as the administrative center of the Republic, the city is continuously growing, residential areas and economic facilities are being rebuilt, once remote outskirts of the city are being actively developed. All these factors threaten the archaeological sites. Goals. The article aims to introduce the results of S. Arapov’s surveys and an updated description of kurgans identified in 1992 into scientific circulation. Results. Our insight into the 1992 field report of S. Arapov shows the document describes a total of 22 monuments (single mounds and kurgan groups) comprising 87 kurgans. These can be divided into four groups, namely: kurgans on a ridge south of the city, ones on northwestern city outskirts, ones in northeastern parts, and those on a ridge west of the airport. The 2022 efforts have localized 52 of the 87 mounds identified by S. Arapov in 1992, the remaining 35 mounds never to have been rediscovered. The main reason for this state of affairs is the lack of systematic work, some of the monuments had stayed unprotected by law only to be damaged or destroyed during construction and agricultural activities. To date, it is urgent to intensify work for the identification and preservation of archaeological sites in the vicinity of Elista. It is necessary to register archaeological monuments and list them as cultural heritage sites, this being the only way to protect them from potential destruction in the future

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