Artifacts from a new monument of the Koban culture were presented at KBSU

The head of the expedition, assistant director of the State Hermitage for the development of museum relations Yulia Marchenko shared the results of the 9th season of the North Caucasian archaeological expedition with students and teachers of the Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after Kh.M. Berbekov.

Together with her, the team of professional archaeologists included employees of the Eastern and scientific restoration and conservation departments of the Hermitage Mark Kotin and Alexey Borovikov.

The North Caucasian archaeological expedition of the State Hermitage was created in 2016. As part of the agreement between the Hermitage and KBSU, students of the university have the opportunity to learn the basics of archeology and restoration during their internship in the Hermitage expeditions. In 2024, 23 KBSU students became participants in the expedition.

Until 2022, the expedition’s location was the village of Verkhniy Kurkuzhin, and since last year, excavations have been conducted on the territory of Nizhniy Kurkuzhin in the landslide zone, where the Koban settlement and burial ground of the 8th-7th centuries BC are located.

The total area of ​​the excavation is currently 261 square meters. This year, 12 burial complexes were examined, and we found interesting features of the burial rite of the Koban people, in particular, we discovered burial structures that had not been encountered before. This changes our understanding of their burial rituals,

— said Yulia Marchenko.

The archaeologist explained that the richest burials are located lower, they are in an elongated position and in pits-undercuts or pits with steps and shoulders, they are dated to an earlier time and therefore contain more different objects. Later burials are located in simple pits in the fetal position and do not contain any items.

The scientist noted that thanks to the research of ancient burial grounds, settlements and, if you are lucky, sanctuaries, it is possible to reconstruct the history of the ancient population of the North Caucasus. Thus, one of the conclusions made by archaeologists is that in ancient times, the average life expectancy of a person was 45 years. Judging by the number of small graves, child mortality was high. Among the archaeologists’ finds are bronze pins, brooches for fastening clothes, belts, ceramics, a large number of beads — amber, jet, glass, carnelian, necklaces, bracelets, flint stones, iron knives, etc. Among the items found are «imported» items. For example, cowrie shells from the Indian Ocean. This indicates the developed trade relations of the ancient settlers.

Yulia Marchenko spoke about the further fate of the found artifacts:

After we find something, we record it, then we hand things over to our restorers, who do their work and hand them over to the artists. At the moment, all these stages have already been completed. And now all the things must be returned in a finished form to us, archaeologists, for publication and reporting. After all the necessary research, the remains are committed to the earth.

After the presentation, Yulia Marchenko answered numerous questions from the audience, including students of the History and International Relations programs. Excavations at the burial ground in Nizhny Kurkuzhin will continue next year.