Research of archaeological monuments of the Sintashta river valley: results and prospects

The research focuses on the history of the study of archaeological monuments of the Sintashta river valley from the second half of 20th century to the present. This research is carried out within the framework of the implementation of the project aimed at diagnosing the spatial model of human settlement in the Bronze Age. In order to identify territorial and methodological gaps in the research and to assess the qualitative aspect of the study of monuments, the reports on the results of field works and publications of the obtained material were analyzed. The scientific reports were classified according to the type of archaeological work performed: exploration, which was conducted mainly in the territories within the economic development zone, and excavation of settlements and burial grounds. Based on the topographic descriptions indicated in the reports, mapping of Bronze Age monuments in the Sintashta valley was carried out with varying degrees of accuracy. The researcher used the recent results of field surveys conducted by archaeological teams of the State Reserve «Arkaim» and Chelyabinsk State University within the framework of determination of the cultural heritage sites' boundaries, study of the Komsomolskoye fortified settlement and re-examination of previously discovered monuments. The data obtained clearly demonstrate the areas of intensive research and unexplored sections of the river. A comparison of the published interpretations of the studied sites allowed describing several principal controversial issues, such as the problem of interpreting the Great Sintashta mound and the elements of strengthening the fortified settlements. As a result of the work, prospective directions for further research were determined, i.e. re-examination of a number of objects, information about which is not sufficiently complete and reliable, as well as conducting a complete exploration survey of non-investigated locations in the valley.