New type of dwelling sites of Koban culture in Kislovodsk environs

D.S. Korobov and S. Reinhold present the preliminary results of the investigation of new type of dwelling sites in the Central Caucasus (Kislovodsk environs). Both in the terrain and on aerial photos settlements with a symmetric layout were identified. These consisted of a central spot with a row of houses along their sides. All sites are located south of Kislovodsk on the plateaus situated from 1400 m to 1700 m above the sea level. All the dwelling sites with symmetric layout follow similar plan. They include an oval or rectangular central spot, sometimes divided by internal walls, and rows of houses on its both sides. The sites are oriented N-S with a deviation to W or E. The settlements' size ranges from 70 by 50 m to 200 by 200 m. At several sites there was a dump area marked by a high concentration of surface finds. In all, 74 settlements with symmetric layout were identified in the aerial photos so far. The sites share a similar topographic position on the plateau edge near springs and small valleys, and are limited to one environmental zone represented by flat plateaus with altitude ranging from 1400 m to 2000 m above the sea level. The field surveys were carried out at ca. 30 sites in 2004 and 2005; all of them are dated by surface finds to the Late Bronze/Early Iron Ages represented by local Koban culture. This fact, together with the sites' uniform layout and topography leads to the conclusion that all sites in question should be attributed to the same cultural period. The settlements generally form clusters of two, sometimes three sites located close to each other. These settlement structures are highly promising for further spatial analysis with application of GIS technologies, which is an aspect of the planned work.