Survey of archaeological sites in the Lower Ob region

In 2018, an archaeological survey aimed at monitoring the technical condition and establishing the boundaries of archaeological sites in the Lower Ob region was conducted in Oktyabrsky District of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug -Yugra under the leadership of A. V. Kenig. At the request of the State Protection Service of the Cultural Heritage of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Yugra, the location of the following sites of cultural (archaeological) heritage of regional significance: fortified settlements of Sherkaly-1, -2, -4, -6, -7, and-12, unfortified settlements of Sherkaly-2, -3, -5, -8, and -9, and the Sherkaly burial ground was updated, exact coordinates were established, technical condition was evaluated, instrumental topographic survey was carried out, and boundaries were delineated. At the first stage of works, archival and published sources, as well as cartographic materials including satellite images, related to research history of these sites were analyzed. Archaeological works in the field involved identifying the sites on the ground, examining visually observable archaeological structures, correlating them with the results of the previous studies, establishing the boundaries of the cultural layer, and making photographic records on the current technical condition of the sites and tacheometric survey. The works at the settlements of Sherkaly-8 and Sherkaly-9, and at the Sherkaly burial ground resulted in gathering archaeological collections, establishing precise boundaries of the sites, compiling topographic maps, obtaining new data on chronology corresponding to the known cultural and chronological types of the region, assessing the current technical state, and identifying the factors which may have a negative impact on the preservation of the sites.