Раскопки Хирхиринского городища в Юго-Восточном Забайкалье
Excavations of Khirkhira Town in South-Eastern Transbaikalia

Author(s): Nikolay Nikolaevich Kradin, Svetlana E. Baksheeva, Evgeny V. Kovychev, Stanislav D. Prokopets, Artur V. Kharinsky
Subject(s): History, Archaeology, Middle Ages, 13th to 14th Centuries
Published by: Издательский дом Stratum, Университет «Высшая антропологическая школа»
Keywords: Mongol Empire; Khirkhira town; nomadic urbanization; Genghis Khan; Qasar; Yesünggü
Summary/Abstract: Khirkhira site is a town of Mongol Empire period, located in Transbaikalia. It was used as a residence for Yesünggü, a nephew of Genghis Khan. It was a real town with a palace, elite homesteads, over a hundred dwellings, but without fortifications. This site was excavated by S. Kiselev in 1957—1959 and A. Artemjev in 1997—2005. The article discusses the results of excavations on one of the homesteads. The wooden pillars of the building rested on stone bases. There was a kang (heating system) inside of the building with traces of reconstructions. The kang was heated by two hearths situated in northern and western parts of the excavated area. Our studies on Khirkhira allowed revisiting the chronology of the site. Porcelain found there makes it possible to date this site not only by the time of its founder Yesünggü Khan’s life, but also by the period of Yuan Dynasty (1206—1368) in 14th century. Besides, Khitan ceramics found in lower horizons of the unearthed homestead makes us conclude that this territory was inhabited already at the time of Liao dynasty (907—1125).

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