Archaeological Studies of the Kasimov Khanate Capital

Abstract

The article examines the history of the study of medieval Kasimov – the capital of the Kasimov Khanate (mid-15th – late 17th centuries). The stages of archaeological study have been highlighted. The results of archaeological research in 2008–2021 are presented. Historical objects of the medieval city have been localized. The original location of the city of Kasimov during the Khan period, also known as Gorodets Meshchersky, Tsarev Gorodok, Kasimov of the 13th – first half of the 16th centuries, is linked to the area of Old Posad. Geophysical studies of the Staroposadskoye Tatar cemetery revealed the remains of several mausoleums. The beginning of the formation of the cultural layer has been revealed – not earlier than the middle of the 16th century within the area of the Tatarskaya Gora and the Tatarskaya Sloboda. The continuity of the development of medieval settlements has been traced from the Kasimov archaeological complex (the settlement of Zemlyanoy Strug, the village of Dorofeyevo Pole) till the Gorodets Meshchersky (13th – first half of the 16th century) and the khan's capital. The time of the formation of the historical core of the medieval city and the stages of the development of territories have been established archaeologically. Prospects for further research are given.

Keywords

• archaeology
• kasimov khanate
• middle ages
• city
• history
• hillfort
• settlement
• burial ground