Historical Topography of the Khan's Capital Town of Kasimov

Abstract

The paper addresses the historical topography of the medieval Kasimov – capital of Kasimov Khanate (mid-15th – late 17th centuries). The stages of archaeological studies are analyzed. The results of archaeological studies in 2008–2018 are presented. The historical sites of the medieval town are localized. The Stary Posad area is associated with the original location of the town of Kasimov in the Khan's period, also known as Gorodets Meshchersky of the 14thth – first half of the 15th centuries. No layers or items related to the period of the reign of Qasim Khan in the mid–15th – early 16th centuries have been identified in the area of the Khan's Court. The establishment of the cultural layer in the Khan’s court area occurs not earlier than the mid-16th century during the rule of Khan Shah Ali. The continuity of the development of medieval settlements is traced from the Kasimov archaeological complex (Zemlyanoy Strug settlement, Dorofeevo Pole village) to Gorodets Meshchersky (the 13th – first half of the 16th centuries) and the Khan's capital. The authors archaeologically established the time period of the establishment of the historical core of the medieval town, and the development stages of its areas.

Keywords

• archaeology
• kasimov
• khanate
• middle ages
• town
• history
• settlement
• village
• burial ground
• meshchera