Research on the Excavation CXXIV in the South-Eastern Part of the Bolgar Fortified Settlement

Excavation CXXIV at the Bolgar Historical and Archaeological Complex reveals that the fortified settlement began developing in the late 13th century, with early coins dating to this period. Unique finds include two rare dinars from the 12th and mid-13th centuries, hinting at an initial stage of settlement. A wooden house with a kang was constructed around 1250–1260, later destroyed by fire, and replaced by a stone building in the 1340s, which featured distinct architectural elements like pylons and a turret. The site's decline post-1360 led to its use as a cemetery, with burials containing fragments of the stone building's architecture. This study sheds light on Bolgar's transition from wooden to stone construction and its connection to the Mongol administration quarter.

Volkov, I. V., Lopan, O. V., Sitdikov, A. G.,. (2023). Research on the Excavation CXXIV in the South-Eastern Part of the Bolgar Fortified Settlement. Povolzhskaya Arkheologiya (the Volga River Region Archaeology), 2(44), 189–208. https://doi.org/10.24852/pa2023.2.44.189.208