Elite Grave Found in Abandoned Mongolian Fortress Reveals Rich History

In 2022, a surprising discovery was made within the walls of an abandoned fortress in northeastern Mongolia, shedding new light on a historically obscure period. An international team of archaeologists uncovered an elite grave dating back to the post-Kitan, pre-Mongol era—a time frame that has been historically elusive. This discovery offers valuable insights into the social and political landscape of Mongolia during a period between the fall of the Kitan-Liao Empire and the rise of the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan.The Kitan-Liao Empire and the Forgotten PeriodThe Kitan-Liao Empire (916–1125 AD) once dominated vast regions of Central and Eastern Mongolia, establishing a sophisticated and far-reaching civilization. However, after its collapse, the historical narrative becomes murky, with few records and archaeological remains surviving from the intervening years before the Mongol Empire’s ascendance in 1206 AD. This "forgotten period" is often overlooked in both historical and archaeological studies, creating a gap in our understanding of the region's past.Professor Gideon Shelach-Lavi, a leading archaeologist on the project, emphasized the challenges in studying this period:"Mongolia is a vast country, and relatively little archaeological research has been conducted in some of its regions. The area where the grave was found is archaeologically underexplored, and our project is among the first to target it."Read moreSection: ArtifactsOther ArtifactsNewsHistory & ArchaeologyHistoryAncient TraditionsRead Later

In 2022, a surprising discovery was made within the walls of an abandoned fortress in northeastern Mongolia, shedding new light on a historically obscure period. An international team of archaeologists uncovered an elite grave dating back to the post-Kitan, pre-Mongol era—a time frame that has been historically elusive. This discovery offers valuable insights into the social and political landscape of Mongolia during a period between the fall of the Kitan-Liao Empire and the rise of the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan .

The Kitan-Liao Empire and the Forgotten Period The Kitan -Liao Empire (916–1125 AD) once dominated vast regions of Central and Eastern Mongolia, establishing a sophisticated and far-reaching civilization. However, after its collapse, the historical narrative becomes murky, with few records and archaeological remains surviving from the intervening years before the Mongol Empire’s ascendance in 1206 AD. This "forgotten period" is often overlooked in both historical and archaeological studies, creating a gap in our understanding of the region's past.

Professor Gideon Shelach-Lavi, a leading archaeologist on the project, emphasized the challenges in studying this period: "Mongolia is a vast country, and relatively little archaeological research has been conducted in some of its regions. The area where the grave was found is archaeologically underexplored, and our project is among the first to target it." The findings from this valuable archaeological eviden.