Continuity and Authority on the Mongolian Steppe: The Egiin Gol Survey 1997–2002

The first published archaeological survey of the Egiin Gol valley of Mongolia, spanning the last 30,000 years and centering on the integration of local sites and landscape. It presents the experiences and results of groundbreaking fieldwork that detected ephemeral steppe settlement sites, extensive monumental constructions, and changing land use. The authors examine the place of Egiin Gol in the Xiongnu and Early Turkic polities and reveal the historical landscape of Buddhist monasteries and farms.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 366 pages
Publication date: 09 January 2024
Publisher: Yale University Press

The Egiin Gol valley of Mongolia has been the subject of a groundbreaking archaeological survey that spans the last 30,000 years and focuses on the integration of local sites and landscapes. This comprehensive survey report is the first of its kind to be published in Mongolia, presenting the results of extensive fieldwork that uncovered ephemeral steppe settlement sites, extensive monumental constructions, and changing land use. The survey covers a period from the late Upper Paleolithic to the nineteenth century, providing a detailed insight into the prehistory and history of eastern Eurasia.

The authors of the survey examine the place of the Egiin Gol valley within the Xiongnu and Early Turkic polities and explore the historical landscape of Buddhist monasteries and farms. They highlight the region as a historical breadbasket, emphasizing its significance in the past. Throughout the report, the focus is on the local and immediate archaeology of the Egiin Gol valley, exploring the impetus for change and continuity and how sites and features worked together to create past cultural landscapes.

This volume is intended for Eurasian and Mongolian specialists, archaeologists, landscape archaeologists, historians of East Asia and Eurasia, environmental historians, and scholars interested in the history and study of pastoralism, including development and rangeland management. The survey's findings and insights will contribute to our understanding of the region's rich cultural heritage and provide valuable insights into past societies and their interactions with the environment.

The Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History has kindly distributed this survey report, making it accessible to a wider audience and contributing to the advancement of archaeological research in Mongolia and beyond.

Dimension: 248 x 171 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780913516348