The 12th academic year of the "Student Researcher" scholarship program, organized by the Anton Moser Institute for Mongolian Studies, successfully held its fourth lecture-discussion on November 16, 2022, from 18:00 to 20:30 at the AMT.

The guest speaker for the lecture-discussion was Dr. A. Amartüvshin, Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology at the School of Humanities, National University of Mongolia (NUU), who delivered a lecture. He shared extensive knowledge with young researchers, emphasizing the importance of persistence in acquiring structured knowledge from information databases and drawing coherent conclusions.

A brief overview of Dr. Amartüvshin's lecture content:

Due to the vastness of Mongolia’s territory, it is divided into regions. There is no unified division; for example, the Statistical Office uses the following regions:

Western Region: Bayan-Ölgii, Govi-Altai, Zavkhan, Uvs, Khovd

Eastern Region: Dornod, Sukhbaatar, Khentii

Central Region: Govisümber, Darkhan-Uul, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Ömnögovi, Selenge, Töv

Khangai Region: Arkhangai, Bayankhongor, Bulgan, Orkhon, Uvurkhangai, Khövsgöl

Ulaanbaatar (the capital city)

Considering Mongolia's natural zones, it is also divided into four major regions: Khangai, Khentii, Altai, and Gobi.

The lecture discussed various types of archaeological sites, such as settlements, fortifications, burial sites, stelae, cave paintings, and industrial artifacts.

Specific research examples were shared from various locations, including:

Delgerkhaan Mountain in Tuvshinshiree sum, Sukhbaatar aimag

Adaatsag, Delgertsogt sums in Dundgovi aimag

Chandman Khuruu in Delgerekh sum, Dornogovi aimag

Undayn Gol in Khanbogd sum, Ömnögovi aimag

Methodologically, the research involved: exploration, excavation, and laboratory analysis.

In terms of settlements and fortifications: it is necessary to carefully uncover artifacts such as broken pottery and other objects on the surface. For example, the remains of the city of Mangas, dating to the 1st century AD, were confirmed to belong to the Hunnic period.Burial sites related to the Bronze Age in Eastern Mongolia were categorized, with particular emphasis on types like early burial mounds, Khirgisuurs (burial platforms), square tombs, and multi-animal accompanying burials.Research findings included the discovery of 4 "ant mound" tombs at Baga Gazriin Chuluu, with detailed analysis of their structure and associated artifacts, such as gold earrings, ceramic beads, and stone tools.Dr. Amartüvshin also discussed the square tombs from the Bronze Age, which are significant archaeological representations in Mongolia. The tombs are distributed across regions like the Dalai Nuur, the Khangai Mountains, and parts of Inner Mongolia, China.He highlighted the differences in burial practices, including offerings of livestock and ritual items, and compared these findings to similar archaeological sites in the Transbaikalian region of Russia. The research suggests a distinct cultural connection with the Dvorcov culture.In conclusion, Dr. Amartüvshin emphasized that archaeological research is not the work of one individual but a collective effort. The lecture was a fruitful discussion for the students and researchers who attended, and he expressed his gratitude to the participants and to the lecture's host.