Zuun Baruun Kherem, a medieval Eurasian center in Eastern Mongolia

Mongolia contains many urban sites of the medieval Kitan-Liao period (10th-12th centuries CE). The paired site of Zuun Baruun Kherem (ZBK) is a well-preserved example. The ZBK project aimed to examine the form and chronology of construction, the empty areas contained within many walled enclosures of this period, and the administrative use of these centers on the imperial frontier. Fieldwork was carried out primarily using hand augers to systematically examine subsurface deposits and a photogrammetric digital elevation model for detailed study of the surface topography. As well as ceramics, a surprising amount of datable bone and charcoal was recovered. Most remains focused on the densely inhabited Zuun Kherem. Baruun Kherem appears to be a mostly empty space with a few large elite structures inside. The enclosures were in use between the early 10th century and the early 12th century CE. Extensive midden deposits in Zuun Kherem illustrate urban animal penning as well as a distinctive set of ceramic vessels. Inhabitation of Baruun Kherem appears to be more akin to mobile habitation of non-urban settings.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41826-025-00113-2.