Zuun Baruun Kherem, a medieval Eurasian center in Eastern Mongolia

Area of Science:

• Archaeology
• Medieval History
• East Asian Studies

Background:

• Mongolia features numerous medieval Kitan-Liao period (10th-12th centuries CE) urban sites.
• The paired site of Zuun Baruun Kherem (ZBK) is a well-preserved example of this period.
• Understanding these imperial frontier centers is crucial for historical and administrative insights.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the construction, chronology, and spatial organization of the ZBK site.
• To analyze the function of empty spaces within medieval walled enclosures.
• To determine the administrative role of these centers on the imperial frontier.

Main Methods:

• Systematic subsurface deposit examination using hand augers.
• Detailed surface topography study with a photogrammetric digital elevation model.
• Recovery and analysis of ceramics, datable bone, and charcoal.

Main Results:

• Zuun Kherem exhibits dense habitation with extensive midden deposits, indicating urban animal husbandry and distinct ceramic traditions.
• Baruun Kherem appears largely unoccupied, featuring only a few large elite structures.
• The ZBK enclosures were utilized from the early 10th to the early 12th centuries CE.

Conclusions:

• The ZBK site demonstrates differentiated functions between its two enclosures, Zuun Kherem (urban) and Baruun Kherem (non-urban/mobile habitation).
• The findings provide insights into the urbanism and administration of the Kitan-Liao empire on its frontier.