Archaeological research of Islamic monuments in Siberia

Abstract

The region described in the article is Siberia and Northern Kazakhstan in the context of its cultural and religious integrity in the late Middle Ages.

Legends and travel notes in Farsi, German and Arabic are interesting in terms of facts, but do not have more extensive information about the contacts of local residents with the traditional zones of the spread of world religion. Meanwhile, since the tenth century. export items with Islamic "content" appear on the routes of the northern branches of the Great Silk Road and the Fur Road as the first sign of the dialogue of cultures that has begun. The most "significant" objects are mentioned in the article, as well as attempts to identify them.

Based on the sources involved, which are subjected to critical analysis, a number of monuments (attributed to Islamic), as well as the features of their study, are indicated. For a long time they were not distinguished by typology, and materials of an Islamic nature that fell into the field of view of archaeologists remained concomitant and did not reflect the worldview of their owners.

Among the described objects are settlements with a dominant Muslim (according to direct and indirect data) composition of the population or significant signs of Muslim culture, including Sharia burials as an identifying feature. Examples of erroneous judgments are also analyzed.

The main purpose of the article is to show the change in the scientific approach — from random archaeological finds to systematic studies, for example, of the astana phenomenon. This is an original phenomenon of "Siberian Islam", which is essentially syncretic in nature and does not contradict the dogma of the world religion.