Archeological research of funeral monuments of xiongnu in Mongolia

Abstract

The article discusses the history of the Xiongnu monuments investigation in Mongolia, which
can be conveniently divided into several stages. The first stage of initial excavations falls on the 20-
30’s of the XX c. The next stage begins in 50’s and lasts till the late 80’s. During this time the first
international expeditions take place. In 1961 begins to work a Mongolian-Hungarian expedition and
in 1970 a Mongolian-Soviet historical-cultural expedition with members of the Institute of History
of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences and the Russian Academy of Sciences. During the third stage
there is a rapid growth of international expeditions. A Mongolian-French, Mongolian-American,
Mongolian-Korean and Mongolian-Belgian expeditions work from the mid-90’s till the early 2000’s.
From 2006 there work mostly expeditions of Mongolian Universities, Academic Centres, the Institute
of history and archeology of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Museums and several Mongolian-
Russian international expeditions. On the whole, within the territory of the Western, Central, Northern
and Eastern parts Mongolia about 70 burial complexes were found. About 5000 tumuli and burials
were excavated. 400 of them appeared to be burials of a common people, while 22 of tumulus burials
belong to the princes’ household.