The Ash-Tigors’ granaries and palaeoclimate of the 7th-12th centuries in the North Caucasus

Abstract

Historic monuments of the Kislovodsk depression attracted the scientists’ attention since the end of the 17th century. As a result, the archaeological sites of this region have been attributed ethnically and culturally. The
monuments dating to the Early Middle Ages occupy a specific position here. Using methods of a multidisci - plinary analysis at the archaeological sites of the Kislovodsk depression with the application of GIS technologies,
the archaeological-geographical information system »Kislovodsk« was created with instruments of analysis of three-dimensional information of a »perturbed« climate simulation. Of special significance was the investigation of potential economic zones of the Alanic dwelling sites and the terrace agriculture. The authors try to answer questions concerning their chronology, territorial spread and the reasons for their construction. Their observations reliably prove that there are strong reasons to relate the remains of the agricultural terraces to the Early Medieval hillforts. Paleoclimate research by G. E. Afanas’ev, A.V. Kislov and A.V. Chernyshev is due to the synthesis of the model indications of »real« and »perturbed« climates; landscape maps have been constructed in a GIS system. The main conclusion of the analysis of the bio-productivity of the investigated territory is that the Alanic population used the mountain slopes and the slopes of dealluvial heights for Early Medieval farming terraces. Such comprehension reflects their exceptionally high level of agricultural knowledge.