AltSU archaeologists for the first time patented an invention

In 2022, researchers from the Institute of History and International Relations of Altai State University patented a method for excavating ancient and medieval mounds, which allows not to miss important finds and restore the former landscape view of archaeological sites.

Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Archeology, Ethnography and Museology Vadim Gorbunov and Head of the Department of Archeology, Ethnography and Museology, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Alexei Tishkin developed an algorithm for excavating ancient and medieval mounds with earth berms without the use of earthmoving equipment. They began with the implementation of a large scientific program on the territory of the Priobsky plateau. Archaeologists explored a number of large earth mounds, reaching up to 30 meters in diameter and over a meter high. Not possessing large resources, all excavations were carried out manually, using shovels, stretchers and small entrenching tools (scoops, brushes, etc.).

—The new method of excavation made it possible not only to save time and reduce the cost of work, but also to fix important archaeological objects and finds in detail, which could be damaged when using equipment (tractors, scrapers, etc.), said Alexey Tishkin. —A large mound is often surrounded by a ditch, which, on the one hand, was a kind of border between the real and other worlds, and, on the other hand, had practical and ritual significance. Earth was taken from the ditch in order to build an embankment. There sacrifices were made.

The scientist said that during the excavations, the mound is demolished in order to explore what is under it. This requires either equipment (bulldozer, scraper, carriers), or a lot of people with shovels, wheelbarrows and stretchers.

Aleksey Tishkin explained that the meaning of the know-how of AltSU scientists is to implement a certain algorithm of actions, starting with laying out an excavation site, planning places for laying soil and ending with restoring the original view. For example, excavations did not begin at the top of the mound, but at a distance from its edge, in order to identify and explore external objects, for example, a ditch, which often contains archaeological material (ceramics, bones, artifacts, animal burials, etc.). Further, the planned segments were studied step by step in such a way as to fix all the nuances of the embankment design and consistently lay the waste land with minimal physical and time costs.

This model has shown its effectiveness in the course of research on the Priobskoye plateau, during excavations of many barrows in the Shelabolikhinsky, Pavlovsky, Kalmansky and Aleisky districts, as well as at other sites, for example, at the famous medieval complex Srostki-I. A unique material has been obtained that allows to take a fresh look at the territory of the Priobsky plateau and designate it as the center of a large association, designated by the Srostkino culture. This association played a significant role in the process of interaction between such nomadic empires as the Turkic, Kyrgyz and Kimak Khaganates.

The impetus for obtaining a patent was the implementation of project No. 19-49-220006 "Large mounds of the elite of ancient and medieval nomads in the Altai Territory as objects of excursion and tourism activities: historical, archaeological and natural science research", which received support from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research based on the results of the selection of scientific projects as a winner in a regional competition. During the implementation of the grant, a monograph was prepared, where the applied methodology was reflected. However, it was important to obtain a patent before the release of the publication.

— Larisa Marsheva, head of the Department for the Protection of Intellectual Property of the university, a high-level specialist and a patient professional, helped us significantly in preparing the documentation. We are especially grateful to her, because more than a year has passed from idea to implementation. It was not easy: it was necessary not only to give a description and demonstrate the drawings that prove its practicability, but also to analyze all the literature on archeology and really show that the method proposed had not previously been used in a formalized form. This is the first experience of obtaining a patent by AltSU archaeologists, and it was, in a way, experimental. I hope that this example will allow other humanitarians to think about patenting their developments, — Alexey Tishkin noted.