Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia 49 (1) 2021   doi:10.17746/1563-0110.2021.49.1.094-100

Annotation:  Evolution of the Lithic Industry in Central Dagestan During the Early Pleistocene: The Rising Occurr New Evidence of the Late Neopleistocene Peopling of the Lower Ob Valley Cruciform Signs Decorating Paleolithic Bone Artifacts from Cherno-Ozerye II, the Middle Irtysh Area From Ore to Metal: Exploitation of the Novotemirsky Mine, Southern Trans-Urals, in the Second Millen On a Distinctive Feature of the Andronovo (Fedorovka) Funerary Rites in the Baraba Forest-Steppe A Method for Attributing Non-Refi tting Fragments to a Single Artifact: The Case of Bronze Age Flat Three Silver Dishes from Yugra On Early Medieval Contacts of the Urals and Western Siberia with Central Asia: The Evidence of Ceram Composite Belt Ornaments with Bear Claw Pieces in Medieval Men’s Costume of the Perm Region, Western Unfortifi ed Settlements of the Cheptsa Culture (9th–13th Centuries): Ambiguity of Interpretation an Sections of the Early 18th Century Ditch at Fort Umrevinsky The Use of Natural Scientifi c Methods in the Study of Leather Items from Archaeological Excavations Cattle in Buryat Mythology and Ritual Evenki Reindeer Riding Saddle: Certain Principles of Mobility in the Taiga The Consecration of Altars in 17th–21st Century Siberian Orthodox Churches: The Neurosymbolic Aspect The Peopling of the Baraba Forest-Steppe in the Neolithic: Cranial Evidence Morphofunctional Characteristics of Mongolian Children and Adolescents Living in Different Ecologica   

Sections of the Early 18th Century Ditch at Fort Umrevinsky

A.P. Borodovsky

Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia

This article describes identified sections of an early 18th century ditch at Fort Umrevinsky in the Upper Ob Basin. Such protective structures mark a certain stage in the evolution of military engineering in the era of Peter the Great (1694-1725) in southwestern Siberia. The design of the earliest parts of the preserved ditches allows us to address the influence of European fortification on Early Modern Russian defensive architecture. Several factors affecting the depth and profile of early 18th century ditches at Umrevinsky are discussed. They include seasonality of specialized trenching tools and the adoption and transformation of European fortification principles by 17th and early 18th Russian military engineers. At Umrevinsky, apart from the specific profile of the ditch, specialized tools were revealed, similar to those mentioned in documents on 18th century fortification. Also, specific features of the preserved parts of the ditch mirror the utmost irregularity in adoption of de Vauban’s fortification principles of the Tsardom of Muscovy, including Siberia. Our finds at Fort Umrevinsky supplement the scarce descriptions of Siberian forts in Russian documents.

Keywords: Russian forts in Siberia, fortification, Peter I era, earthen defense structures, colonization of the Upper Ob Basin by the Tsardom of Muscovy