Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia 39 (3) 2011

Annotation:  The Origin of Anatomically Modern Humans and their Behavior in Africa and Eurasia Newly Discovered Yarmukian and Wadi Rabah Sites in the Southern Jordan Valley and the Desert Fringe Periodization of Bronze Age Cultures in the Ob–Irtysh Forest-Steppe: The Stratigraphic Position of E Early Iron Age Burials in Southeastern Zhetysu: The Geoarchaeological Evidence Stratigraphy and Relative Chronology of the Neolithic Assemblages at the Koksharovsky Kholm Sanctua Pazyryk Burial at Khankarinsky Dol in the Northwestern Altai On the Origins of Nomadism in the Asian Steppes Medieval Sanctuary at Eshmess Cave in the Pechora Urals “Priest’s Staff” from Fort Nadym of the 16th–17th Centuries Wooden Pectoral Cross from a Burial at the Spassky Necropolis of the 18th Century in Irkutsk Latticed Petroglyphs of Mount Kalbak-Tash, Gorny Altai Food Symbolism in the Context of Komi (Zyrians) Wedding Rituals Zheltuga Republic: The Case of Social Development at the Chinese-Russian Border The Dentition of the Alakul People, with Reference to their Origin   

Zheltuga Republic: The Case of Social Development at the Chinese-Russian Border

O.I. Kurto.

The article elucidates a little-studied page of Russian history – the creation of the Zheltuga Republic from the illegal settlement of gold miners on the River Zheltuga (the Amur Basin) at the end of the 19th century. In short period of time, the multi-ethnic community of gold miners managed to create a proto-state formation based on the Russian principles of state-building, which had its own legislative, executive, and judicial authorities, coat-of-arms, fl ag, army, and punitive agencies. The Republic attracted over 10,000 people and became an economic and cultural center of Transbaikalia.

Keywords: Zheltuga Republic, Zheltuga River, Amur California, gold rush, gold miners, gold mine, gold-bearing rivers.