NOVOSIBIRSK STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY
- Originally, in 1992, the map included 15 archaeological sites. One of these sites should be classified as palaeontological rather than archaeological: the mammoth skull discovered in Kalinin Square, where no evidence of human activity from that period was found. The current map now features 25 sites, including the Turist monument, which has been completely destroyed by developers, as well as the old cemeteries of Novonikolaevsk located in the areas of today’s Central Park, Berezovaya Roshcha, and the Dynamo Stadium, - stated Andrey Pavlovich Borodovsky.
According to the archaeologist, even well-known archaeological sites within the city continue to yield new discoveries for scientists. For instance, at the Novosibirsk burial ground, which was uncovered back in 1896 during the construction of a railway bridge, a realistic figurine of Indo-Scythian origin was found several years ago. This figurine is named the "Dancing Dervish" and dates back to the turn of the eras. The examination of this and other artefacts from the site led prof. Borodovsky to suggest that the Novosibirsk burial ground may actually be a treasure or cult site established by ancient peoples at the narrowest point of the Ob River. Additionally, a knife and a celt (axe) from the late Bronze Age (10th-9th centuries BC) were discovered during the construction of a metro depot in the Zaeltsovsky district, which are also of considerable interest.
- In Novosibirsk, burial mounds, settlements, and hillforts have been discovered at various times, all of which are now represented on the map. Among the different types of archaeological monuments, the only ones absent from the city are petroglyphs, despite the presence of rock outcrops along the banks of the Inya River. All these sites are currently included on the map. The work carried out by the students will prove valuable in their teaching practice – by using Novosibirsk as a case study, they will be able to illustrate to schoolchildren the history of human development in Siberia over the past 5,000 years, - remarks the professor.
Andrey Pavlovich and his students plan to incorporate the updated and expanded information on Novosibirsk’s archaeological monuments into a colouring book, with the aim of engaging as many residents of Novosibirsk as possible, particularly young people, in the history of their city.
- The colouring book is expected to be more engaging and popular than any academic publication. Among the residents of Novosibirsk, there is a common belief that the city lacks a deep historical background and that its history began with the railway in 1893. However, the history of settlements in the area now known as Novosibirsk dates back 5,000 years, although this is currently documented primarily in scientific literature, which remains scarce. We should definitely utilize other methods of historical education, - insists Andrey Pavlovich Borodovsky.
For reference: in 2024, the third edition of the colouring book “The History of the Most Necessary Things”, also prepared by Andrey Pavlovich Borodovsky, was published.
