Ancient fortress discovered in Siberia

An international team of scientists has discovered the oldest fortified settlement in a remote region of Siberia, the discovery is reported in an article published in the journal Antiquity.

The researchers analysed samples from the excavation site of the Amnya settlement in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, which is a Stone Age fortress. Radiocarbon dating results show that the fortress is up to 8,000 years old, making it the oldest known settlement of its type. Today, about 10 fortified sites from the Stone Age are known, with pits enclosed by earthen walls and wooden palisades, testifying to the high architectural and defensive capabilities at that time. This discovery challenges the traditional view that permanent settlements with defensive structures arose only in agricultural societies, thus disproving the view that agriculture and animal husbandry were prerequisites for social complexity. The finding also does not confirm previous assumptions that competition and conflict were absent in hunter-gatherer societies. / BGNES