The Right-bank Tsimlyanskaya Fortress in the Historiography of the first third of the 20th Century

Introduction. The monument of the Right-bank Tsimlyanskaya fortress has been included in the archaeological literature since the 19th century under the traditional definition of “hillfort,” however, it is advisable to call it a “fortress”, as well as the Sarkel located on the opposite bank of the Don. The purpose of this work is to review the scientific biographies of archaeologists who studied the Right-bank Tsimlyanskaya fortress, highlighting their role and contribution to the study of the monument. Results. The paper summarizes the scientific biographies of archaeologists A. A. Miller and M. A. Millerov, M. I. Artamonov, I. I. Lyapushkin, historian Yu. V. Gauthier, popularizer B. V. Lunin. From 1926 to 1940, researchers played a major role in the study of the Right-bank Tsimlyanskaya fortress and the Khazar archeology of the Lower Don in general. A. A. Miller conducted a systematic survey of the Lower Don monuments of the Khazar Khaganate, described their condition at that time. A. A. Miller’s recognition of the settlement as a fortress retained its value until the beginning of the 21st century. M. A. Miller identified ceramics from fragments, which is now called Saltovo-Mayatskaya. B. V. Lunin considered the problems of periodization and cultural attribution of ancient settlements. In the study of the Khazars, Yu.V. Gauthier was the last predecessor of M. I. Artamonov. M. I. Artamonov was the first author to describe the actual material culture of the Khazar Khaganate on the Lower Don. M. I. Artamonov agreed with A. A. Miller that the monument is the remains of a fortress and for the first time introduces the concept of “Saltovo-Mayak type settlements”. Later excavations confirmed M. I. Artamonov’s assumption about the construction of the Right-bank fortress earlier than the Sarkel fortress. The excavations of 1987–1990, 2006–2021 confirmed the fact of the construction of the Right-bank fortress in a place not previously occupied by the settlement. The student of M. I. Artamonov, I. I. Lyapushkin, continued his study of the Right-bank fortress. The works of the scientists retain their significance to the present day.