Unearthing the Past: What a Human Fossil Reveals About Origins, Diet, and Stress
On August 15, Russia celebrates Archaeologist’s Day. The HSE Faculty of Humanities offers programmes to master this profession. Archaeology is taught to undergraduate students who wish to major in history, and there is also a Master's programme 'Classical and Oriental Archaeology’ for those who want to continue their studies. In an interview with the HSE News Service, professors from HSE University discuss the benefits of archaeology, why young people are drawn to it, and what modern methods are used in the field.
Vladimir Petrukhin, Professor of the School of History at the HSE Faculty of Humanities
‘I started studying archaeology in 1967, when all archaeologists knew each other by name. There were not many of us in the USSR, and that time seems like an era of archaeological romanticism. However, this romantic movement persists today—our science inspires great public interest, and news of archaeological discoveries even competes with sports news.
Any research is expected to bring something new, and in this sense, archaeology is unique: no artifact is ever the same as another. This is a significant factor that attracts young people to our field of study. Future historians at HSE University take courses in archaeology and archaeological practice, while students of any programme can participate in excavations as part of the 'Rediscovering Russia' project.
I started my professional career in Gnezdovo, Smolensk Oblast, on the trade route 'from the Varangians to the Greeks,' where a famous archaeological site from the 9th–10th centuries is located. In recent years, I have worked there again with current and former students—more than 2,000 burial mounds remain unexplored, providing work for decades.
One of my most memorable experiences from excavations in Gnezdovo was the discovery of the burial chambers of the first Russian Christians, including the graves of noblewomen from the time of Princess Olga.’
Andrey Vinogradov, Professor of the School of History at the HSE Faculty of Humanities
‘I come from a family of archaeologists. My parents met while studying archaeology at Moscow State University, and they got married while they were still students. As a result, I grew up on expeditions.
Archaeological expeditions are a break from everyday life, living in tents, sometimes in quite harsh conditions. In the evenings, we gather around the campfire and sing songs, and sometimes we talk until late at night. The next morning, at 7 am, we have to get up and start excavations in not-so-comfortable settings. Once, I had to dig a nine-meter-deep well from the bottom of which I could only see a small piece of sky.
Archaeology is all about new discoveries. Scholars from other fields collaborate with archaeologists to gain access to new materials. In addition to research, one can also engage in rescue archaeology, where archaeological excavations are required before any construction begins.
Today, archaeology is a complex and interdisciplinary field that combines various areas, such as paleogenetics and paleobotany. When archaeologists excavate ancient human remains, they can learn about where the person lived, what they ate, any illnesses they may have had, and if they were exposed to stress.
Modern archaeologists are actively developing digital methods, such as 3D modelling, which is an area where HSE University excels.’
Inga Druzhinina, Associate Professor of the School of History at the HSE Faculty of Humanities
‘No other science allows us to transcend time and the laws of the universe and find ourselves in the world of people who lived long ago like archaeology does. An archaeologist can step into someone's house through the stones of a ruined doorway, find a clay dish repaired by a housewife among fragments of broken household items, or clean a hearth where the homeowner once threw another log on a fire hundreds or even thousands of years ago. Most importantly, armed with the latest methods of natural sciences, an archaeologist can reconstruct the lives of ancient people.
I have been involved in archaeology for over twenty years, and my experience in research and teaching has shown me how crucial the basics of archaeological science and the skills necessary for working with archaeological sources are to the profession of a historian. I am convinced that historical education is incomplete without a course in archaeology, which should include archaeological practice.’
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Italy, Turkey, and Abkhazia: Outcomes of 2021 HSE IOCS Archaeological Expeditions
This year’s field season is over, and despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic, archaeologists from the Centre of Classical and Oriental Archaeology at the Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies (IOCS) were able to undertake their scheduled expeditions to Italy, Turkey, and Abkhazia. The Centre is the only Russian institution that conducts regular archaeological research in the Mediterranean region—the heart of ancient civilization, where neither Soviet nor Russian classical archaeologists have ever worked before.
HSE Researcher Investigates Unique List Naming Killers of a 12-century Russian Prince
During restoration work to the Spaso Preobrazhensky Cathedral in Pereslavl-Zalessky, an ancient Russian city 130km from Moscow, researchers found several ancient graffiti markings on the walls. They included some writing from the C12th about the murder of Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky, and a list of his killers. The Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Archaeology has said that this is the earliest written record in North-East Rus. Moscow specialists, HSE Professor Alexey Gippius and Savva Mikheev from the Institute of Slavic Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences made the find and are currently examining it.