Russian Scientists to Digitize Ancient Rus’ Fortified Settlements

Using modern technologies, researchers in Russia plan to recreate digital replicas of ancient fortified settlements, helping fill major gaps in the study of history from the 9th to the 13th centuries.

Russian scientists have decided to create virtual copies of ancient fortified settlements from the era of medieval Rus’. The initiative was announced by Nikolai Makarov, academician and director of the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, according to TASS.

According to him, even specialists deeply engaged in historical research still know relatively little about many early fortified settlements in Rus’. Dedicated shared research centers within the institute will play a key role in advancing this work.

Reconstructing the Past

Many of the most important archaeological sites today require the creation of digital models. Researchers from the Kurchatov Institute are contributing to the effort, working alongside archaeologists to reconstruct the composition, structure, and other properties of ancient materials.

These fortified settlements were the precursors of cities in the center of modern-day Russia. To date, more than 1,300 such sites have been studied. Digital technologies are expected to reveal details of life in early cities that can no longer be recovered using traditional methods.