Archaeological research has been carried out in the mysterious town of Gizhiginsk in the North-Evensky district of the Magadan region for several years. The town was founded in the 17th century and for a long time was considered the first settlement in Kolyma.
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New findings from Gizhiginsk.
Several hundred people once lived here, and then the town was abandoned. It is believed that in the 1920s an epidemic (presumably a plague) broke out here, and the local population hastily left the place, leaving almost everything behind.
No human had set foot here for several decades, until archaeologists from Northeastern State University began excavations.
Today, the abandoned town is a treasure trove for historians. More recently, coins from the time of Elizabeth Petrovna, flintlock pistols and household items from the 18th century were found here.
Researchers also found several well-preserved dwellings with outbuildings and the grave of a shaman. The local Evenks remained pagans for a long time and the shamans of the settlements were considered respected people. Ritual objects dating from the 16th and 17th centuries were discovered in his grave.
The findings are now being studied in laboratories and will later be moved to the local history museum.
