Discover Khotyazhi

• The archaeological site group near Khotyazhi includes a burial mound cemetery and two settlements.
• One settlement was established in the 10th century, possibly earlier, at a site that had been settled in the Early Iron Age.
• The second settlement was established in the 10th to 11th century; the cemetery dates from the late 10th to the first half of the 11th century.
• A megalith is located nearby and has been included in an excursion route provisionally named “Kitezh-Kamen.”

The site group is more than just a cemetery: it includes two settlements on different banks of the upper Moskva River, as well as the burial mound cemetery. These components can be considered separately, even though they are all associated with Khotyazhi. The riverbank location describes the settlements; it should not be taken to mean that the cemetery is located there.

This distinction is useful when learning about the site. The cemetery and settlement sites represent different types of archaeological evidence. This makes it possible to understand the site group as a combination of several elements, rather than reducing it to a single findspot or a single period.

One of the settlements was established in the 10th century, possibly earlier. It was located at a site that had been settled in the Early Iron Age. The second settlement was established in the 10th to 11th century. These dates refer to two settlements with different chronologies; they do not describe a single, continuous period of establishment.

The Khotyazhi (Myshkino) burial mound cemetery has its own chronology: it dates from the late 10th to the first half of the 11th century. The date ranges for the settlements and the cemetery partly overlap, but refer to different components of the site group. For an overview of the area’s history, it is therefore worth considering the dates separately and keeping in mind the possible earlier settlement at the first settlement site.

The cemetery is one of the earliest cemeteries in the Moscow region. Cremation burials, which are rare in the region, have also been identified there. In a cremation burial, the deceased person is cremated; the term therefore refers to a type of burial. As well as its date, the type of burial is a feature that makes the cemetery culturally and historically interesting.

The megalith near Khotyazhi was included in an excursion route under a provisional name. A local history excursion to the stone took place in the area around the village of Khotyazhi. This is a reported event from the past, not a statement that excursions take place regularly. If you are planning a visit, check in advance whether the megalith can currently be visited or an excursion is available.

Discover more destinations: Novoivanovskoye, Sergiyevo, Shikhovo, Golizyno, Perkhushkovo, Kubinka, Vyrubovo, Khvoynoye.

What is included in the archaeological site group near Khotyazhi?

It includes a burial mound cemetery and two settlements on different banks of the upper Moskva River.

When were the settlements and cemetery established?

One settlement was established in the 10th century, possibly earlier; the second in the 10th to 11th century. The cemetery dates from the late 10th to the first half of the 11th century.

What is known about the nearby megalith?

It was included in an excursion route under a provisional name. A local history excursion to it took place in the area around the village.

For the broader travel overview: Odintsovsky Rayon.