Vortrag: The Urban Centers of the Medieval Empires of the Steppes

Dr. Hendrik Rohland: The Urban Centers of the Medieval Empires of the Steppes: Results of Archaeological Research in Mongolia

The medieval nomad empires where important agents in world history. Their historical importance extends beyond military events like the Mongol invasions. Time and again, the nomads of the steppes formed larger polities and empires with cultural relationships to their sedentary neighbours. More often than not, the Orkhon valley in Mongolia was the core region of such polities. During the last millenia, different nomadic groups and their rulers have left their traces here.
The lecture provides insights into the research activities of the German Archaeological Institute and its Mongolian partners at the sites of the capitals of the successive Uigur and Mongolian Empires. The findings from these research highlight the international entanglements of the medieval nomadic elites.