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The Republic of Mongolia came into being on February 12th 1992, succeeding the People’s Republic of Mongolia. By deciding to adopt the name Monggol Ulus, literally ‘Mongolian state’ – the traditional name bestowed in 1206 by founder Genghis Khan - the country revealed its attachment to its glorious past. It was in this context that the Academy of Sciences of Mongolia sought to collaborate with foreign archaeologists to further knowledge of the country’s history.
Thus in 1993, under the aegis of UNESCO, the French archaeological mission was the first to be established at the site of Egiin Gol, in northern Mongolia, where investigations would be carried out for the next six years. From the summer of 2000 onwards, the mission has been affiliated to the CNRS, as well as the National Museum of Asian Arts in Paris, and began research at the site of Gol Mod, one of the largest necropolises in Upper Asia. Since then, four excavations have been carried out in collaboration with the Mongolian authorities, and with the participation of the Monacan princely government since 2002.
The mission is made up of a multidisciplinary team, whose main field of research is devoted to the Xiongnu civilisation, which was the first empire of the steppes (3rd century BC – 2nd century AD) and which posed a constant threat to the Chinese. Driven away by the latter, many consider that their migration was indirectly responsible for the Hun invasions which would ravage the West and precipitate the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. The team has, on average, about 30 members and includes archaeologists, topographers, anthropologists, art historians, philologists, restorers, photographers, etc. These members work in conjunction with several scientific institutions, in particular with the Centre for Research and Restoration of the Musées de France, the EDF’s Valectra laboratories, the University of Washington, the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, the Institute of Archaeology at Ulan-Bator, etc.
The Gol Mod Necropolis is situated 450km west of Ulan Bator, in the Arkhangaï province, at 1600 metres altitude. It is set at the foot of hills which reach an altitude of 1800 metres, and slope down gently to the Khunuin river, forming a broad connecting valley. It covers an area of 400 hectares, with flora common to wooded steppes. In total, there are six distinguishable sectors, separated by knolls or sand dunes.
There seems to be two main categories of tombs: one comprises large tombs set on a north-south axis, complete with a funerary walkway ending in a square terrace enclosed by low, dry stone walls; the other consists of small tombs, generally circular, surrounded by a ring of flat stones marking the circumference. Sometimes, near these tombs are placed miniature hearthstones of a sacrificial nature. To date, out of the 400 tombs listed, 110 have been mapped with a laser theodolite, and 12 of them have been excavated.
The large aristocratic tomb T1
En 2001, the Mission embarked on the archaeological excavation of one of the largest funerary structures in the necropolis. The tomb is composed of a walkway, trapezoidal in form, with a southern threshold 6 metres across which faces onto a terrace 35 metres long. It is 15 metres wide and about 1.5 metres high. The terrace, also trapezoidal, is over 30 metres long and on a north-south axis. That same year, various surveys were carried out to determine the structure of the edifice, set in alternating layers of sand and stone. The low surrounding walls were dismantled systematically in order to open up the tomb.
After drilling a survey shaft to measure the depth of the funeral chamber it was decided to carry out a stepped excavation, due to the soil being unstable. An opening 70m2 was made mechanically, and incorporated a safety shelf every 3 metres. This cutting in the form of an inverted pyramid was calculated to lead to the funerary chamber.
Eight metres below ground level a ritual zone was uncovered, with 21 objects, mainly in metal: fragments of a Chinese mirror, a bronze bowl, an iron pot and the remains of a chariot.
This zone seemed to confirm the importance of tomb, with the presence of a chariot suggesting it belonged to someone of the highest rank. On August 17th 2001, the team reached the funerary chamber, whose roof had caved in. The chamber was made from rough-hewn larch beams, placed horizontally in interlocking cross-beams, and had a surface area of 20 m2. Inside was a 10m2 coffer containing the casket.
The burial place had been plundered in ancient times; however, traces of the gold decorations in the south sector remained and allowed the decor to be reconstructed. In 2002 and 2003, the research and restoration work was carried out on the most substantial remains. Thanks to the patronage of the EDF Foundation, the items found in the ritual zone will receive in-depth study. The items found next to the deceased were of much more precious substances: jade, pearl, rock crystal, amber and gold.
Gold, in particular, was used to decorate the chamber. Very fine gold leaf, between 30 and 60 microns in thickness, was applied onto the wood. To identify the provenance and composition on the metal, the Centre for Research and Restoration of the Musées de France resorted to using the AGLAE accelerator, which determined that the gold was very pure and probably of local origin.
Research continues, on site and in the laboratory, and gives rise to several publications every year. In addition, the preservation of this exceptional site demands regular maintenance of the monuments and the restoration of the excavated tombs, such as T1, a work which began in 2002.
