RUSSIAN ARCHEOLOGY OF THE KUZNETSK TOM’ RIVER VALLEY: HISTORY OF RESEARCH, CURRENT CONDITION AND PROSPECTS

The current paper features the research history of the Russian period archeological sites (fortified and unfortified settlements, cemeteries) on the territory of the Kuznetsk Tom’ River valley from the second quarter of XX century to the present day. Three stages of this process, which demonstrate the trend of increasing scale of Russian archeology in Western Siberia, were distinguished. The article analyzes the qualitative aspect of the research on the Russian period archeological sites. The analysis was performed on the basis of object dependency, studied by split-level methods of field archeology (reconnaissance and excavation) and type of publication (descriptive and analytical). A mapping of the Russian time archeological sites was conducted. It highlights some irregularities in their studies in the Kuznetsk Tom’ River Valley. The article points out some directions for further field research, among which: a search for new Russian settlements of XVII–XIX centuries at the estuaries of the tributaries of the Tom’ river near old stockade towns; excavation work at previously discovered old Russian villages and cemeteries and the assessment of their current state.