New archaeological discoveries along a largely unstudied medieval frontier in eastern Mongolia are reshaping our understanding of the social, economic, and political dynamics that unfolded on the edges of empire during the Jin dynasty. Contrary to the longstanding perception that these imposing walls and fortifications served primarily defensive military purposes, recent excavations reveal a far more intricate reality. This frontier was not merely a line of defense but a vivid landscape of human settlement, agricultural activity, and cultural interactions extending across a vast expanse of territory.
The research, conducted by an international team led by Professor Gideon Shelach-Lavi from the Department of Asian Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, employed advanced archaeological methods to analyze a forgotten segment of the Mongolian medieval wall system. These walls, traditionally assumed to be solid defensive structures, in fact included extensive linear trenches stretching over 300 kilometers that lacked substantial standing walls. This finding challenges conventional military narratives and suggests a complex system of boundary management aimed at regulating nomadic movement, controlling trade routes, and maintaining regional political order within a frontier milieu.
The Medieval Wall System itself comprises an extensive network of trenches, fortifications, and earthen barriers constructed between the 10th and 13th centuries, spanning areas of present-day Mongolia, China, and Russia. Despite its vast scale, many of these features have remained understudied, partly due to their remoteness and partly because of their ambiguous functions. Citing this gap, the European Research Council-funded project "The Wall: People and Ecology in Medieval Mongolia and China" has worked intensively since 2018 to survey, excavate, and contextualize these frontier constructions, revealing their multifaceted roles within the medieval socio-political landscape.
Central to the 2023 excavation season was a focus on the Mongolian Arc, a remote frontier in the eastern provinces bordering China. Here, at a site designated MA03 in Sukhbaatar Province, researchers uncovered evidence dating to the Jin dynasty, from the 12th to 13th century. The archaeological record disclosed a shallow trench adjacent to a fortified enclosure, which, unlike expectations, did not include a substantial standing wall but rather featured a complex arrangement of defensive and administrative architecture. Radiocarbon dating and stratigraphic analysis cemented the chronological framework linking the enclosure’s habitation to this dynasty.
Delving into the enclosure revealed multiple layers of occupation and usage. The team identified sophisticated stone architecture and an advanced hypocaust heating system reminiscent of those found in medieval Chinese and Korean contexts, indicating technological transfer and adaptation to the harsh Mongolian winters. This nuance reveals a remarkable degree of cultural syncretism and environmental adaptation within a frontier setting often simplistically defined by nomadism and warfare.
Artifacts recovered tell the story of a permanent settlement engaging in a mixed economy of herding, hunting, and systematic agriculture. Finds included animal bones, various pottery wares, iron implements, and notably, remnants of a broken iron plough, underscoring the presence of agrarian practices. This challenges prevailing assumptions that the region was dominantly nomadic, revealing instead a stable population investing in long-term land use and community infrastructure, thereby providing a fresh lens through which to reassess frontier life.
One of the most evocative discoveries unearthed within the enclosure’s precinct is a burial dating from the mid-15th century. This grave, interred long after the site had been abandoned, contained well-preserved textiles, wooden artifacts, and metal objects, signifying that the site retained symbolic or possibly ritual significance for subsequent generations. The insertion of this burial directly into the collapsed fortification wall highlights how these landscapes continued to resonate culturally across centuries, bridging material heritage with collective memory.
These revelations prompt a re-examination of how frontier walls across Eurasia functioned beyond the simple binary of defense or military power. The Mongolian case underscores that these lines demarcated territories, regulated human and animal movement, managed trade interactions, and served critical administrative functions within a broader imperial ecology. They embodied a complex interplay of control and accommodation, where mobile pastoralism intersected with settled agricultural communities, mediated through a tangible boundary infrastructure.
Professor Shelach-Lavi emphasizes that the study moves beyond military historiography, aiming to recover the lived experiences of frontier populations. By piecing together architectural remains, material culture, and environmental data, the project reconstructs how these communities navigated the pressures of imperial frontiers, environmental challenges, and cultural integration. This populace, often marginalized in historical narratives, emerges as active agents shaping regional dynamics through adaptive strategies and diverse livelihoods.
Together, the findings contribute to a growing framework understanding Eurasian frontier zones as vibrant spaces of interaction rather than mere militarized borders. The research aligns with emerging interdisciplinary paradigms that integrate archaeology, anthropology, and environmental history to unravel the socio-political fabric of medieval frontiers and their long-term legacies. Such approaches highlight the multiplicity of frontier functions and the fluidity of cultural boundaries.
Ultimately, this groundbreaking research refines our knowledge about the Medieval Wall System in a region traditionally overshadowed by the monumental imagery of the Great Wall of China. It challenges the simplistic divide between nomads and sedentary peoples, military and civilian spheres, and territory and mobility. Instead, it portrays a sophisticated frontier embraced by a network of functional practices encompassing settlement, governance, ecology, and symbolic meaning.
Understanding these dynamics also offers broader insights into the political geography of medieval Eurasia and its complex systems of imperial control and cultural exchange. By integrating archaeological data with historical inquiry, the project illuminates how borderlands served as critical nodes for interaction, negotiation, and transformation. It reminds us that the edges of empire were fertile grounds for innovation, resilience, and cultural synthesis.
In conclusion, the excavations along Mongolia’s southeastern medieval frontier radically transform how scholars envisage frontier life during the Jin dynasty. Far from desolate or solely militarized zones, these areas exhibit enduring human presence, technological ingenuity, and cross-cultural connectivity. The significance of these findings stretches beyond regional history, contributing to global conversations on the nature of frontiers, identity, and empire.
Subject of Research: Not applicable
Article Title: Life along the medieval frontier: archaeological investigations of the south-eastern long wall of Mongolia
News Publication Date: 29-May-2025
Web References:
DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2025.49
Image Credits: Credit: Gideon Shelach-Lavi
Keywords: Archaeological sites; Archaeology; Archaeological periods; Prehistoric archaeology; Historical archaeology; Cultural anthropology
