Archaeologists have identified a site at the Mayrtup burial ground in Chechnya, thought to be the lost medieval city of Magas. The ruins extend over 350 hectares and were the political centre for the Alanian Kingdom - an Iranian-speaking Alanian state that controlled the population of the area now known as the North Caucasus - and its capital.
Magas has remained one of the greatest archaeological mysteries of Eurasia for many years, until recently when rescue excavations unearthed extensive fortifications and structural remains, houses, and many artefacts dating back to the 6th-century. As Magas was located on key routes of trade in the medieval period, many Archaeologists and Medievalists will be excited by the information they can now glean about the politics of the surrounding region before the city was destroyed during the invasions carried out by the Mongol Empire, led by Batu Khan in 1239. This significant discovery promises to illuminate the sophisticated urban planning and cultural exchange of a civilization long silenced by conquest.
