The Department of Archaeology at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History is pleased to announce it has received a grant of over 2 million euro from the Arcadia Fund to document the archaeological heritage of Mongolia. These funds will support MAPSS, the Mongolian Archaeological Project: Surveying the Steppes, over five years.

Mongolia possesses an extraordinary wealth of archaeology. From monumental burials to Buddhist temples, from enigmatic “deer stone” monuments to Genghis Khan’s legendary capital city at Karakorum in the middle of the vast open steppe, there is an astonishing range of archaeological sites. Spread across all 21 of the nation’s provinces or aimags, an area spanning more than 1.5 million square kilometers, they bear witness to thousands of years of human history and culture. And in their diversity of settings, from the forested river valleys of the Altai Mountains to the arid sand dunes of the Gobi, they show the ingenuity of our species – our determination and ability to adapt.

Over the next five years, MAPSS will document and assess thousands of archaeological sites and site records in order to compile a large-scale, open access online database of heritage in sites in English, Mongolian and Russian. Using remote sensing methods, including satellite imagery, the team will locate sites and record their size, age, and the level of risk faced from looting and other threats. The team will pull together existing archival data from various sources, including from museum archives and maps. The site record data will be assessed, improved and digitized, and in specific places ground-truthed.

MAPSS’ publicly accessible archive will include all research data generated in the project, including survey data, images, plans, 3D models, database entries and webpages. Locational data will not beprovided in cases where it may facilitate looting or other damage to sites. The project has received the blessing of Mongolia’s Culture Minister, Dr. Chuluun Sampidondov.

Professor Nicole Boivin, the Project PI and Director of the Department of Archaeology expressed her excitement about the new project: “Our Department has long had strong partnerships with Mongolian archaeologists – I am thrilled to have the opportunity to develop those important connections through this vital project, and grateful to the Arcadia Fund for their extraordinary generosity. We look forward to working with the Mongolian government and Mongolian institutions for the long-term benefit of the country’s extraordinary heritage.”

Leading Mongolian scholar Dr. Jamransjav Bayarsaikhan is the Archaeology Coordinator for the MAPSS Project, and will be based at the MPI Science of Human History for its duration. He announced: “I am very excited to begin this work, collaborating with colleagues in Mongolia and across the world. Mongolian Archaeology has so much to tell us about human history. It must be preserved and made accessible for future generations.”