Jan Bemmann - Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn

Jan Bemmann - Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
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Jan Bemmann
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
Vor- und Frühgeschichtliche Archäologie
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Mongolia by Jan Bemmann
A Multisensor Remote Sensing Approach to Archaeological Prospection: Integrating UAV and Google Earth Data in the Bayan Gol Valley, Mongolia
by
Jan Bemmann
and
Peter Heimermann
Archaeological Prospection
, 2026
This study investigates the effectiveness of drone-based remote sensing and Google Earth satellit...
more
This study investigates the effectiveness of drone-based remote sensing and Google Earth satellite imagery for archaeological prospection in the Bayan Gol Valley, Central Mongolia. Utilizing a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with RGB and multispectral sensors, we surveyed 655 ha to document Mongol-period settlement structures dating to the 13th and 14th centuries ce. The resulting high-resolution datasets, including digital surface models, RGB orthomosaics and vegetation index rasters, were compared with five image sets from 2007 to 2021 provided by Google Earth to assess their respective capabilities. The UAV-derived data proved significantly more effective, identifying 16% more archaeological features than the satellite imagery. However, Google Earth imagery provided valuable cost-efficient and multitemporal contextual information. The analysis also considers the impact of modern disturbances, such as agricultural activity and road construction, on feature visibility. These findings emphasize the complementary strengths of elevation and vegetation-based anomaly detection and highlight the value of integrated remote sensing approaches for archaeological mapping in complex and dynamic landscapes. The study contributes to the refinement of UAV methodologies and the broader application of remote sensing in archaeological research.
TECHNOLOGIETRANSFER IN DER STEPPE -TÜRKIS GLASIERTE FLIESEN IN DER ZENTRALMONGOLEI
by
Jan Bemmann
and
Thorsten Geisler-Wierwille
Metalla Sonderheft 13
, 2025
Geochemical analysis of turquoise-glazed tiles from a production site near the spring residence o...
more
Geochemical analysis of turquoise-glazed tiles from a production site near the spring residence of Ögödei Khan in the Orkhon Valley, Mongolia, built in 1237 by Muslim master builders from Central Asia.
Remote Sensing in Mongolia -An Opportunity for archaeological UAV-Prospection
by
Peter Heimermann
Jan Bemmann
, and
Till F. Sonnemann
The central Mongolian steppe offers highly favorable conditions for applying remote sensing techn...
more
The central Mongolian steppe offers highly favorable conditions for applying remote sensing techniques to document archaeological structures. The lack of forestation makes it ideal for the use of sensors specifically developed for generating digital surface models (DSM) using structure from motion (SFM) principles. Moreover, the short steppe grassland raises hopes for detecting detailed vegetation features, making the generation of high-resolution aerial images promising. Additionally, the low population density in Mongolia, and soils unsuitable for agriculture, means many archaeological structures have remained well-preserved, undisturbed by modern farming or settlement activities.
The rapid advances in drone, battery, and sensor technology facilitate archaeological research in remote environments. Fixed-wing drones achieve flight times of up to 90 minutes, enable UAV surveys to map hundreds of hectares within a few hours. This is particularly valuable in Mongolia, where archaeological sites in the sparsely populated landscape are often several hours away from the nearest power source. The flight times of fixed-wing drones now make it possible to fully map extensive settlement areas in the remotest parts of the Mongolian hinterland with various sensors in high resolution in a single day.
Since 2023, the Bonn Center for Digital Humanities (BCDH) participates in the DFG-funded research project "Urban Impacts on the Mongolian Plateau - Entanglements of Economy, City, and Environment", which aims to explore urban structures from the Mongol Empire era (1206-1368) and their impact on the surrounding environment. The subproject "Virtual Landscape and Multispectral Survey" concentrates on the applicability of drone-based remote sensing methods in Mongolia. This approach aims to produce detailed plans of city ruins and uncover previously unknown structures within and around the sites. Multispectral orthophotos and high-resolution DSMs help to digitally reconstruct and investigate these archaeological landscapes.
UAV surveys in both the central Mongolian forest steppe and the Gobi allowed to assess the applicability of various methods across different climate and vegetation zones. In 2023 and 2024, the project surveyed a total area of 5,958.6 hectares, successfully documenting 21 settlement sites from different epochs. These settlements include Karakorum, capital of the Mongol Empire, and the Spring Palace of Ögedei Khan (1229–1241), successor of the famous Chinggis Khan. Both the DSMs and multispectral images yield impressive results, which also include previously unknown settlement sites.
Searching for patterns through the ages in ritual landscapes of Bronze Age Mongolia
by
Jan Bemmann
Yeruul-Erdene Chimiddorj
Dunburee Batsukh
Ganuudg Gantulga
, and
Ursula Brosseder
Man sieht nur, was man weiß. Man weiß nur, was man sieht. Globalhistorische Perspektiven auf interkulturelle Phänomene der Mobilität. Festschrift für Hermann Parzinger zum 65. Geburtstag. Prähistorische Archäologie in Südosteuropa 33
, 2024
This study approaches four cemeteries in Central Mongolia, examines their internal organization, ...
more
This study approaches four cemeteries in Central Mongolia, examines their internal organization, classifies the different graves, and arrives at a solid chronological division into three phases. We propose a new dating framework for the Bronze and Iron Ages in Central Mongolia.
A newly discovered walled enclosure of the Mongol Empire period in the Orkhon Valley, Mongolia
by
Jan Bemmann
and
Peter Heimermann
STUDIA ARCHAEOLOGICA
, 2023
For the first time, a Mongol-era walled enclosure was discovered on the right, eastern bank of th...
more
For the first time, a Mongol-era walled enclosure was discovered on the right, eastern bank of the Orkhon in Arkhangai aimag. Its documentation was carried out with a fixed-wing eBee X drone. The design of the settlement, comparative examples and artifacts are briefly described. It was only used during the 13th/14th century CE and testifies to the intensive development of the Orkhon Valley during the Mongol Empire.
The origins of saddles and riding technology in East Asia: discoveries from the Mongolian Altai
by
Tsagaan (Цагааны) Turbat (Төрбат/Турбат)
Jan Bemmann
, and
Gino Caspari
Antiquity
, 2023
Innovations in horse equipment during the early Middle Ages provided advantages to societies from...
more
Innovations in horse equipment during the early Middle Ages provided advantages to societies from the steppes, reshaping the social landscape of Eurasia. Comparatively little is known about the precise origin of these crucial advances, although the available evidence points to early adoption in East Asia. The authors present new archaeological discoveries from western and northern Mongolia, dating to the fourth and fifth centuries AD, including a wooden frame saddle with horse hide components from Urd Ulaan Uneet and an iron stirrup from Khukh Nuur. Together, these finds suggest that Mongolian groups were early adopters of stirrups and saddles, facilitating the expansion of nomadic hegemony across Eurasia and shaping the conduct of medieval mounted warfare.
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Horseback riding resulted in skeletal deformities in both riders and horses, indicating significant physical toll.
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Mongolen - Geißeln Gottes und Globalisierer
Archäologie in Deutschland
, 2022
Brutal, erbarmungslos und dominant, so wird bis heute das Bild der Mongolen gezeichnet. Ein Blick...
more
Brutal, erbarmungslos und dominant, so wird bis heute das Bild der Mongolen gezeichnet. Ein Blick über diese Klischees hinaus ist mehr als überfällig. A popular description of our latest work in Mongolia.
A Unique Burial of the Fourth Millennium B.C.E. and the Earliest Burial Traditions in Mongolia
by
Jan Bemmann
and
Susanne Reichert
Asian Perspectives
, 2022
Not even a dozen burials are known from Neolithic times in the area of modern-day Mongolia. This ...
more
Not even a dozen burials are known from Neolithic times in the area of modern-day Mongolia. This period is of utmost interest as it constitutes the transitional phase from hunter-gatherer-fisher communities during the Palaeolithic to the introduction of mobile pastoralism around 3000 B.C.E. with the Afanas'evo culture. This article presents new excavation results from a Neolithic burial at "Ölziȋt Denzh" (internal site code KGS-11), near the center of Erdenemandal in Arkhangaȋ Aȋmag, Central Mongolia, and places this burial in the context of the earliest graves in Mongolia. The site consists of nearly 180 indistinct earth mound features, one of which was excavated to verify anthropogenic origin of the identified mounds. All mounds were strongly affected by burrowing animals. The excavation yielded the body of a female in an extremely crouched position. The find inventory contains two unique stone artifacts. Two radiocarbon dates put the burial at the first half of the fourth millennium B.C.E. The other 10 earliest burials from Mongolia fall into two regional groups, one in the Egiȋn Gol valley of northern Mongolia and one in eastern Mongolia; each group displays different burial customs and grave structures. Although it remains to be corroborated by further excavations, the pure earth mounds and their association within a large burial ground at Ölziȋt Denzh seem to be unique aspects of a burial style otherwise unknown for this time and region, as the comparison with the other largely contemporary remains from Mongolia shows. This article therefore aims to draw attention to a potentially new form of burial that has not previously been recognized in the field.
Full article:
Overlooked-Enigmatic-Underrated: The City Khar Khul Khaany Balgas in the Heartland of the Mongol World Empire
by
Jan Bemmann
and
Munkhbayar L
Journal of Field Archaeology
, 2022
Cities in the Eurasian steppes, a core of nomadic empires, are rare. Erecting a city from scratch...
more
Cities in the Eurasian steppes, a core of nomadic empires, are rare. Erecting a city from scratch is even less typical. However, Khar Khul Khaany Balgas, situated north of the Khangai Mountains in central Mongolia, is such an exceptional example, never built over by subsequent settlements. Overlooked until now because researchers dated its latest settlement phase into the 17th century A.D., the first radiocarbon dates and material culture prove its existence during the Mongol empire only. During the past years, we conducted comprehensive geophysical and topographic mapping of the site, as well as a pedestrian survey, including its hinterland, and excavated a kiln. The layout of the city resembles that of the capital, Karakorum. Both cities together reveal that the Mongol Khans had a specific idea about the organization of a city. They were dependent on Chinese craftsmen to erect the buildings but not on Chinese city planning and ideology.
The version of record of this manuscript has been published and is freely available in Journal of Field Archaeology
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Despite centuries of erosion, Khar Khul Khaany Balgas has surprisingly preserved most structural features since its peak.
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Karakorum, the first capital of the Mongol world empire: an imperial city in a non-urban society
by
Jan Bemmann
and
Susanne Reichert
Asian Archaeology
, 2020
Cities within a steppe environment and in societies based on pastoral nomadism are an often overl...
more
Cities within a steppe environment and in societies based on pastoral nomadism are an often overlooked theme in the anthro-pological literature. Yet, with Karakorum, the first capital of the Mongol Empire (AD 1206-1368), we have a supreme example of such a city in the central landscape of the Orkhon valley in Mongolia. In this paper, we ask, what is the city in the steppes? Taking Karakorum as our starting point and case of reference and to attain a better comprehension of the characteristics of urbanism in the steppe, we apply a list of urban attributes compiled by Michael E. Smith (2016) to provide a thick description of Karakorum. The discussion not only comprises comparisons to other contemporary sites in Russia and Mongolia, but also addresses in detail the question of city-hinterland relations as a fundamental necessity for the survival of the city in an anti-urban environment. The analysis shows that during the Mongol period we can identify urbanism but no urbanization: there is no process of independent, natural growth of cities carried out by the population, but cities are "political" in the sense that they are deeply intertwined with the authority and have therefore much to tell about the relation between power and authority on the one hand and the ruled on the other.
An open access and high resolution pdf is available at
Mapping Karakorum, the capital of the Mongol Empire
by
Jan Bemmann
Sven Linzen
, and
Munkhbayar L
Antiquity
, 2022
In the thirteenth century AD, the city of Karakorum was founded as the capital of the Mongol Empi...
more
In the thirteenth century AD, the city of Karakorum was founded as the capital of the Mongol Empire. Relatively little archaeological attention, however, has been directed at the site and the phenomenon of steppe urbanism. The authors report new magnetic and topographic surveys of the walled city and the surrounding landscape. The resulting maps reveal the city in unprecedented detail. Combining the magnetic and topographical data with aerial photographs, pedestrian surveys and documentary sources reveals the extent, layout and organisation of this extensive settlement. Road networks and areas of variable occupation density and types of activities deepen our understanding of this important commercial hub and royal palace, which is conceptualised as a form of ‘implanted’ urbanism.
A stone quarry in the hinterland of Karakorum, Mongolia, with evidence of Chinese stonemasons
by
Jan Bemmann
and
Birte Ahrens
The spread of herds and horses into the Altai: How livestock and dairying drove social complexity in Mongolia
by
Alicia R Ventresca-Miller
Bryan Miller
Jan Bemmann
, and
Bayarkhuu Noost
The initial movement of herders and livestock into the eastern steppe is of great interest, as th...
more
The initial movement of herders and livestock into the eastern steppe is of great interest, as this region has long been home to pastoralist groups. Due to a paucity of faunal remains, however, it has been difficult to discern the timing of the adoption of domesticated ruminants and horses into the region, though recent research on ancient dairying has started to shed new light on this history. Here we present proteomic evidence for shifts in dairy consumption in the Altai Mountains, drawing on evidence from sites dating from the Early Bronze to the Late Iron Age. We compare these finds with evidence for the rise of social complexity in western Mongolia, as reflected in material remains signaling population growth, the establishment of structured cemeteries, and the erection of large monuments. Our results suggest that the subsistence basis for the development of complex societies began at the dawn of the Bronze Age, with the adoption of ruminant livestock. Investments in pastoralism intensified over time, enabling a food production system that sustained growing populations. While pronounced social changes and monumental constructions occurred in tandem with the first evidence for horse dairying,~1350 cal BCE, these shifts were fueled by a long-term economic dependence on ruminant livestock. Therefore, the spread into the Mongolian Altai
Bioarchaeology of Bronze and Iron Age skeletal finds from a microregion in Central Mongolia
by
Ursula Brosseder
Jan Bemmann
, and
Yeruul-Erdene Chimiddorj
Anthropologischer Anzeiger
, 2019
This paper gives a state of the art report of an ongoing interdisciplinary project on bioarchaeol...
more
This paper gives a state of the art report of an ongoing interdisciplinary project on bioarchaeological research on cemeteries in the Upper Orkhon valley, Central Mongolia, in particular at the Maikhan Tolgoi site. The archaeological focus is on the investigation of the development, use and transformation of a ritual landscape in the course of the Bronze and Iron Age. The contribution of physical anthropology is an osteological and archaeometric analysis of the human inhumations with regard to lifestyle and subsistence economy. A specific topic relates to the emergence of the first mounted nomads in the region. Macro-and microscopical inspection of the skeletons excavated to date reveal that males, females and children had been buried at this exceptional cemetery, and that many of the adults died at a conspicuously advanced age. Palaeodiet was reconstructed by stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in bone collagen, followed by an isotopic sourcing. We show that freshwater fish was consumed on a regular basis, and that the demands of protein and carbohydrate were largely covered by secondary animal products. First analysis of stable strontium and oxygen isotopes in bone apatite suggests a considerable catchment area of the burial site.
The first excavations of bronze and iron age monuments in the middle Orkhon Valley, Central Mongolia: results from rescue investigations in 2006 and 2007
by
Jan Bemmann
and
Ursula Brosseder
Several khirigsuurs, slab graves, and other stone structures were excavated during rescue excavat...
more
Several khirigsuurs, slab graves, and other stone structures were excavated during rescue excavations in the Middle Orkhon Valley in 2006 and 2007. The information from these excavations provides the most extensive data—including the first large series of radiocarbon dates—on the Bronze Age and Early Iron Ages from central Mongolia. Contrary to what some have asserted, it becomes clear that khirigsuurs always served as graves for one individual also in this part of the country. Our discussion of slab graves highlights the particular custom of animal scapula depositions in specific graves as well as the removal of the head/skull, both, in our view, ritual practices. The investigation of three structures along the Khöshöö Tsaĭdam road revealed a much greater diversity of monument types in the Bronze and Early Iron Ages than had previously been recorded and illustrates the growing complexity of those periods beyond the traditional narratives centering around the monument types of khirigsuurs, slab graves, and deer stones.
The full text is only available at Springer doi.org/10.1007/s41826-018-0001-8
A Long Standing Tradition – Stelae in the Steppes with a Special Focus on the Slab Grave Culture
by
Jan Bemmann
and
Ursula Brosseder
This article is devoted to the practice of erecting stelae in the steppes. Focusing on Mongolia, ...
more
This article is devoted to the practice of erecting stelae in the steppes. Focusing on Mongolia, we show that stelae were used almost continuously from the Early Bronze Age until the Mongol Empire period, with a hiatus during the Xiongnu to Turk periods. Our discussion of slab burial stelae investigates their context and distribution and highlights lines of tradition. Furthermore, this review shows that future research has to move beyond the investigation of burial structures themselves and needs to incorporate the various additional features that modern documentation techniques of complete ritual landscapes reveal.
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The Minusinsk Basin evidenced stelae use from the Early Bronze Age, peaking during the Early Iron Age Tagar culture with notable architectural embellishments.
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Hirschstein oder neolithischer Menhir? Zwei konkurrierende Interpretationen zu einem ungewöhnlichen Steindenkmal in Sachsen-Anhalt
An ornamented stone stela was discovered around 1800 near Seehausen in the district of Börde. No ...
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An ornamented stone stela was discovered around 1800 near Seehausen in the district of Börde. No contextual information was recorded, which could have helped date this monument. Two widely differing inter-pretations of its cultural affiliation and date have been proposed, and for decades these two suggestions have existed concurrently, unrelated and independently. The two alternatives – that it was a Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age dear stone of Eurasian type on the one hand, or a Neolithic menhir on the other – are presented here and the plausibility of the models assessed. The stela lacks some essential attributes characterising deer stones, which leads the author to reject this interpretation.
Biomarkers in Archaeology – Land use around the Uyghur Capital Karabalgasun, Orkhon Valley, Mongolia
by
Jan Bemmann
Susanne Reichert
Munkhbayar L
, and
Henny Piezonka
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Historical references suggest crops cultivated near Karabalgasun, indicating agricultural practices of nomads in Mongolia from 982-1013 CE.
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A Uyghur fortified Palace in Central Mongolia predating the actual Empire
by
Jan Bemmann
and
Munkhbayar L
НҮҮДЭЛЧИД БА ХОТ СУУРИН
, 2020
In 2005 Judith Kolbas published a remarkable interpretation of the Uyghur site Tsagaan Sumiĭn Bal...
more
In 2005 Judith Kolbas published a remarkable interpretation of the Uyghur site Tsagaan Sumiĭn Balgas, Khotont sum, Arkhangaĭ aĭmag, situated in a valley on the northern slope of the Khangaĭ mountain range north of a small creek which finally enters north of Karabalgasun into the Orkhon River. The dating and its implication for urbanism in Mongolia are discussed.
Xiongnu burials at Avyn Khökh Uul site at the southern foothills of the Mongolian Altai
by
Jan Bemmann
Tsagaan (Цагааны) Turbat (Төрбат/Турбат)
, and
Dunburee Batsukh
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