In the late 80s of the 20th century, the ancient settlement of Arkaim was discovered in the south of the Chelyabinsk region. They wanted to flood this place and make a reservoir, but scientists managed to defend the excavation site. Now there is a museum-reserve, research is being carried out in it and all the new secrets that Arkaim keeps are being discovered. The ancient city is one of many settlements. It is believed that their age is more than four thousand years. This makes this archaeological complex the oldest place where civilization existed.
Why did such a name appear - Arkaim? The ancient city is located a few kilometers from the mountain with that name, and this wasteland was also called Arkaimskaya on old maps. In the course of research, it turned out that this was not the only settlement of those years. Previously, the Sintashta complex belonging to the same culture was discovered. The settlements are located inabout 300 kilometers, and called them the Land of Cities.
Why is Arkaim, the ancient city, more famous? A photo of this area from an airplane shows its structure. The bypass ditch, the rings of defensive earthen fortifications and the central square are clearly visible. The ancient settlement is located in the form of concentric circles, inside which dwellings were located. The total area of the settlement is about 20 thousand square meters. Not the whole territory has been explored yet, but what has been excavated raises more questions.
After all, it turns out that on the territory of Europe the very first center of civilization is Arkaim. The ancient city was built using many technical knowledge unknown at the time. For example, there is a sewerage system, a well-thought-out water supply system, and a metallurgical industry. Developed infrastructure and defensive structures cause bewilderment among researchers.
The structure of the city is unusual. It consists of two circles. The outer wall is over five meters thick and high. Four passages are made in it, which form a correctly directed solar cross - a swastika. The buildings are also arranged in a circle: there are 35 of them in the outer one, and 25 in the inner one. Only 29 dwellings have been explored so far. In each of them there is a hearth, a well, outbuildings and a metallurgical furnace. To get to the central square, it was necessary to go along the entire perimeter, moving in the direction of the sun, because there was only one entrance in the inner ring.
Many scientists believe that Arkaim wasancient observatory. After all, its radial building and the correct orientation to the sun and stars allows you to observe 18 astronomical events: the days of new moons, full moons, solstices and equinoxes. And even such a famous ancient building as Stonehenge allows you to observe only 15 events, although they are located at the same latitude with Arkaim.
The mysteries of the ancient city of Arkaim have not yet been unraveled. Why was it built, why was it so unexpectedly abandoned by all the inhabitants and burned? Moreover, the inhabitants left, taking with them all the utensils. Only a few burial grounds near the city allow us to judge the manners and customs of the people of that time. After the disappearance of the inhabitants of the city, no one lived in this place. This territory is still considered the strongest anomalous zone in Russia.
