Underwater Excavations in Novgorod

The research program consisted of three independent tasks - archaeological research (with the support of geological exploration), comparative historical analysis and examination of the results in terms of their importance for political theory (formulation of assumptions for municipal reform).

The first task is the implementation of underwater archaeological research in the Volkhov River for the discovery, extraction and analysis of the remains of the Great Bridge and historical artifacts around it. It is divided into three subtasks:

1. Collection and preliminary analysis of archival materials that indicate the possible location of the bridge. These are technical notes taken during the later construction of other bridges, embankments, and infrastructural elements. For example, the Swedish plan of 1611 or the plan of 1733.
2. Archaeological research with the use of ultrasonic and diving equipment.
3. Analysis of archaeological finds using dendrochronological or radiocarbon methods.

It is then necessary to understand how archaeological finds fit into the historical background. This requires an overview of old wooden and newer stone bridges in Venice, along with an understanding of the political and symbolic role bridges played in medieval Armenian cities. The result of the work should be a book in English devoted to comparative matters. This book came out recently in Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

In the course of the project, more than 700 items used for various purposes in the 12th-19th centuries were found. Researchers carried out measurements of the excavated fragment of the bridge construction, framed a situational plan and made saw cuts on the bridge pillars for dendrochronological analysis.

The course of archaeological research:   

Examples found:

The center assisted in the financing of the underwater excavations of the Great Bridge in Novgorod in the framework of the “Bridges as Res Publica” project in 2007. Excavation Reports for 2010 and 2013 are available in Russian.