Archaeologists have long associated fortresses with permanent agricultural settlements. However, this cluster of fortified structures reveals that prehistoric groups were constructing protective edifices much earlier than thought. The new research rewrites our understanding of early human societies. Located along the Amnya River in western Siberia, remains of the Amnya fort include roughly 20 pit-house depressions scattered across the site, which is divided into two sections: Amnya I and Amnya II. Radiocarbon dating confirmed that the settlement was first inhabited during the Mesolithic, or Middle Stone Age. When constructed, each pit house would have been protected by earthen walls and wooden palisades, two construction elements that suggest advanced agricultural and defensive capabilities by the ancient inhabitants.
It’s unknown what triggered the need for these fortified structures in the first place, but the strategic location overlooking the river would have not only been an ideal lookout point for potential threats, but also allowed hunter-gatherers to keep tabs on their fishing and hunting grounds.
The depression of a pit house (top) and outer defence line (bottom) in the Amnya I site