A new look at the old fortress: Using remote sensing data in the study of fortified sites in Tuva

The article examines the capabilities that remote sensing data can offer for the study of medieval fortifications in Tuva. Our case in point is the Shagonar III site in Ulug-Khem rayon. Previous measurings of the site were largely corrected and improved in 2020, when we aerosurveyed the area with the help of Phantom 4 Pro UAV. Comparing the processed data with the archeological description made by L. R. Kyzlasov shows that the overall size and square of the site and its internal citadel has not been measured correctly. The same is true for the number of its defensive towers and ditches, and similar mistakes have been made when measuring the neighboring site of Shagonar IV. A search for any counterpart of Shagonar III, a square-shaped fortress with an internal citadel, led us to considering Mongol forts of the Khitan Liao empire which existed from 907 to 1125 CE. The current dating of Shagonar III as built during the Uighur Khaganate thus can be wrong. The article brings up the issue of the prospects of future aerial surveying and 3D modeling of other fortresses in Tuva, since in their cases corrections of their sizes and architectural details can also be expected. We also conclude that new studies are needed in order to improve absolute chronology of Tuvan fortress sites.