The Department for Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites and Maikop Prosecution Office have espied land works that endanger archaeological heritage in the suburbs of Maikop.

      As it turned out roads are being laid out across ancient barrows in the protected zone near the Gaverdovsky Settlement. The barrows were found by chance - when workers removed a small layer of soil they saw stone plates of burial grounds.

      According to the doctor of historical sciences Vladimir Ehrlich, the burial grounds located in the place of illegal land works date back to the 4th century BC and belong to the Maeotae culture.

      Archeological excavations of these barrows were started in the 1980s and some of the found artifacts are now kept in the National Museum of Adygea Republic.

      According to archeologists, the road works must be stopped, and the objects examined and studied. Besides, overall examination of the entire building site is needed: most likely, there are many more barrows in its subsoil: scientists believe that they are over 30 in number.

      By the way, according to the law, the land owner had to carry out archeological digging at one’s own expense prior to starting construction works. The prosecutor's office of Adygea has already started checking the legality of building works.