Mountain Waal “Dagh-Bary”: Fort 7

The work presented in the article was carried out as part of the study of the fortification system of the Mountain Wall (Dag-bary), which was an integral part of the Derbent defensive complex erected under the reign of Shahanshah Khosrow I Anushirvan (531–579) in the late 560s. This article is devoted to the results of archaeological research conducted on Fort 7, located in a saddle on the pass of the Jalgan ridge and occupying an important strategic position. This fortification was first recorded by Prince Dm. Katemir in August 1722 and is indicated on his schematic map of the initial 15-kilometer section of the Mountain Wall called Kiosc (from M.Pers. kōšk – “palace, castle”). By the name burj Koshk (Arab. burj – “tower, fortification”) he is mentioned by the gen. A.V. Komarov. On a number of plans of Russian military topographers of the late 18th – early 19th century it is called Mesheburg (obviously, from Turk.-Arab. Meshe-burj – “Forest fortification (fortress, tower)”).The fort has relatively good preservation. Judging by the remains of the walls and towers, it had a rectangular shape with angular round blind towers with a diameter of about 5 m. The internal dimensions of the fort are about 24.5×12.7 m with a wall thickness of 2.0–2.8 m, the height of the preserved walls and towers reaches 8–9 m from the modern day surface and, as established by the stratigraphic pit, approx. 10.6–11.6 m from the base of the wall. The identified remains of the fort have the same design features as other fortifications of the Derbent defensive complex – dry armor (header and stretcher) masonry of big rectangular blocks with clogging with rough torn stones and rubble on lime mortar. The small complex of ceramic ware presented in the cultural strata of the pit dates back to the middle of the 6th – beginning of the 13th century and indicates the time of the active functioning of the fort. Considering that the construction of the 42-kilometer Mountain Wall represented the second stage in the construction of the Derbent defensive complex, the construction of the forts of this fortification line can be attributed to the early 570s.