Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
In 2025, employees of the Rosneft scientific institute in Samara discovered seven new archaeological sites in the Samara and Orenburg regions. The specialists surveyed over 200 land plots allocated for economic development by Samaraneftegaz and Orenburgneft (Rosneft's production assets).
The survey included 17 cultural heritage sites, seven of which were archaeological sites not previously recorded in historical sources or documents. These included three burial mounds, two single burial mounds, and one settlement—Nizhnenikolskoye III (Samara Region).
Archaeological finds discovered during the survey of the settlement, including fragments of ornamented ceramic dishes and bones of domestic animals, according to experts, belong to the Srubna culture* of the late Bronze Age (second half of the 2nd – beginning of the 1st millennium BC).
In the Orenburg region, near the village of Pervo Maya, three burial mounds were discovered during an investigation of a previously unknown burial mound. Archaeological material was recovered during the excavation, including a bronze girth buckle (part of a horse harness) crafted using the casting technique. The monument presumably dates to the Early Iron Age (7th century BC – 4th century AD).
During fieldwork in 2025, specialists also clarified the boundaries of previously identified cultural heritage sites: the Maryevka I burial mound, the Maryevka II solitary burial mound, the burial mound near the village of Lebyazhka, and others.
Based on the results of surveys conducted by the institute's specialists, historical maps of the Urals and the Volga region were supplemented with new archaeological sites.
Rosneft is committed to preserving historical and cultural heritage and, in accordance with Russian legislation, conducts archaeological surveys at the pre-project stage of any construction work.
* The Srubnaya cultural and historical community is an archaeological culture of the Late Bronze Age (second half of the 2nd – early 1st millennium BC). Geographically, it was widespread in the steppe and forest-steppe zones of Eastern Europe between the Dnieper and the Ural Mountains. In the Volga region and the Urals, the culture is widely represented by archaeological sites, including settlements and burial mounds. Ethnicity: Indo-Iranian. The main activities of the Srubnaya culture were cattle breeding and agriculture.
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Archaeological teams have been working at Rosneft's Samara Research Institute since 2019. Over the past six years, specialists have surveyed over 1,600 land plots for planned projects, delineated the boundaries of 204 archaeological sites (settlements, isolated burial mounds, and burial mounds) and registered them with the state. Another 183 cultural heritage sites have undergone preservation monitoring and inspection.
Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft January 15, 2026
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