Archaeological Sites of Chistopol: issues of studying and preservation

The paper features the preliminary results of historical and archaeological study of sites located in the territory and on the outskirts city of Chistopol. The author identified several groups of historically related sites. The natural and geographical factors played a crucial role in the localization of archaeological sites in the studied area. The author concludes that over several historical and cultural periods, the predominance of the natural geographic factor has determined the actual continuity in the selection by the population of these territories with favorable conditions for living and economic activity. Considerable attention is paid in the article to the information on the historical geography of the study area. The article presents the results of a study of cartographic archival materials of the 18th – 19th centuries. The author also considers some problems of preservation of objects of archaeological heritage and questions of arrangement of future studies.