MOSCOW — A Russian archaeologist says he has found the lost capital of the Khazars, a powerful nation that adopted Judaism as its official religion more than 1,000 years ago, only to disappear, leaving little trace of its culture.
Dmitry Vasilyev, a professor at Astrakhan State University, said his nine-year excavation near the Caspian Sea has unearthed the foundations of a triangular fortress of flamed brick, along with modest dwellings, and he thinks these are part of what was once Itil, the Khazar capital.
By law, Khazars could use flamed bricks only in the capital, Vasilyev said. The general location of the city on the Silk Road was confirmed in medieval chronicles by Arab, Jewish and European authors.
“The discovery of the capital of Eastern Europe’s first feudal state is of great significance,” he said. “We should view it as part of Russian history.” The Associated Press
