A mysterious fortress on a remote island in Siberia, built in 777 AD, was abandoned just two years later due to political turmoil.
Island fortress in Siberia
In the middle of Lake Tere-Khol in the Republic of Tuva, near the Mongolian border, an artificial island contains the remains of a fortress known as Por-Bazhyn, which translates to "clay house" in the Tuvan language. The fortress features massive earthen walls and an organized architectural plan, suggesting a deliberate and monumental construction.Dating the fortress
The construction date of Por-Bazhyn was determined through dendrochronology, which analyzed the growth rings of wooden beams found at the site. This method revealed that the wood used in the construction was felled around the year 777 AD, coinciding with the expansion of the Uighur khaganate, a nomadic empire that controlled much of Central Asia at the time.Short-lived use
Despite the grand scale of the construction, evidence suggests that the fortress was only in use for a very short time. Archaeologists found minimal signs of prolonged occupation, such as little domestic waste or signs of wear, indicating that the site may have been abandoned as early as 779 AD, just two years after construction began.Political collapse
This abrupt abandonment is thought to be linked to an internal political crisis within the Uighur khaganate, which could have rendered the fortress's purpose obsolete. The sudden collapse of the project highlights the fragility of human endeavors, even those of significant scale and investment.
