Historical Topography of the Om Estuary: Digital Reconstruction

Abstract

This article presents a study reconstructing the historical topography of the Om River mouth on the basis of multiple source groups. The area’s natural landforms were modified due to human intervention during the second half of the 19th and throughout the 20th century, which has substantially hindered assessment of the territory’s archaeological and cultural significance. The first source group comprises historical maps and photographs documenting the terrain in the past, with the earliest records for this area dating to the beginning of the 18th century. The second group consists of the data on field research conducted by the authors between 2010 and 2025, grounded in stratigraphic data gathered through archaeological surveys across a 68-hectare zone within a densely built urban environment at the Om River mouth. Together, these sources enabled a reconstruction of the area’s historical topography. It has been established that the downstream shift of the Om estuary along the Irtysh River produced three distinct terrace levels on the river’s left bank. The proposed reconstruction will help zone the area for identification of archaeological sites and improve the planning of heritage protection measures.