Ufa-II Ancient Settlement

Ufa-II is a federal cultural-heritage archaeological site in Ufa’s Kirovsky District, on a high cape of the Belaya’s right bank (blocks by Zaki Validi, Novomostovaya, Oktyabrskoy Revolyutsii and Salavat Yulaev Avenue). The cultural layer reaches four metres; a rampart and ditch, wooden street traces, dwellings and metal furnaces have been recorded. The site was occupied roughly from the fifth to the sixteenth century and is regarded as the largest medieval hillfort of the Southern Urals. Since 2011 the Republican Historical-Cultural Museum-Reserve “Ancient Ufa” (drufa.ru) has studied and protected the site; excavations and tours run on the grounds. This is urban archaeology, not a mountain trek — easy to fit into a Ufa day. Confirm dig access, exhibitions and tours on the museum-reserve site; the yard schedule changes with field seasons. A four-metre cultural layer makes Ufa-II a rare case where the city’s history literally lies beneath modern blocks. Rampart, ditch, building traces and production evidence do not form a ready-made set: the archaeological ground follows field seasons and protection rules. The Republican Historical-Cultural Museum-Reserve “Ancient Ufa” has worked with the site since 2011 and posts current information at drufa.ru. Before visiting, confirm whether guided access to the excavation is available, whether exhibitions are open, and where the safe viewing boundary lies. Do not search for finds or pass barriers: the layer’s value is in its documented context, not a chance object. In a city walk it is a strong stop between the historic centre and embankments, not an all-season park with fixed access. The practical details in this card are part of the route, not a formality: they help match the season, road and visitor experience. They are not a promise of constant access, because natural conditions, protection rules and institutional schedules can change. The site was identified in the 1950s; later work continued under N. A. Mazhitov and others. The Ancient Ufa museum-reserve was created in 2011 specifically to protect and study this hillfort as the Southern Urals’ largest medieval settlement. Stay outside dig barriers and do not take “souvenirs” from the soil. Confirm tours and yard access on drufa.ru — the schedule changes with the field season.