Materials for the Characterization of the Settlement System in the Samara Volga Region in the Golden Horde Period

Among the sites of the Golden Horde period of the Middle Volga region, a special group consists of the sites of the Samara region, which includes the Samara Luka of the Volga and the basins of the Usa, Samara, Kinel, and Sok rivers. The analysis of the topography of the sites in the context of the natural and geographical characteristics of the area under consideration allowed us to determine its territorial structure. Based on the features of settlement placement, a zonal zoning model is proposed for the right-bank and left-bank sections of the Samara Volga region. On the territory of the righ-bank district, three microdistricts are allocated: 1) Usa microdistrict;, 2) microdistrict of the inner part of the Samara Luka; 3) microdistrict of the Syzranka River basin. In the left-bank, taking into account the modern data of the territory, six microdistricts can be distinguished. 1) Northern на trans-Volga microdistrict located in the northern zone close to the bank of the Volga River; 2) Samara-Volga microdistrict, including sites of the mouth of the Samara River, Sok, the bank of the Volga River; 3) Sok microdistrict, sites are located along the bed of the Sok and Kondurcha rivers; 4) Kinel microdistrict, sites are located along the river Bolshoi Kinel to the confluence with the Samara River; 5) Samara steppe microdistrict in the eastern zone of the region under consideration; 6) Southern trans-Volga microdistrict. Each microdistrict is characterized by a corresponding supporting framework of settlement, which is associated with the peculiarities of the functioning of sites.