A.Kh. Khalikov and the Bronze Age Studies in Mari Volga Region

The article addresses the role of A. Kh. Khalikov in the development of archaeology in the Republic of Mari El and the development of the Bronze Age studies in Mari Volga region. A.Kh. Khalikov is one of the founders and the first Director of the Mari Archaeological Expedition. From the first years of its operation, excavations of the Bronze Age archaeological sites were one of the research priorities of the Mari Archaeological Expedition. The findings of the first ten years of the expedition allowed A. Kh. Khalikov to develop the concept of Cultural Genesis in the Middle Volga region in the Early Metal Age and Bronze Age, as well as to distinguish Chirki-Seyma Culture and Prikazan Culture of the Middle Volga region. He suggested that these cultures evolved on the local late Volosovo basis under a certain influence of Eastern – Trans-Urals migrants, connected with the Seyma-Turbino phenomenon, and Western influence, connected with the Abashevo, Balanovo and Atlikasy cultures from the Middle Volga. The development model of the Middle Volga region in the Bronze Age, proposed by A. Kh. Khalikov, is still relevant in terms of the actors and vectors of relations and cultural genesis. In view of the current available data, what is required now is to make some corrections to the chronological correlation of archaeological cultures and provide theoretical substantiation to the processes related to development of new cultural formations.