Mapping Karakorum, the Capital of the Mongol Empire

Karakorum, the capital of the Mongol Empire in the thirteenth century, provides a perfect case study for urbanism in the steppes. The inner layout and extent of the city have only been poorly understood so far. New geomagnetic and topographic mapping by the innovative and ultra-fast SQUID-system offers detailed information of unprecedented quality. Based on these maps, we outlined a revised picture of Karakorum’s system of streets and outgoing roads, and arrived at a much better understanding of the city’s size and its components. In future the maps will be authoritative in any planning of archaeological activities at the site.