Archaeological excavations had uncovered settlement traces and extensive cemetery areas starting in the 8th century BC, belonging to the Koban culture.

Its long use over all this period, its size and rich finds, as well as the data quality of recent excavations make Klin-Yar one of the most important archaeological sites of the region.

[1] These sites are located near the town of ru:Нежинский (Ставропольский край) (Nezshinski), in Stavropol Krai.

Special finds included two Assyrian helmets and a bronze axe decorated with iron inlay, indicating long-distance contacts and social differentiation.

The man and woman buried in Grave 360 (mid-7th century AD) must have belonged to the top of the Alanic social hierarchy in the North Caucasus.

A significant proportion of the individuals buried in the ‘elite plot’ had artificial skull deformation which is often interpreted as a sign of high social status.

The site has wider significance because its evidence shows the coincidence of cultural, ritual, economic and population changes over a long period of use.

A branch of the Silk Road is thought to have run along the Podkumok valley in the Alanic period, explaining some of the wealth and the contacts of this site.

[8] A genetic study in 2020 analysing samples from Klin-Yar communities, including the Koban culture, found that the ancient population had a high frequency of paternal Haplogroup D-Z27276, which is associated with the modern Tibetan people.