Archaeological Museum "Tanais" is located near Rostov-on-Don and is based on the archaeological monument of federal significance - ancient settlement Tanais.

Tanais in ancient times was one of the largest shopping centers in the north of the Black Sea, the extreme north-east center of civilization. In the first years of our era Tanais was part of the kingdom of Bosporus. The Romans regarded him as the boundary between the civilized world and the wild steppe nomads. Pliny the Younger called these places the boundary between Europe and Asia, which, incidentally, was not wrong.

In 1823 Tanais was discovered during archaeological excavations known historian and archaeologist, IA Stempkovsky. The excavations were carried out on the personal instructions of the first Nicholas I, and later - under the leadership of the Imperial Archaeological Commission. In 1860 Tanais opened for the second time during the construction of the railway. Despite the fact that since 1870 an archaeological site was declared a monument under the protection of the state, its saving no one did. Only in 1960, scientists and employees of the University of Rostov Rostov museum of local history as part of the Lower Don archeological expedition began to scientific research under the settlement Nedvigovom, and a year later declared the territory Museum. Today, visitors to open several archaeological sites - necropolis Tanais Tanais settlement, stone bar (Paleolithic) and the castle XVII-XVIII century, Buttercup.

For visitors opened the exhibition grounds and the museum of historical costume. One of the tour routes displays the "Imperial barrow" - the highest of the few in Tanais. Over the years the museum-reserve became one of the most famous cultural centers of the Don region, every season there are festivals of art song, poetry festivals, movies were filmed. Actors historic theater "Odeon" pageant held in the ancient Greek style, designed for the arrival of tourists and honeymooners.