The paper analyzes the data of written sources of XVII–XVIII, concerning the location of the medieval settlements and burial grounds. That sources left by travelers and merchants, as well as officials of the Russian kingdom. The author considers the "Walking to Persia of merchant Fedot Kotov", "Book of Big Drawings", as well as materials of two travels to the Lower Volga of academician P.S. Pallas. Were able to identify two of the earliest mentions of Samosdelka settlement in the Volga delta, the many nameless mound groups, as well as to find that the sources contain surprisingly little information about Selitrennoe settlement - the most significant monument of Astrakhan regional archeology.
