Archaeological research on settlemets of late nomadic tribes in eastern Central Asia is just at the beginning. Scientific research carried out in the Uygur capital Karabalgasun by the Mongolian-German-Orkhon-Expedition 2009-2011 has offered an excellent contribution to further understanding the process of changing a purely pastoral nomadic lifestyle to a certain degree of sedentarism. This work offers a summary overview of recent, as well as, past research on Karabalgasun; also containing new maps. Beginning with the recent research history of Karabalgasun, as well as an historical introduction, the main focus are the description and evaluation of the excavation results, particularly regarding the archaeological evidence relevant to the structural and urban development of the city.