The article is a survey of studies of Russian and foreign authors of the end of XX – begin-ning of XXI century, of some topical issues of history Xiongnu. If earlier the aspects of deve-lopment Xiongnu were considered in connection with their role in the formation of the Scythian-Siberian art, but now at the forefront of research to their role in the development of Sino-Central Asian contacts. The most detailed being developed problem of Hun history, degree of development of agriculture in the Huns, the question of the origin of the state, the ethnic nature of the Xiongnu, the biological characteristics of this group. Modern research is conducted by the standard methods of anthropology and methods paleogenetics. The research results indicate that the mixing of Caucasian and Mongoloid started in Mongolia in the Neolithic and continued until the Mongol invasions. Materials obtained as a result of aca-demic expeditions of the late XX – early XXI century and theoretical studies of Russian and foreign scientists have revealed new aspects of the cultural, economic and ethnic development of the Xiongnu and their role in the development of Sino-Central Asian contacts