The Afanasievo and Okunevo ceramic complexes from the sites at lake Itkol (Republic of Khakassia)

The article presents a comparative analysis of the Afanasievo and Okunevo ceramics from Lake Itkol. The authors identify cultural traditions in ceramic ware manufacturing, ornamentation and configuration characterizing both cultures. The main distinctions between the Afanasievo and Okunevo ceramics from Lake Itkol are ornamentation technique, working tools, raw material choice and fabric. The Afanasievo potters added grog in low and moderately ductile clays, while the Okunevo paste represented high ductile clay tempered with grit. The analytical results did not show either traces of intermixture of these traditions or interrelations between the Afanasievo and Okunevo populations.