Morphological analysis of the Early Iron Age vessels from Novotroitskoe-1 burial ground (Barnaul Ob Region)

The Kamenskaya ceramics is underexplored. This work aims to present the data of the morphological analysis of the vessels from the Novotroitskoye-1 burial ground. P.I. Shulga, A.P. Umansky, and V.A. Mogilnikov considered the Novotroitskoye-1 ceramic collection as the basis for studying the Kamenskaya culture dated to the range of the 6th to 3rd centuries BC. Morphological analysis was conducted on sample of 110 vessels using the "Program for Statistical Processing of Ceramics from Archaeological Excavations" by V.F. Gening, as well as the methods for analyzing profiles by H.A. Nordstrom and for calculating ratios of main parameters by A. Shepard. Of these, 62 (56 %) vessels with a neck and 48 (44 %) without it were analyzed; all vessels are flat-bottomed. The predominant forms of the Novotroitskoe-1 vessels are of medium or low height with a very narrow, medium-width or wide well-curved neck, a rounded or flattened body, a medium-height or high, slightly or very convex shoulder, and a wide and flat bottom. The conclusions are supported by drawings of "half-skeleton" vessels. Eight lines of vessels belonging to the same morphological tradition were identified in the collection. This suggests the possibility of identifying burial mounds that "functioned" within a single time period. The ratio graph of the vessel height to the maximum body diameter shows the traditions of selecting vessels for funeral rite. The bulk of the products were 8-12 cm high. The jar-shaped vessels have a wider range, including the smallest and largest vessels. At the same time, the overwhelming majority of jar-shaped vessels are closed-type products. The comparative analysis of the ceramic collections from Novotroitskoe-1 and Bystrovka-1 burial grounds, both similar features and differences were noted.