The metal ages and medieval period. Рубрика в журнале - Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia

Статья
This article presents 44 radiocarbon dates from 18 water wells of different Bronze Age periods at Kamennyi Ambar settlement, in the southern Trans-Urals. At the preliminary stage, statistical outliers were identifi ed, which enhanced the reliability of the conclusions. Potsherds from the fi lling of the wells, contextual analysis of dating samples, and 14C dates allowed us to carry out the cultural attribution of nearly all wells (31 out of 34). The analyzed wells were subdivided into four chronostratigraphic groups corresponding to various settlement phases. Their duration and chronological limits were estimated. Most wells were found to belong to the Sintashta-Petrovka period (densely spaced linearly arranged blocks of structures inside fortifi ed areas). This period comprised three construction phases, the latest of which correlates with the Petrovka ceramics. The second period, marked by randomly arranged structures, is associated with the Srubnaya-Alakul artifacts, and is represented by only four wells. The simulation results suggest that the site existed for less than one and a half centuries, including a short chronological gap between the two periods. The Sintashta (phases 1 and 2) and Petrovka (phase 3) were two consecutive traditions, which may have overlapped during the late period. In the Srubnaya-Alakul period (phase 4), a transformation of the architectural tradition took place, and the layout and construction of the wells changed too.
Бесплатно

Wooden Paddles from the Nizhny Tagil Museum-Reserve of Mining and Metallurgy in the Urals
Статья научная
This article describes Early Metal Age wooden paddles from the Gorbunovo peat bog, kept by the Nizhny Tagil Museum-Reserve of Mining and Metallurgy in the Urals. Their morphology and manufacturing technology are analyzed. The archaeological context and new AMS-dates are introduced. This sample of early wooden paddles is the largest and the most representative in the world. The specimens are very standardized with regard to general proportions, shape of the blade and handle, and decoration of the handle. A distinctive feature of this sample is that the handle of certain specimens is composite. A comprehensive traceological and technological analysis of the paddles has revealed several aspects of their manufacture, and xylotomy has provided information about the species of wood (pine, cedar, and spruce). On the basis of the processing traces, a tentative toolkit was reconstructed. The paddles generally fall in two categories: most are one-piece, and a few are composite. During the Early Metal Age, woodworking was probably a traditional craft in the Trans-Urals, showing a number of customary techniques.
Бесплатно

Wooden paddles from Trans-Urals and from eastern and Western European peat-bog sites
Статья
Бесплатно

Woven, knitted, and wattled 17th–18th century textiles from Tara fortress, Western Siberia
Статья обзорная
Бесплатно

“Caster's cache” from Tartas-1, late Krotovo (Cherno-ozerye) culture, Baraba forest-steppe
Статья обзорная
Бесплатно

Статья научная
We describe two metal vessels, procured by looters and offered to D.G. Messerschmidt, who in 1722 traveled across southern Krasnoyarsk Territory. A bronze cup, judging by a description in researcher's journal and by the accompanying drawing, resembled Old Turkic specimens. However, the hunting scene engraved on its body suggests Chinese provenance. A silver vessel from the vestry of Fort Karaulny church is peculiar to 7th–10th century Sogdian toreutics. It evidently belongs to a group of vessels with polygonal bodies, specifi cally to type 1—octagonal. Having been manufactured in Sogd, polygonal vessels were exported to China. Chinese jewelers copied the form of “wine cups” and adorned them with traditional fl oral designs and various scenes. An octagonal silver cup with an Uyghur inscription, found in 1964 in a kurgan at a medieval cemetery Nad Polyanoi, was likewise manufactured by Tang artisans. Other polygonal silver cups are listed—heptagonal and sexagonal. It is concluded that vessels made of precious metals testify to stable trade relations that emerged in 700–1100 and connected Siberia with Sogd and the Tang Empire.
Бесплатно