Pottery of the Dongal type from the Kalinovka II settlement (forest-steppe Altai)

The article discusses research into the Dongal type pottery of the Final Bronze Age from the Kalinovka II settlement, including vessel shapes, ornamentation techniques, ornamental programs, raw materials, and clay fabrics. Most of the vessels were sharply profiled pots; medium and slightly profiled pots as well as jar-type vessels were much less common. Only the upper third of the vessel, mainly the upper zone of the neck, had ornamental decoration. Seven ornamentation methods have been identified on the fragments from the collection, including molding, notching, stamping, finger technique, drawing, impression, and extrusion. Twenty two varieties of ornamental motifs have been observed. The most common was a horizontal band with the belt of oblique notches, impressions of a smooth stamp or fingers, or horizontal band without additional decoration. Patterns consisting of one, less often two different motifs prevailed in ornamental compositions. Analysis of raw materials has shown that vessels were mostly made of medium-ferruginous clay of low plasticity. Three compounds of clay fabric have been identified: clay + chamotte + organics, clay + gruss + organics; clay + gruss + chamotte + organic. The tradition of adding chamotte prevailed; mixture of skills in using mineral additives has been observed; compound of clay + gruss + organics was unusual. Comparison of the Dongal pottery from the Kalinovka II settlement with evidence from the sites in the steppe and forest-steppe Altai (Zharkovo-3, Rublevo-6) shows marked similarity in manufacturing techniques, vessel shapes, and ornamentation. The pottery from Kalinovka-II is similar to the same pottery type from Central Kazakhstan, primarily from the Dongal settlement, in ornamentation and presence of clay fabrics which reflect mixed cultural traditions in using mineral additives. The Dongal pottery from the Kalinovka II settlement, as well as other sites ofthe Altai and Kazakhstan, reflects the common processes in these territories, interpenetration of the populations, and contacts between them.