Casting mold for producing socketed bronze axe of the late krotovo (cherno-ozerye) culture

This article presents a ceramic casting mold for producing socketed bronze axe, found in the burial of the Late Krotovo (Cherno-Ozerye) caster at the Sopka-2/5 burial ground located in the Baraba forest-steppe. The mold included the fragments of two halves, aligned along the dividing line. A part of working chamber with cavities for fastening the core has survived. The mold was made of a mixture of clay, fine calibrated sand, and organic matter. The axe had an L-shape, rhomboid crosssection of the working part, and round socket with straight upper edge. The working chamber shows traces of thermal impact from repeated use. It could have become destroyed during its use and was placed in the grave as a replacement for a whole object, as a necessary tool of a caster. This type of axe is considered to be imported for the Late Krotovo (Cherno-Ozerye) culture, manifesting the Andronovo (Fedorovo) influence. Thus, socketed axes which significantly changed the capacity of the syncretic culture, should be added to previously identified set of bronze objects introduced into autochthonous Krotovo environment by the carriers of the Andronovo (Fedorovo) culture, who migrated from the west. This set also includes daggers of the Srubno-Andronovo type and bracelets with spiral ends. In the meantime, a casting mold for producing axes from the Late Krotovo burial is indisputable proof that such axes were manufactured by the local casters. There was a large amount of metal implements accompanying the deceased caster, and the presence of weapons (dagger and celt axe) indicated his privileged position. Apparently, the Late Krotovo (Cherno-Ozerye) society had a large property differentiation, and casters might have had a special status.