Finds of bronze age casting molds in the mountainous-forest belt of the Trans-Urals

The publication focuses on the findings of two talc casting molds discovered at the destroyed settlement of Shigirsky Istok III in the Sverdlovsk region. The first mold is a combined one. It was designed for casting an asymmetrical celt with a beveled cutting edge and a roller along the socket edge, whereas the other part was used for casting a two-bladed knife-dagger with an annular stop near the handle. The other mold was used for casting chisels. The analyzed contexts and analogies suggest that they can be attributed to the Cherkaskul culture of the Bronze Age with sufficient certainty. These artifacts may be considered the evidence of development of traditions related with the local metal production center and integration into the system of cultural links of the final stage of the West Asian metallurgical province.