Raw materials and clay in ancient pottery from the Tomsk and Narym Ob regions

The article analyzes the pottery of the Early Iron Age andMiddle Ages from the Tomsk and Narym Ob regions following historical and cultural approach. The main task was to identify specific aspects of cultural traditions manifested in selection of raw materials, preparation of clay, use of local and non-local traditions, and dependence of these traditions on landscape zones. It has been discovered that the ancient population of the Tomsk Ob region, as opposed to the population living in the Narym Ob region, preferred weakly- and non-ferruginous clays. The potters rarely used clays with the medium content of iron. Pottery made of such clays exhibits other uncommon features, which usually indicate the contacts between the populations. Such pottery might have been produced by migrant human groups. The analysis of clay recipes has shown that the use of grus was a local tradition in the Tomsk Ob region, while use of chamotte was an imported tradition. Conversely, adding chamotte was a local tradition in the Narym Ob region. Mixing of skills and contacts of the populations from the Tomsk and Narym Ob region is reflected in clay recipes with mineral admixtures of grus and chamotte. The recipe of clay + organic additives was rare in both territories and appeared only at the sites of the Early Iron Age. Apparently, it was associated with the population group which could have also differed in other features, but such pottery was not numerous in the areas under study. The article describes the differences in the choice of raw materials and preparation of clay in the pottery of two regions. In addition, there was a special trend in the choice of mineral additives depending on availability of stone suitable for adding to pottery clays. Ancient potters of the Tomsk Ob region where the outcrops of such stone occur, as well as potters from the mountainous and foothill areas of the Altai, preferred to add stone, while potters from flat areas of the Altai and Narym Ob region, where no such stone was available, added chamotte.