Neolithic and chalcolithic comb ware pottery in the Chashkinskoe lake region: results of investigations

Chashkinskoye Lake is a system of the Kama river former oxbow lakes which is now connected with the main riverbed because of the Kama reservoir overflooding. On the eastern side of the lake, more than 10 archaeological sites belonging to the late Neolithic - Chalcolithic are located close one to another on the territory of 7 km along the river bank. For the study, ceramic complexes of five sites of the Kama Neolithic culture (the Khutorskaya, Chashkinskoye Lake I, Chashkinskoye Lake IIIa, Chashkinskoye Lake IV, Chashkinskoye Lake VI sites), the complex of the Novoilyinskaya culture’s Chashkinskoye Lake I site and the ceramic complexes of four sites of the Garinskaya culture (the Khutorskaya, Chashkinskoye Lake II, Chashkinskoye Lake IIIa, Chashkinskoye Lake IX sites) were used. Based on the typological analysis of the external features of pottery, the authors divided the ceramics into cultural and chronological groups. Chronology of the existence of different types of pots was reconstructed by direct dating of ceramics and dating through organic matter taken from the rubble of vessels. The study of pottery was provided as a part of the historical-cultural approach, proposed by Bobrinsky. The authors suggest that heterogeneity of ceramic complexes of the Kama culture is associated with the impact of the Volga-Kama ceramic tradition having a southern (the Lower Kama - the Middle Volga) origin. The formation of the Novoilyinskaya ceramic tradition took place in the southern part of the Kama region with the direct influence of the Kama and Volga-Kama ceramic traditions. The formation of the Garinskaya ceramic tradition occurred later and was not associated with the Kama and Novoil'iynskaya ceramic traditions. The time, sources and place of formation of the Garinskaya ceramic tradition require a separate study.