Abstract
In central Russia, the examination of characteristics of economic activity of Bronze Age settlements and the determination of functional zones that existed in their territories in the first half of the second millennium BC based on the results of XRF (X-ray Fluorescence) analysis of samples of the cultural layer have never been done before. The data from elemental analysis of the samples of the cultural layer of the Bronze Age settlement Pesochnoe 1 from an excavation area of 126 m2 obtained via the XRF method showed significant content of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P), several times exceeding the content of the same chemical elements in the surrounding soils. The discovered Cu can be associated with metalworking, Zn are likely from ash and the biomass of the aquatic environment, and Ca and P can be found in bone remnants. Analysis of the spatial distribution of archaeological objects with quantitative indicators of Cu, Zn, Ca, P made it possible to distinguish two functional areas in the excavation of the Bronze Age settlement. A very high concentration of Cu, Zn, Ca, P recorded in the first functional zone, in the center of which was a hearth, indicates diverse activity that took place in this territory, including the use of different organic materials (plants, bones) as fuel and melting of metal. The second functional area with high concentrations of Zn, Ca and especially P suggests it was a place where biomaterials of animal origin might have been used.
Highlights
It is quite a difficult task to characterize economic activity in Bronze Age settlements in the central part of Russia
Some studies show that the chemical elements contained in cultural layers of settlements, soil layers of zones of economic development and soil layers of the territories of ancient industries prove to be an informative source of the types of economic activity that
An elemental analysis by the X-ray fluorescence (XRF) method was performed for 350 samples of the cultural layer of the Bronze Age of the Pesochnoe 1 settlement
Summary
It is quite a difficult task to characterize economic activity in Bronze Age settlements in the central part of Russia. It poses a lot of questions due to the fact that the complexes of ancient settlements contain only a part of antique objects used in everyday life. Metal objects were considered of extreme value in the Bronze Age, and were imported into the territory of modern central Russia. Some studies show that the chemical elements contained in cultural layers of settlements, soil layers of zones of economic development and soil layers of the territories of ancient industries prove to be an informative source of the types of economic activity that. Spatial Distribution of the Indicators of Content of Cu, Zn, Ca and P in the Cultural Layer in the Studied
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