Early Metal Age Research Articles

Новые данные о стоянке Комбак-тэ в Северном Прикаспии

Introduction. The article examines stone artifacts from a Northern Caspian Eneolithic site of the Khvalynsk culture. Stone tool industries also serve to characterize Early Metal Age cultures. Goals. The work seeks to determine the cultural affiliation of stone implements from the site of Kombak-te. To facilitate this, the paper shall analyze a variety of such stone implements and their groups. Materials and methods. The publication focuses on finds from the third major Khvalynsk site of Kombak-te. The latter was investigated in 1989 but only some pottery data were published. The article is the first to introduce into scientific circulation and analyze stone artifacts excavated on the site. The study employs the typological and radiocarbon dating methods. Results. Our preliminary typological analysis of pottery yielded a number of cultural/chronological groups, which made it possible to classify the stone artifacts in greater detail. The technical and typological features serve a basis for distinguishing between items representing the Caspian and Khvalynsk cultures. The identified differences are manifested in the involved source materials (quartzite and flint), blank manufacturing techniques, categories and types of the implements. Conclusions. The comprehensive insights attest to the stone artifacts of Kombak-te come from different cultures and eras. So, Khvalynsk-type items are paralleled by some of the Caspian culture. The paper identifies some characteristic and specific properties of source materials, primary splitting and subsequent processing techniques, describes various tools. The available radiocarbon determinations confirm those of the Caspian culture are more ancient.

Wooden Paddles from the Nizhny Tagil Museum-Reserve of Mining and Metallurgy in the Urals

This article describes Early Metal Age wooden paddles from the Gorbunovo peat bog, kept by the Nizhny Tagil Museum-Reserve of Mining and Metallurgy in the Urals. Their morphology and manufacturing technology are analyzed. The archaeological context and new AMS-dates are introduced. This sample of early wooden paddles is the largest and the most representative in the world. The specimens are very standardized with regard to general proportions, shape of the blade and handle, and decoration of the handle. A distinctive feature of this sample is that the handle of certain specimens is composite. A comprehensive traceological and technological analysis of the paddles has revealed several aspects of their manufacture, and xylotomy has provided information about the species of wood (pine, cedar, and spruce). On the basis of the processing traces, a tentative toolkit was reconstructed. The paddles generally fall in two categories: most are one-piece, and a few are composite. During the Early Metal Age, woodworking was probably a traditional craft in the Trans-Urals, showing a number of customary techniques.

Hunter-gatherer farming during the first millennium bce in inland, boreal landscapes: new pollen analytical and archaeological evidence from Dalarna, central Sweden

The archaeological evidence of a sedentary hunter-gatherer society during the early metal ages, i.e. the first and second millennia bce, in the central Scandinavian boreal inlands has previously been overlooked. In order to gain a deeper understanding of these past societies we have combined archaeological data with landscape-scale changes based on pollen records. The combined record clearly indicates landscape use characterized by domestication strategies that started during the Late Bronze Age ca. 1000 bce and further intensified during the Early Iron Age. Indications of cultivation of plants, as well as possible burning practices to clear shrub and forest, clearly show that arable farming and grazing were practiced in the area earlier than had previously been assumed. The farming economy seems to have involved mainly small scale arable farming. Fishing and hunting continued to be important, but the investment in the landscape shown by both pitfall systems and agriculture also express a domestication that would have required settled presence.

The Excavation of Gua Harimau's Western Gallery: A Contribution to the Terminal Pleistocene-Early Holocene archaeological records in Sumatra

Gua Harimau (gua=cave) is a crucial site for understand the prehistory of Sumatra and its relationship to the peopling of Insular Southeast Asia. A large number of archaeological records has been discovered at the western part of the cave, including human burials, lithic artefacts, potteries, and faunal remains that have been anthropogenically altered. The chronological stratigraphy of these records extends to the Late Pleistocene Period, enabling us to reconstruct the dynamics of prehistoric culture in Sumatra. At least three episodes of human occupation have been recognized in the cave: The Preneolithic, Neolithic, and Paleometalic (early metal age). However, the distributional pattern of various archaeological remains, such as mollusk shells, ground tools, unifacially-shaped pebble tools, and bone artefacts, reveals significant differences. These differences provide insight into the cultural development that occurred in Sumatra during the prehistoric occupation of Gua Harimau, and demonstrate changes in cultural affinity that may correspond to past environmental conditions and human adaptation.

The Neolithic and Early Metal complexes of the Chepkul 5 settlement in the North of the An-dreevskaya Lake System

The problems of development of the early Neolithic and Early Metal Age complexes in the Tobol-Ishim interfluve are still insufficiently studied. A certain understanding of the cultural and historical processes that took place during these periods can be based on the materials of the multi-layered settlement of Chepkul 5, located on the territory of the Andreevskaya lake system near the city of Tyumen. The purpose of this work is to introduce into scientific discourse the research materials of the early Neolithic and Bayryk Culture complexes. Within the Neolithic pottery complex of Chepkul 5, it is possible to conditionally distinguish groups of vessels comparable to the ware of the Boborykino, Koshkino, Basyanovo and comb types, which find similarities in the vast territory from the eastern slopes of the Urals to the Baraba forest-steppe, and from the Lower Ob River to the steppes of Kazakhstan. Stone tools of such complexes, including Chepkul 5, contain points with high steep retouch, oblique points on blades, and geometric microliths. The presence of lips (overhangs) on the rims on the inside of the vessels, and certain other characteristics of ceramics, bring the analysed complex closer to the ware of the Boborykino Culture of the Yurtobor 3 settlement [Zakh, 1995]. Considering the date from charcoal from the settlement of Yurtobor 3 — 6591–6478 cal BC (UPI-559) [Zakh, 1995, 2009] — the time of existence of the settlement Chepkul 5 in the early Neolithic can be correlated with the end of the humid stage and the beginning of the dry period (8.2–5.5 cal ka BP) [Zach, 2021]. According to the location of the pits in the trench of the Early Metal Period dwelling 2 of Chepkul 5, which contained pottery with comb-pit and large-stroke ornamentation, the building can be reconstructed as a semi-dugout with a pillar-frame structure, with an area of about 40 m2. Similar structures, ware, stone and clay sinkers and other items belong to the Bayryk Culture, are dated to the 3rd mil. BC and can be considered together with the Ishim complexes of the Alexandrovo stage of the Ekaterinino Cultures within the comb-pit community of the 3rd mil. BC. However, the complexes of the Tobol and Ishim regions belong to different cultures, as evidenced by the complete absence of clay sinkers in the Ishim region and in the territories to the east. The presence of the latter, as well as drawings on dishes and petroglyphs in the Early Metal Period cultures of Trans-Urals, suggests that the population of the Tobol region was engaged in drive hunting for waterfowl during molting [Zakh, 2022], which could not but affect its cultural specificity.

Moving Arrows, Moving People: Towards an understanding of Early Metal Age Settlement Zones in the Boreal Woodlands of Dalarna, Sweden.

This paper is a first step towards an understanding of how to locate and decode archaeological sites from the Early Metal Age 2000-1 BCE in Dalarna, Sweden. Sites from the Early Metal Age are rare in this region, but numerous locations have been identified as Stone Age sites. To search for Early Metal Age sites, the bifacial arrowheads, which chronologically belong to this time frame, have been examined. By doing this, two more extensive sites have been identified. The study shows that sites with a large number of preforms are a better indicator of extensive sites from the Early Metal Age than finished arrowheads. The study also problematizes the settlement concept and how to approach different types of sites. The spread of finds and the variation of different types of sites indicate that these settlements should be understood as part of larger settlement zones in which people moved over large geographical areas.

In search of a musical past: evidence for early chordophones from Vietnam

ABSTRACTMusic likely played an important role within prehistoric societies but can be challenging to study in the absence of evidence for musical instruments. Here, the authors present two deer antlers recovered from the early Metal Age site of Go O Chua in southern Vietnam. A detailed examination of the artefacts, including evidence for use-wear, combined with insights from ethnographic analogies, leads the authors to conclude that the artefacts were single-stringed musical instruments. At least 2000 years old, the Go O Chua artefacts would be the earliest-known examples of chordophones from the region and indicate a long musical tradition. Their identification gives impetus to archaeo-musicological research in Southeast Asia and beyond.

Diversity and distribution of mitochondrial DNA in non-Austronesian-speaking Taiwanese individuals

Many studies have described the diversity of Austronesian-speaking Taiwanese people to shed more light on their origin and their connection with the “Out of Taiwan” migrations. However, the genetic relationship between the non-Austronesian-speaking groups of Taiwan and the populations of continental Asia is still unclear. Here, we studied the diversity of mtDNA in 767 non-Austronesian speakers from 16 locations in Taiwan using partial sequencing obtained from the hypervariable segment I (HVS-I) and coding regions 8,001-9,000 and 9.801–10,900 and 85 complete mtDNA genome sequences. Bayesian analysis of population structure was used to examine their relationship with over 3662 individuals representing indigenous groups of Taiwan, continental East Asia, Japan, and Island Southeast Asia. The whole analysis identified 278 haplotypes. Complete genomes revealed 62 novel subhaplogroups, of which 31 were exclusive to Taiwan. Estimates of coalescence times of all subhaplogroups showed peaks of diversification greater than 5.0 kya, likely characterizing gene flow from continental East Asian groups but not excluding in situ Taiwanese ancestry. Furthermore, a significant number of clades exclusive to non-Austronesian speakers of Taiwan (NAN_Tw) showed coalescence peaks between 1.0 and 2.6 kya, suggesting possible late Neolithic to early metal age settlements of NAN_Tw and local expansion in Taiwan.

Pottery of the Early Metal Age from Tiversky Gorodok

Pottery of the Early Metal Age from Tiversky Gorodok

Палеогеографический фон неолита – энеолита степного Поволжья

The article presents materials enabling to reconstruct the paleogeographic background of the development of the population of the Volga region steppe in the Neolithic and Eneolithic periods. The relevance of the study comes from the need to develop issues of natural and climatic factors influence on the development of cultures. The novelty is determined by the fact that the research presents materials of the 2014–2019 surveys for the settlement of Oroshaemoe I. The purpose of the article is to reconstruct the paleogeographic background at the time of interest. The tasks of the study also include identification of the chronological framework, reconstruction of natural and climatic conditions, and determination of the faunal component. In order to achieve these goals, archaeological, palynological and geochemical, radiocarbon and faunistic methods were used. The settlement of Oroshaemoe I is characterized by multi-layers and stratification. The site shows successively located layers of the Orlov, Caspian and Khvalynsk cultures, separated by sterile ones. In addition to ceramic and stone implements, faunal remains were found in the cultural layers which makes it possible to identify the species of animals at different stages of the Neolithic-Eneolithic of this region. Clear chronological frameworks are defined for all complexes. For the first time in recent years, the results of spore-pollen analyses were obtained for all cultural layers. An additional source was the results of geochemical analysis for this site. Certain periods of improvement and deterioration of the climatic situation are traced which influenced the vegetation cover of this area. The results of the analysis allow us to conclude that throughout the entire period the vegetation in the surrounding area was similar to modern dry steppes (semi-deserts). An increase in aridity is recorded at a later stage in the development of the Orlov culture. The driest climatic conditions existed during the formation of the Caspian layer; and during the formation of the Khvalyn layer the amount of precipitation began to increase. This resulted in changes in life activity in the Late Stone Age and the Early Metal Age.

Geochemical Indication of Functional Zones at the Archaeological Sites of Eastern Europe

The article considers a new approach for determining the functional zones of the prehistoric archaeological sites in Eastern Europe by the method of geochemical indication: the use of mathematical statistics for processing the geochemical data of cultural deposits at archaeological sites, and the identification of groups of interrelated chemical elements and compounds that reflects the processes of natural sedimentation and anthropogenic activity. It makes it possible to separate the lithological and anthropogenic components. This approach is important for the identification of geochemical element groups associated with different functional zones. The reconstructions were conducted at the Neolithic, Early Metal Age, and the Bronze-Early Iron Age sites in Eastern Europe. Abnormal concentrations of the association (P2O5antr, CaOantr and Srantr) in sediments are attributed to zones of accumulation of bone remains. Anomalous concentrations of a group of elements (K2Oantr, Rbantr) in deposits are associated with wood ash and fireplaces, ash residues from ritual activities, and fires. The group of elements (Ba, MnO, Corg) reflects the accumulation of humus and organic remains, and can characterize areas with food residues, skins, and rotten wood. With the help of the distribution of the main lithological elements (SiO2, Al2O3) in sediments, it is possible to reconstruct the paleorelief at the sites.

GROUP OF SUOI BA ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES (DAK NONG PROVINCE): DOCUMENTS, PERCEPTION, AND DISCUSSION

This article introduces the results of investigations and surveys from 2006 to 2017 of the group of Suoi Ba archaeological sites in Nhan Co commune, Dak R’Lap district (Dak Nong). The results reveal eight prehistoric archaeological sites in the Suoi Ba area, which are distributed over an area of about 20 hectares, equivalent to the size of an ancient village, and date from 3,500 to 2,000 years BP. In this study, the authors systematize materials, assess historical-cultural values, briefly outline the prehistoric cultural process at Suoi Ba during the late Neolithic and early Metal Age in Dak Nong, and discuss issues related to Suoi Ba relics in a broader context.

Хронология могильников эпохи палеометалла и проблемы культурной трансмиссии: некоторые примеры из Южной Европы

The study of the Early Metal Age cultures of Europe has greatly improved during the last decades. New studies have been centered not only on aspects of the material culture and burial rites, but also on the chronology of the different complexes, their spread, eventually genetic evidence, and cultural transmission. Moreover, the study of the steppe zones of south-eastern Europe has improved thanks to the excavation and publication of new burial grounds and important settlement sites. This paper considers a few cultural aspects that made their appearance around the beginning of the Subboreal climatic period in northern Italy, among which is the so-called Chalcolithic Remedello Culture. As far as we can understand, not only the aDNA evidence, but also the presence of a few unique grave goods, including hammer-headed pins, suggest that some kind of intercultural relationship existed with south-eastern Europe, which the authors think are most probably due to cultural transmission.

ОБРАЗ ВОДОПЛАВАЮЩИХ ПТИЦ И ГЛИНЯНЫЕ ГРУЗИЛА В КУЛЬТУРАХ ЭПОХИ РАННЕГО МЕТАЛЛА ЗАУРАЛЬЯ: СУЩЕСТВУЕТ ЛИ СВЯЗЬ?

Bearers of several cultures, such as Lipchinsk, Shapkul, Bairik, Andreevo, Tashkov, and Koptyakov cultures, lived in the Trans-Urals during the Early Metal Age. Later, cultures of the Late Bronze Age formed there. Items ornamented with floating birds have been found among the ceramics of some of these cultures. At the same time, clayware considered to be sinkers for fishing nets has been identified among the equipment of all these cultures. Items within this category are characterized by the following weight ranges: biconical — 7.9–128.4 g, cigar-shaped — 5.7–70 g, with bifurcated ends — 45.9–62.6 g. The Late Bronze sub-rectangular items weigh 29−177 g. We assume that, according to their weights, the Late Bronze sinkers were definitely used for fishing nets. The Early Metal Age sinkers of are generally lighter. We suggest that they could be used more effectively in the open air. In addition, we assume that those items are related to petroglyphs of waterfowl and their images on dishes. The sinkers might have been designed not only for fishing nets or seines. As a matter of fact, the areas with images of birds and ceramic sinkers coincide but not so many sinkers have been found in adjacent territories. It can possibly indicate that they were used in the open air in fenced traps (such as wattled meshy traps) designed for driven hunt for molting bird.

ДЕРЕВООБРАБОТКА У НАСЕЛЕНИЯ ЗАУРАЛЬЯ В ЭПОХУ РАННЕГО МЕТАЛЛА

The article is devoted to woodworking — a complex, multi-level system of stages and operations of the technical and technological process of the Early Metal Age of the Trans-Urals. The natural resources of the forest zone of the region provided the necessary material — wood — for the manufacture of wooden structures, hunting and fishing tools, household and religious products. The technological sequence of woodworking of this time is illustrated in detail by the example of the manufacture of one of the most complex categories of wood products — a sledge runner, discovered in 1928 at the VI Section of the Gorbunovsky peat bog. A set of tools has been defined with which the skid is made: an axe for chopping an entire tree trunk and pre-processing for making a workpiece; an adze for facing the product; chisels with a flat and semicircular blade for cutting holes, additional secondary processing and a lower sliding surface. The skid from the VI Section of the Gorbunovsky peat bog, according to the existing typology, belongs to the keuru type with a U-shaped grooved cross section and holes in the sides, to type B4: it has vertical grooves for hooves and mounting holes. Depending on the design of the recesses and mounting holes on the basis of these runners, it is possible to reconstruct both single-pole and double-pole sleds. In the Early Metal era in the Trans-Urals, woodworking was probably a traditional activity with established techniques and methods of material processing. Logging, splitting and cutting, cutting, planing, scraping, chiseling, drilling and smoothing of wood, as well as the technique of spike connection of parts, using wedges or belt binding, bending, are fixed.

Early Metal Age Settlement at the Site of Palemba, Kalumpang, Karama Valley, West Sulawesi

Early Metal Age Settlement at the Site of Palemba, Kalumpang, Karama Valley, West Sulawesi

The earliest archaeological materials from excavations of 2013–2014 in the area of Yaroslavovo Dvorishche

This paper considers the archaeological artefacts from the lower horizon of cultural deposits of the site excavated in 2013–2014 at Yaroslavovo Dvorishche in Veliky Novgorod. On the basis of morphological examination of the finds, three chronological groups have been distinguished dating from the mediaeval period (10th–11th century), early Iron Age and the Early Metal Age.

Завершение исследований могильника Усть-Тартас-2 (Барабинская лесостепь)

In the field season of 2021, the studies at the Ust-Tartas-2 site were completed. They were based on geophysical monitoring; excavations were carried out using the method of continuous opening of the object area. In five years, 2250 sq. m have been unearthed. A sanctuary of the Early Neolithic Baraba culture had a system ofpits, ditch, joint pits which among other things contained art objects, and pits intended for keeping and fermenting fish. Seventy nine burials have been studied (seven of the Artyn culture of the Final Neolithic, two of the Ust-Tartas culture of the Early Metal Age, fifty seven of the Odino culture of the Early and Advanced Bronze Age, eight of the Krotovo culture of the Advanced Bronze Age, one of the Iron Age, and four of unidentified time). During the excavations of 2021, the cultural layer revealed pottery fragments, various artifacts made of stone, clay, and bone, and two metal tools. Several utility pits with animal and fish bones also contained fragments of pottery mostly belonging to the Pit-Comb historical and cultural community of the Early Metal Age, as well as pottery of the Bronze Age, and Late and Early Neolithic. Two burials (No. 78 and 79) have been investigated; their location indicated the Odinov culture as the time of their creation. In the northwestern part of excavations, an object (No. 21) consisting of three oppositely directed (to the south, west and north) elongated oval pits, connected at the bases by one pit, has been discovered. Fish bones were in the southern and western pits. There are two interpretations of functional purpose of the object: 1) arched ditch bounding the Odinov part of the burial ground with a fish smokery cutting into it; 2) three-chamber fish smokery. A particularly significantfind of the field season was a bone sculpture of elk’s head, which did not clearly belong to any specific complex. According to the predominance of the pit-comb pottery of the Early Bronze Age in the cultural horizon, the sculpture may be related to this period.

Исследования многослойного поселения Старый Тартас-1 (Венгеровский район Новосибирской области)

This article presents the evidence obtained from traditional collecting surface materials at the Staryi Tartas-1 site located on the floodplain terrace on the left bank of the Om River opposite the village of the same name in Vengerovsky District of Novosibirsk Region. The works of 2021 enrich our knowledge about the site and elucidate the individual features of material culture among its inhabitants. A fundamentally new pottery form - a bowl - has been observed in the pottery complex which belongs to the Pit-Comb Ware culture. A rare flattened bottom decorated in a typical manner of that culture as well as wall fragments with traces of distinctive smoothing and false textile imprints, and clear imprints of the walking comb stamp have become available. The remains of a ruined workshop for producing stone artifacts with 47 items which may be described as production waste, have been found. In addition, cores, often converted into tools (27 items), knife-like blades (14 items), and scrapers (9 items) have been collected. All items were typical of the stone industry of the Early Metal Age. The collection included individual artifacts of the Odinov, Krotovo, and Andronovo (Fedorovo) cultures. Complexes related to the ethnographic period and associated with the eastern part of Fort Ust-Tartas included fragments of vessels made on the potter’s wheel, containers for storing and preparing food, such as pan, glazed dishes, two sandstone and shale abrasives, two massive sinkers for nets, made on fragments of primitive bricks with double crisscross notches for fastening to the net. These findings prove incorrectness of the attempts to dispute the location of Fort Ust-Tartas on the basis of written sources, which have appeared in the media.

КУЛЬТУРА ДВУХ ЭПОХ В ВОЛГО-ВЯТСКОМ МЕЖДУРЕЧЬЕ. ФЕНОМЕН МАЙДАНСКОЙ КУЛЬТУРЫ СРЕДНЕВОЛЖСКОГО ВАРИАНТА ВОЛОСОВСКОЙ КУЛЬТУРНО-ИСТОРИЧЕСКОЙ ОБЩНОСТИ. ЧАСТЬ 1

The article contains the results of many years of research on the debating problems of the “Volosovо culture” raised by scientists since the 1950s. On the extensive materials of the Mari archaeological expedition, we propose the hypothesis of the cultural genesis of an unique kind of society in the territory of the Middle Volga region at the turn of the Stone Age and the beginning of the early metal age; it was the culture of porous ceramics. By the name of the cluster of the investigated sites (Maidanskoe) the culture is called Maidanskaya; it represents one of the variants of the Volovskaya cultural and historical community.