Pottery Complex Research Articles

3D imaging application to the study of the early Neolithic ceramic complex: the decorated pottery of Rio Tana (Abruzzi, Italy)

This study aims to demonstrate the potential of 3D analysis in the study of prehistoric ceramic complexes. Due to the production systems used, prehistoric pottery decorations can vary significantly. Examining the frequency of various decorative methods used at different sites may help identify areas potentially connected to specific traditional elements. However, this is usually a cumbersome and time-consuming task. 3D digital methodologies can bring several advantages in the interpretation of ceramic decoration, providing new tools that can improve analytical skills, speed up the decision process, and support the researcher’s conclusions. This work focuses on the application of these methodologies to the study of decorated ceramics from the Neolithic site of Rio Tana (Abruzzo, central Italy): firstly, a pottery complex from this site has been 3D digitised; then, an interactive and web-based 3D visualisation system has been developed to enable access and study of these digital data. By comparing archaeological data with experimental data, in parallel with the analysis of 3D models’ surfaces, it has been possible to better define the technique employed and quickly identify the type of tool used to create the ceramic decorations. Furthermore, the web-based system made it possible to share and disseminate the digital dataset with the community, creating the conditions to make it easier to compare the frequency of different decoration methods and tools used at Rio Tana with other sites.

청동기시대 無文土器의 分類에 관하여

This research reviews the purposes and methods of the classification of Mumum pottery discussed in the Korean Bronze Age research until now and argues the need for a basic classification system that considers various features, such as shape, production technology, and function. Mumun pottery has been classified based on the shape of the rim and the decorative patterns engraved at the rim of the pottery to identify the spatial and temporal aspects of the material culture of the Korean Bronze Age. There has been research on the socioeconomic aspects, such as the production and distribution of Mumum pottery, but most of them focused on specific vessels, such as the Red burnished pottery, or vessels with certain sizes that are thought to be utilized for storage purposes. To explain an aspect of a certain society through pottery, information on the total population of the pottery of the group should be assumed. The production and distribution of each pottery should be understood within the basic classification system that covers the vessel types, proportions, usage, and production technology within the production system of the group. Therefore, this research argues for the need for a total and cumulative basic classification system that considers the shape-technology-usage of pottery. This research classifies the vessel shapes of the Mumum pottery complex of the Daepyung-ri site, Jinju, which is a large settlement located in the Nam-river basin, based on the size and shape of the vessels, to establish a basic classification system of Mumun pottery. As a result, it has been observed that Mumun pottery with different shapes was produced and the proportion, the time of use, and the area of usage were different for each period. Finally, this research emphasizes the significance and need of the basic classification system of Mumun pottery by examining research cases based on the basic classification system dealing with issues such as the technological tradition within a group, the spread and expansion of technology between different groups, the estimation of a group’s social boundary, and issues relevant to social change.

Китайский фарфор из русских памятников Омского Прииртышья XVII–XVIII веков в археолого-историческом контексте Западной Сибири

The archaeological study of Russian sites of the Modern age on the territory of Western Siberia is currently one of the steadily developing areas in Russian historical science. Representative materials on various aspects of the material culture of Russian Siberians have been accumulated. The written sources 17th–19th centuries it is in conditions of fragmented so the archaeological sources are the basis for studying certain categories of artifacts that have social and cultural significance. These include, in particular, Chinese porcelain dishes. In the Omsk Irtysh region, as part of the Western Siberian macroregion, three Russian archeological sites of the 17th–18th centuries have now been well studied: the Tara fortress, Ananino-I and Izyuk-I, and Chinese porcelain has been find on all of them. This paper examines the prerequisites for the appearance of this type of product in the region; the available materials are analyzed in a chronological and artistic-technological context, analogies with other Russian archeological sites of Western Siberia are given; written sources containing information about the use of this type of utensils by the population of the region are considered. This made it possible to determine the place of Chinese porcelain in the pottery complex and its potential as a dating source for the cultural layers of Russian settlements in Western Siberia during the specified period.

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.

НОВЫЕ ДАННЫЕ О НЕОЛИТИЧЕСКОМ ГОНЧАРСТВЕ НИЖНЕГО ПОВОЛЖЬЯ

The article presents data on newly discovered ceramic complexes obtained during archaeological research of the Neolithic sites of the Lower Volga region (Taskuduk, Priozernaya, Algay) in 2021-2022. The results of statistical, morphological and technical-technological analysis of ceramics made it possible to compare the ancient pottery production in different landscape zones of the Lower Volga region: the semi-desert Northern Caspian region and the steppe Lower Volga region. New radiocarbon data obtained at the Isotope Research Laboratoryof the Russian State Pedagogical University in the name of A.I. Herzen (St. Petersburg), and drawing analogies with other well-known sites in the region (Tenteksor, Zhe-Kalgan I, Varfolomeevskaya site) allow us to consider the newly discovered complexes as simultaneous and attribute them to the Late Neolithic.Morphological analysis of pottery complexes belonging to different cultures made it possible to reveal both common features (shape of vessels, flatness, decoration of vessels with pricking and indentation, presence of thickening on the inside of the rims) and differences (shape of pricks, ornamental compositions and motifs). The Neolithic materials of the Lower Volga region can be united within the framework of the Lower Volga cultural-historical community (LVCC) with division into regional cultures: Orlovskaya, Dzhangar, Kairshak-Tenteksor (Seroglazovskaya), which have signs of a common origin, common patterns of development and cultural interaction during all the Neolithic. The researchers revealed the existence of an early Neolithic center of the origin of pottery in the Lower Volga region, traced its evolutionary development and regional characteristics, reconstruct the archaic (pre-pottery) ideas of the ancient population about silts as a raw material for the production of dishes. In contrast to the Northern Caspian, where archaic traditions of silt selection were preserved even at the late stage of the Neolithic, in the steppe Volga region the new types of raw materials, such as silty clays and clays, appeared simultaneously with the traditional types and then became widespread. Identification of the causes of this phenomenon (climate changes or the emergence of new groups of the Neolithic population) requires further research.

Zavodoukovskoe 11 — a fortified settlement of the Late Bronze Age of the Trans-Urals

This publication is aimed at introducing the Late Bronze Age materials obtained during the five-year excava-tions of the fortified settlement of Zavodoukovskoe 11 located in the forest-steppe area of the Tobol River basin. This is the first site of the Pakhomovskaya Culture with defense structures. The aim of the analysis of its materials is their comprehensive characterization and determination of their place among the Andronoid antiquities of the Late Bronze Age. In the paper, the methods of planistratigraphic observation, relative and absolute dating, and typological and traceological determination of artefacts have been used, as well as statistical analyses in the study of the pottery. The Late Bronze Age complex comprises remains of six structures, most of the pits beyond their boundaries, and defense lines represented by the earthwork of a mound and two non-contemporaneous ditches. The buildings investigated at the settlement of Zavodoukovskoe 11 can be characterized as frame-and-pillar semiburied dwellings (half-dugouts?) of a rectangular or square shape, with an entrance porch or with an additional chamber — a housekeeping area, as well as with the inground hearths delineated by grooves. These housebuilding elements bear a similarity with the materials of other Pakhomovskaya Culture sites. The Late Iron Age toolset of Zavodoukovskoe 11 bears evidence of a population engaged in fishing, metalwork, leathermaking, pottery making, spinning, and stone working. The faunal materials and fishing items suggest that the economy of the Pakhomovskaya population was complex, combining elements of producing and procuring. The pottery com-plex of Zavodoukovskoe 11 is a peculiar one and combines ornamental traits of two cultural traditions — Pakho-movskaya and Suzgun. The high density of wire staples, rows of vertical impressions, and horizontal lines formed by comb stamp impart a Suzgun flair to the ceramics of Zavodoukovskoe 11. The similarity of the pottery of this site with both Pakhomovskaya as well as Suzgun pottery materials may indicate its transitional nature, the direct succession between the two Cultures. On the basis of the existing chronological margins for the Andronoid Cul-tures, radiocarbon dates from the Zavodoukovskoe 11 site, and specifics of its pottery complex, it has been sug-gested that this fortified settlement likely was functioning in the 13th–12th centuries.

Eneolithic pottery complex of the settlement of Pyakupur 3 (north of Western Siberia)

In this paper, a unique pottery complex of the Eneolithic period from the settlement of Pyakupur 3, located along the upper course of the Pur River in the sub-zone of the northern taiga, has been analyzed. The aim of this research is to establish cultural traditions of the population who left the settlement behind and to determine the place of the materials within the current system of historical and cultural types identified in the north of Western Siberia. The material for the research is represented by morphological traits of the pottery and by some elements of the pot-tery technology as a manifestation of the cultural traditions of the populations who inhabited the headland of the ter-race of the Pyakupur River in the Eneolithic period. In total, 38 vessels have been included in the analysis, most of which are represented by fragments of the original walls and bottoms; only eleven containers had a collared rim. For the purpose of this work, conventional methods of archaeological research were employed: morphological, statisti-cal, and typological. Furthermore, technical and technological analysis of a part of the collection was carried out with the aid of a binocular microscope MBS-10 following the method of A.A. Bobrinsky. The pottery features the following basic traits: decorated, smaller, and thin-walled vessels. Among the shapes, a significant proportion of cymbiforms stands out, with the rest of the vessels being round-bottomed and one pot — a cup with a ridge. As the ornamenta-tion tools, crested (predominant) and smooth stamps were used, rarely profiled (wire staple), although they practi-cally are not found side by side on the same vessel. The main technique of the ornamentation was embossing. At the level of elements and motifs, presswork and horizontal rows predominate; a significant percentage in the compo-sitions is represented by geometrical patterns. The compositions are more often complex, combining several motifs. It has been found that the pottery of the settlement of Pyakupur 3, exhibiting considerable idiosyncrasy, closely re-sembles the wares of forest-tundra and tundra settlements, rather than the complexes of the northern-taiga Yasun-skaya Culture or antiquities of the middle taiga of Western Siberia, suggesting some cultural affinity of the popula-tions inhabiting these remote from each other territories. However, chronologically, Pyakupur 3 precedes the sites of Gorniy Samotnel 1, Salekhard 1, Ust-Vasyegan 1, and the later, still Eneolithic, settlement of Vary-Khadyta II. The paucity of the source base from the territories of the basins of the rivers Pur and Taz yet does not allow one to an-swer multiple questions following from this conjecture.

Archaeometric investigations of the Molali pottery complex (Bronze Age, Uzbekistan): New data on technology and exchanges at the end of the Oxus Civilization

The recent excavations at the site of Molali, located in southern Uzbekistan and dated to the mid-second millennium BCE, offer new insights into the definition of the Final Bronze Age pottery complex in southern Uzbekistan and the technological and stylistic links between the potting traditions of the various cultural groups at this period. An archaeometric study has been conducted in order to characterize the various wares, investigate the compositional variability of the ceramic assemblage, and determine the provenance of the raw materials. The results from a combination of techniques (Wavelength Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence, X-Ray Diffraction, and thin section Optical Microscopy) allowed us to identify a local pottery production of wheel-made fine ware and to determine the local/regional origin of the handmade, coarse, shell-tempered ware. Exchange relationships with ‘steppe’ populations have been confirmed; they involved not only vessels (coarse rock-tempered pots) but also pottery traditions (specific ‘steppe’-like decorations on pots of regional origin). Although not numerous, they are nonetheless evidence of large-scale connections between the settlements in the Surkhan Darya valley and other peripheral cultures and areas in the mid-second millennium BCE. The diversity of fabrics (use of various raw materials and different technological processes) is also discussed regarding the choices made for intrinsic material properties required for specific functions, highlighting the strong expertise and management acquired by the potters for the production of diverse ceramic functional categories.

Tarkhansky Ostrog of the 17th−18th centuries: a study based on the materials of geophysical and archaeological research of 2020−2021

The paper is aimed to introduce into scientific discourse materials of the research of 2020–2021 which con-firm the earlier conjecture on the location of the Tarkhansky Ostrog as on the butte at the confluence of the Tobol and Tap Rivers. The results of the geophysical surveys and excavations on the area of 168 sqm provided conclu-sive evidence towards the correctness of the preliminary argument on the location of the Ostrog and attribution of the materials of the early modern period to one of the first fortresses of the end of the 16th — beginning of the 17th centuries in the Lower Tobol River area. Uncovered remains of a palisade ditch and a wall, alongside the geomagnetic data and written sources, allow estimation of the shape and size of the burgh. Apparently, it had a subrectangular area of 1400 to 2000 sqm. The discovery of the palisade ditch provided the opportunity to render the location of the outpost and position of the turrets (“the fortress with a wooden palisade and two turrets”) at the western wall of the burgh which defended the less sloped, thus underprotected, as compared to the opposite, edge of the butte. The cutting by the palisade ditch of the remains of a thermal engineering structure with Russian ware in the filling and a series of bronze decorations shows that the chronology of the butte occupations and its stratigraphy, even within the Russian period, were significantly more complex than it appeared on the basis of only the written sources. A series of posts, probably belonging to the fence (wall?), with some of the associated pits disturbed by the palisade ditch and thermal engineering structure, belong to an object of an earlier period. It is not implausible that the remains of the fence-wall belong to the Tatar’s settlement of Tarkhan-Kala, whose loca-tion was associated by G.F. Miller with the Russian burgh positioned not far from the estuary of the Tura River, on the south-eastern side of the Tobol River. A representative pottery complex, comprising the fragments of at least 156 vessels, likely of the local produce, alongside the shards of Chinese porcelain ware, was unearthed in the excavation ditch of 2021. Some shards of glassware were found. Among the iron tools, noteworthy are a spade-iron, broken knives, a key, an arrowhead, hinges, a bracer, fishhooks, stab awls, sewing needles, and nails of various sizes. Of the bronze items, notable are a chest handle, an onlay, bronze decorations, lead bullets, and coins. Clay fishing weights and honing stones, alongside the aforementioned items, shed light on the occupations of the burgh residents. The complex of the obtained data allows conclusion on the viability of further investigation of the outpost: its layout and lifestyle, and material culture of its inhabitants during the period from the 17th to the middle of the 18th century.

Chemical Analysis of prehistoric pottery complex of Valcorrente - Sicily (Italy)

Abstract This paper is aimed at studying different pottery sherds excavated in the site of Valcorrente, located in Sicily, occupied in three main periods, dating respectively to the end of the Neolithic period, to the end of the Chalcolithic period, and to the Early Bronze Age. The chemical composition of the pottery sherds has been analysed with Ion Beam techniques at AGLAE facility at Centre de Recherche et Restauration des Musées de France and the results have been treated with principal component analysis in order to extract indications about the ceramic production technology in the area and the evolution in time.

Некоторые результаты технико-морфологического анализа керамики среднего неолита юго-западного побережья Байкала (по материалам стоянки Падь Долгая II)

This article presents the results of a technical and morphological analysis of Middle Neolithic pottery from the multilayered site Pad Dolgaya 2 that located on the southwestern coast of Lake Baikal. The pottery collection includes 574 fragments from at least 13 vessels. It has been established that the raw material for all the pottery of the layer was heavily sandy, ferruginous clay with a natural admixture of sand and fine quartz. The composition of the molding mass is mainly free of artificial additives. In 5 cases, inclusions were recorded, presumably being fireclay. Different traditions were noted in the processing of the outer surface of the vessels (knocking out with a smooth, corded or ribbed spatula). The basis of the complex is the Posolskaya pottery with an external thickening of the rim. Vessels are mostly of complex, closed shape. Probably their bottom is pointed. Corolla diameters vary from 22 to 28 cm; in one case - 10 cm. The shards are dense and thin. There is evidence that the vessels were made using patchwork molding, probably on base molds (string prints are noted on the inner surface of one of the vessels). All units are ornamented; the pattern was located along the rim and in the upper part of the vessel. Vessels with a relief thickening of the rim, decorated in the classic embassy tradition, predominate in the findings. On a number of vessels (while retaining the main features characteristic of the Posolskaya type), there are tendencies towards simplification of the ornamental scheme and leveling of the thickening of the rim. Together with the Posolskaya ceramic type, fragments from a vessel with imprints of a braided net were found. The combination of the Posolskaya and reticulated types of pottery in one complex is noted at all stratified objects of the Middle Neolithic of the Baikal region. The studied pottery complex is similar in composition and main technical and morphological features to materials from stratified Middle Neolithic sites in the Upper Angara region. The dating of complex of the cultural layer II of the Pad Dolgaya 2 site (Posolskaya ceramic type) is based on stratigraphic observations, analogies with the materials of reference objects in the Baikal region, and radiocarbon AMS dating. As a result, it was found that the studied complex belongs to the Middle Neolithic and is dated within 6750– 6310 cal BP.

Black-glazed pottery of Olbian suburban estates (excavations of 2003-2017 years)

Black-glazed pottery takes a prominent place among many categories of archaeological material from Olbian suburban estates and settlements.
 Utensils from the estates Shiroka Balka (Broad Hollow) 6 (οικος) and Shiroka Balka (Broad Hollow) 7 (χωριον) are presented in various forms and types: for drinking wine (kantharos, kylix, cup-skyphos), dining (bowls, saltcellar bowls, saucers, plates), cosmetic (askos, lekanis) and lamps date back to the end of the VIth – IVth centuries B.C. We would like to note that the complex of black-glazed ceramics from the chorion in composition and duration of existence is slightly different from the findings of homestead (οικος).
 Of particular interest is a complex of black-glazed pottery excavated on the homestead (οικος), which is represented by whole forms, mainly from the family burial site (35 copies). The earliest utensils – kylix by analogy with the materials of Athenian Agora are represented by utensils of the late VIth – Vth centuries B.C.
 Among the black-glazed utensils, which were excavated on the suburban estates, the Attic ones, typical for ancient cities and settlements not only of ancient Greece, but also of the whole Black Sea coast, prevail.
 The analysis of the Attic black-glazed pottery complex gave an opportunity to clarify the chronology of the existence of not only the Shiroka Balka (Broad Hollow) 6 / homestead (οικος) and Shiroka Balka (Broad Hollow) 7 chorionic villus sampling (χωριον) estates, but also of the whole pottery complex, in particular which was previously impossible to date in more detail.

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.

THE RESEARCHS IN THE MIDDLE DNIESTER BASIN IN 2009—2019

The paper deals with the course of exploration of the multilayered archaeological sites of the Middle Dniester within the Kamianets-Podilskyi district of Khmelnytskyi region.
 During 2009—2014 P. Boltaniuk (Head of the «Museum of Antiquities» sector of the Kamianets-Podilskyi State Historical Museum-Reserve, hereinafter — K-PSHMR) and I. Starenkyi made a number of explorations on the multilayered site Kamianets-Podilskyi, Tatarysky (Trypillia culture, Chernyakhiv culture, Kievan Rus age) near the Smotrych village.
 In 2012 O. Mohylov (Senior Research Fellow, IA NAS of Ukraine) and P. Boltaniuk have explored the multilayered site Malynivtsi on the left bank of the Dniester (Early and Middle Trypillia, Late Chornolis, Early Scy­thian culture, antiquities of the Middle Ages — Modern age).
 In 2019 the study of this site was continued by the expedition of the K-PSHMR (authors and P. Boltaniuk) which also made further exploration along the left bank of the Dniester River to the Zhvanets village which permits to survey the sites Malynivtsi, Popivskyi Yar (Trypillia, Early Iron Age, Cherniakhiv, Kievan Rus antiquities), Babshyn (Trypillia A, Chernyakhiv culture), Braga (destroyed).
 The authors’ main focus was on the analysis of Middle Trypillia findings from the Kamianets-Podilskyi, Tatarysky and Malynivtsi sites of the BII stage. Firstly the characteristic ornamental features of the pottery were identified. The mapping of the site to the second phase of the Mereshovka local-chronological group was justified.
 Concerning the settlement of Malynivtsi the analysis of the pottery complex made it possible to trace the main features of the first phase of the Shypyntsi group and the influences of the Mereshovka ornamental traditions. As a result we managed to attribute the site to the Shypyntsi-Mereshovka contact area.
 The history of the study of these monuments is described, the materials obtained are analyzed, the attention is paid to the problems and prospects of studying and preserving the monuments.

Pottery of the late 16th — first quarter of the 18th c. from the Sofia yard of the Tobolsk Kremlin and the Upper town: comparative morphological analysis

The article presents morphological analysis of ceramic complexes from excavations in 2006 and 2017 in the city of Tobolsk. The pottery came from two areas: the Tobolsk Kremlin and the Upper town (9 Oktyabrskaya st.). Within this research, we aimed to conduct comparative analysis of morphology of the tableware from these sites to assess its similarities. From the two areas, 2261 ceramic fragments have been analyzed, and 200 vessels (counted by rims) from the late 16th c. — first quarter of the 18th c. layers have been identified. By the production technology, the dishes are non-glazed, made mainly on the pottery wheel. Hand-made ceramics have also been found in small quantity (less than 2 %). The assemblage is dominated by pot-like dishes (94.5 %). The proportion of cupped dishes is small. Other types of dishes (large pot, washbasin pot) have been found in single numbers. Based on the appearance of rims and necks, three types of pots and five types of bowls have been identified. Comparison has been made between the diameter of the mouth and the type of pot. Further examined were the frequency of occurrence of dishes with different colors and type of surface treatment, dimensions of bottoms, frequency of adding of sand to the surface of the pottery wheel. The assemblages have been compared to the late medieval ceramics of the northern, north-western and central regions of Russia, as well as the Urals and Siberia. Comparisons have been also made with the results of other studies of the Tobolsk ceramics. Statistics show that the pottery complexes are very similar to each other, both in large groups (pot-shaped and cup-shaped ware) and by other parameters (color and type of surface treatment, rim shape, mouth and bottom size, the ratio between types and diameters of pot mouths). Differences have been identified in the proportion of higher quality light gray dishes, being 2.5 times larger in the territory of the Upper town than in the Sofia yard. The difference is also expressed in proportions of the three types of pots. Type I prevails in the territory of the Upper town, and types II and III — in the Sofia court. Bowl-shaped dishes are diverse (3 types) and are present in both parts of the town. The quality light gray and black-glazed vessels of this type have been classified as tableware, partially for the lack of traces of soot. With this classification, the proportion of bowls defined as tableware constitutes 3 %. Comparison of the assemblages with the late medieval pottery from other regions of Russia revealed close analogies. But in terms of the general range of dishes, Tobolsk stands behind the cities of the European part of the country.

Pottery complex of the Bronze Age burial ground of Kulevchi VI: typology and technical-technological analysis

This paper presents the results of the typological study and technical-technological analysis of the pottery complex from the Late Bronze Age burial ground of Kulevchi VI (Southern Ural, Russia). The typological analysis of 107 objects yielded 10 types of the vessels correlated with four cultural and chronological groups: Petrovka; Early Alakul; Alakul and Alakul-Fedorov. The presence of all designated groups and types of vessels in the burial ground indicates functioning of the necropolis during the whole period of existence of the Alakul Culture: types IА, IБ and IВ — the formation stage of the actual Alakul Culture associated with the pottery of the Petrovka type of the sites; types IIБ, IIВ, III — the golden age of the Alakul Culture; and type IIГ — the late stage of the Alakul Cul-ture, reflecting the engagement with sub-cultural groups of the Fedorovskaya population. The technical-technological analysis using the method developed by A.A. Bobrinsky revealed the pottery skills of the population making different types of vessels. Amongst the studied population, only natural clays were used for pottery. The molding composition included organic additives and talcum gruss, and sometimes also chamotte. One program of constructing of the clay blank, the vaulted bottom type, has been identified, and the use of the patchwork spiral applique has been recorded. The surface of the vessels was smoothened and subjected to glazing. The firing of pottery items was carried out in fire-pits and hearths. Close similarity of the potters’ skills at different stages of pottery making has been observed for the items of the Petrovka, Early and Classical Alakul and Alakul-Fedorov Cultures. Correlation of the collected information with the known data on the ceramics of the Petrovka and Alakul types demonstrates commonality of the skills possessed by these groups of the population of Southern Ural and Northern Kazakhstan. On the basis of similarity of the pottery-making technologies of different chronological groups of the burial grounds of Kulevchi VI, it has been established that the development of the pottery-making traditions of the population was taking place within affinal groups. The similarity of the pottery traditions and gra-dual evolution of the Petrovka, Early Alakul; Alakul and Alakul-Fedorov groups allow considering them within the framework of the same phenomenon — the Alakul Culture.

Pottery from the Vak-Kur cemetery of the Yudina Culture (based on materials from excavations 3–6)

Researchers associate the medieval archeological artifacts of the Middle Trans-Urals, whose pottery bears cord impressions, with the Chiyalik, Molchanvo and Yudina Cultures. Despite the large number of artifacts that have been studied, many questions remain open. These include the status, chronology, and interaction of the Molchanovo and Yudina antiquities, as well as the evolution and specifics of their pottery complexes. Publication and analysis of the ceramic collections from Vak-Kur, the largest burial ground of the Yudina Culture, contribute to addressing some problems related to «the Corded Ware cultures». The Vak-Kur burial ground is dated to the 10th–11th centuries based on the assemblage of the associated goods. It is located in the south-eastern part of the Yudina Culture areal, on the right shore of the Tobol River. For all the time of excavations in the area of the ne-cropolis, 220 burials have been studied. The dead were buried in shallow pits according to the ritual of inhuma-tion, on their backs. A specific feature of the funeral ritual is breaking of a part of the accompanying equipment and use of funerary masks. Decorative and morphological features of 143 Yudina vessels have been examined. The tableware has been categorized according to four topographic groups after excavations 3 to 6. It has been noted that, despite the similar shapes of pots, and ornamental proportions and patterns, the pottery from excava-tions 3 to 6 demonstrates a different frequency in use of such elements in the décor as the cord and figured stamps. The biggest differences were detected between the ceramic artifacts found in excavations 4 and 6. It was suggested that the differences in décor between pottery from different excavations are determined not by their asynchronous nature, but by the existence of several tribal sites in the area of the Yudina necropolis. The com-parison of ceramic collections from the Vak-Kur burial ground with those from the medieval burial and settlement sites of the Yudina Culture showed that the pottery from the necropolis is most closely related to collections from the Plamya Sibiri 6 and 7, and Antonovo 1 settlements located in the Tura River basin. These sites were dated by their investigator to the earlier period (6th to 9th centuries) and attributed to the Molchanovo Culture. Based on the significant similarity between the pottery of the named sites and the dishware of the 10th to 11th centuries from excavation 4 of the Vak-Kur burial ground, a revision of the chronology and cultural attribution of these sites has been proposed.

The Sarov complex on the Singul Lake

The paper presents the results of the study of the Sarov complex in the Roza Vetrov VII settlement, located in the forest-steppe Tobol River Region (Western Siberia). The Sarov stage of the Kulayka Culture terminates the Early Iron Age and dates to the 1st c. BC — 3rd c. AD. The dwelling represented by a hut-like superstructure used by fishermen during the spawning period of the warm season is described. Also characterised are the tools in-cluding pestle, grindstone, and a fragment of the casting form. The pottery complex reflects all specific features of the Sarov stage ware — the monotony of the ornamental composition, which consists of multiple repetition of rows of the combed stamp and waves, downswept rims. The characteristic of the sample is the complete absence of figured stamps in the ornamentation. The time of migration of the northern taiga population into the sub-taiga and forest-steppe zones of Western Siberia is based on the chronological position of the Sarov sites and specifics of the historical and cultural situation in the present region in the end of the Early Iron Age. The Sargatka Culture, which was spread in the territory of the forest-steppe Trans-Urals, existed until the end of the 2nd — early 3rd c. AD. The Sarov complex of the Ayga VIII settlement is attributed to the 3rd c. AD; the burials of the multicultural Kozlov burial ground, where the Sarov pottery has been found, are dated to the 3rd–6th c. AD. The spread of the Sarov population occurred from the Surgut area of the Ob River Region or the Lower Irtysh River Region along the main water arteries — the rivers of Irtysh, Tobol, Tura, Iset — from the 3rd c. AD. The Sarov materials of the Roza Vetrov VII settlement could be dated to the same time. The Sarov population took part in the genesis of the early medieval cultures of the forest-steppe and the sub-taiga Trans-Urals. Bakal Culture inherited from the bear-ers of the Sargatka Culture the pottery ornamentation technique, while from the population of the Sarov and Kar-ym Cultures — the shape of vessels with a whisk and cornice sloping inside. The influence of the northern taiga population can also explain the spread of fortifications with bastions in Tobolo-Ishim Region.

Мстинско-Моложская группа древностей середины I тыс. н. э. на Волго-Балтийском водоразделе

A separate cultural and chronological Msta-Mologa group of sites of the mid-1st millennium AD was defined through the available archaeological evidence, in the area of the Volga-Baltic watershed. Pottery complexes from two regularly investigated settlement-sites — Troitsa 1 and Ovsishche 1, are the main markers of this group. The mass material is similar to the pottery distributed in the Moshchiny culture and late Dyakovo settlements in the Upper Volga region. The initial territory of the new population, according to the evidence of pottery and other finds, possibly was that of the basin of the Upper Mologa (left tributary of the Volga). The presence of derivatives of the pottery of the Msta- Mologa group in the burial monuments of the culture of Pskov long barrows in this region suggests that the population of the group under consideration dissolved in the massif of that early mediaeval culture.

Ecological patterns and use of natural resources during the neolithic of the south of the Iberian Peninsula: An update from the 6th to 4th millennia cal BC sequence of Dehesilla Cave

This paper presents the archaeobotanical and archaeozoological data of the 6th to 4th millennia cal BC sequence recently documented at Dehesilla Cave, and puts forward an interdisciplinary approach to the significant ecological patterns from this key archaeological site in the Southern Iberian Peninsula throughout the entire Neolithic period. Resultsindicate an ecological scenario characterised mainly by oak and wild olive forests, and human populations with agricultural practices and herds of mainly sheep and goats. However, this general panorama must have undergone several remarkable fluctuations.The first Neolithic populations of Dehesilla Cave, dated around the mid-6th millennium cal BC and linked to the Mediterranean impressa pottery complex, do not yet display evidences of agriculture, while all of the subsequent Early Neolithic levels indicate a model of small-scale populations with a mixed economy but still with a greater component of livestock.The second quarter of the 5th millennium cal BC shows a marked accentuation of the monoculture of naked wheats, which could have been related to the transition from an intensive to an extensive farming system. This may have entailed a selective pressure on the environment, leading to a large deforestation spanning the second half of the 5th millennium cal BC and the constitution of relatively open thermo-Mediterranean forests with a physiognomy similar to that of the dehesa.These ecological patterns are discussed within a review of the current state of the art of the use of plant and animal resources by the Neolithic human populations in the southern regions of the Iberian Peninsula.