Stone Axes of the Bronze Age from the Collections of the Museum-Reserve «Arkaim»

Abstract

The article introduces into scientific discourse eight stone axes and their fragments from the collections of the Regional State Budgetary Institution of Culture “Chelyabinsk State Historical and Archaeological Museum-Reserve “Arkaim”. The materials were discovered at multi-layered archaeological sites, located in several areas of the Chelyabinsk and Orenburg regions: the fortified settlements of Alandskoye, Zhurumbai and Kuisak, the Kalmytskaya Molel’nya burial ground and the settlement of Kamennaya Rechka I. The axes were analyzed in terms of their petrography, typology and functional purpose. As a result, seven objects were classified as axes of the Kabardino-Pyatigorsk type, two of them were models. One of these tools was classified as the axe with a grooved handle. The use of local raw materials indicates local production of axes. The main production techniques were splitting, picketing and grinding with stone abrasive. Items, made of soft material, were worked with a metal blade. Two axes were broken during production, two objects had traces of use after breakage, and there were no signs of utilization of other items.

Keywords

• archaeology
• southern trans-urals
• late bronze age
• stone axes
• kabardino-pyatigorsk type
• stone axes with a grooved handle
• use-wear analysis
• petrography