Assortment of Non-Ferrous Metal Products from the Early Iron Age in the Settlement of Isetskoye 3 in the Lower Iset River Area

Abstract

Metal production in the Trans-Ural region in the Early Iron Age is known mainly from materials from the Itkul and Sargat cultures. The article introduces into scientific circulation the largest collection of objects (80 items) made of non-ferrous metal of the Baitovo culture of this period from the settlement of Isetskoye 3, located in the Lower Iset river area. The purpose of the study is to morphometrically characterize and determine the complex typology, as well as to conduct a comparative analysis with synchronous materials. The studied series of items includes weapons (arrowheads), labor tools (knives, a celt, an awl), elements of horse harness (a fragment of a bit), toilet items, jewelry (a mirror, rings, plaques), etc., as well as slags, ingots, and waste bronze foundry production. Preliminary conclusions on production technology were obtained, indicating that stone and clay molds were used for casting. The authors experimentally tested the hypothesis, which was not confirmed, on the possibility of using wooden knife models in the manufacture of clay casting molds. Signs of forging and abrasive casting processing were recorded on several metal objects. Based on their typology and the identified analogies, it was concluded that the complex is characteristic of the Scythian-Siberian cultures and can be dated back to the 7th – 6th/3rd centuries BC, which testifies to the contacts and connections of the Baitovo population with both the western (Itkul) and the eastern metallurgical centers. The presence of slag, a significant amount of bronze casting waste, and mold fragments confirms its local nature, which, however, does not exclude the import of some metal products from other territories.

Keywords

• western siberia
• lower iset river area
• early iron age
• baitovo culture
• non-ferrous metal products
• morphology
• typology
• comparative analysis