The settlement of the final stage of the Early Iron Age in the northern taiga zone of Western Siberia (Pur River basin)

Abstract

The article introduces into scientific discourse the new data on the final stage of the Early Iron Age from the Voento area on the Kharampur River. A detailed description of the materials from the Voento 9 and 11 settlements is provided, including the analysis of pottery, stone tools, and of the structure of the buildings. An additional objective was the use-wear analysis of stone tools to determine their functional purpose. It has been established that in the 2nd–3rd centuries AD, a small group of people lived in the Voento area in above-ground dwellings with shallow foundation pits. Despite their ability to process non-ferrous metals and the availability of iron tools for such operations as curing skins and woodworking (bone processing), they commonly used tools of a rather archaic appearance, made of quartz, less often flint. Pottery found in the settlements differs significantly from the Kulayka ceramics widespread in Western Siberia during that period. The comparative analysis has shown that the cultural traditions of this group of people were different from the Kulayka ones.

Keywords

• north of western siberia
• final stage of the early iron age
• ceramics
• structure
• stone tools
• experimental use-wear analysis