Tyragetia (Dec 2019)
Следы бронзолитейного производства на западной окраине древнего Киева / Traces of bronze casting production on the western outskirts of ancient Kyiv
Abstract
: The article presents the results of researches of the remains of a bronze casting workshop of the 11th century, which was discovered as a results of scientific and rescue archaeological excavations conducted in 2008 by the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The area where the excavations were carried out, in ancient Rus’ time, was far beyond the city limits – in the historical area called “Kudryavets”, not far from the western outskirts of Kyiv – “Kopyrev konets”. During the excavations, fragments of ancient Rus’ structures deepened into the mainland ground were found, a kind of industrial complex – a workshop for manufacture copper and bronze. The main chronological indicators were fragments of pottery of the early 11th century. The most interesting findings in the workshop were fragments of more than 300 crucibles of various shapes and sizes, which were used in the smelting of bronze and copper. A significant number of them are very well preserved. Several large fragments made it possible to fairly accurately reconstruct them and determine their true dimensions. There were also found the remains of raw materials: fragments of copper and bronze products, cuttings, other metal scrap and foundry waste in the form of a large amount of slag. Analysis of the materials found in the workshop shows the process of recycle non-ferrous metal scrap into copper or bronze ingots weighing from 2 to 10.50 kg, which were used for casting new products. Large bells and rivets for bronze cauldrons could be made here. In the 11th century, the studied workshop was located outside the city fortifications, at a considerable distance from residential buildings, due to the fire hazard of production.
