New Abashevo Culture Sites in the Steppes of the Southern Trans-Urals

Abstract

The article deals with the new sites of the Abashevo culture identified in the steppe region of the Southern Trans-Urals. At the settlements Konoplyanka 2-2 and Zarya-1 the excavations identified areas of the Abashevo cultural layer. At the Bolshaya Berezovaya-2 settlement, materials from the Abashevo culture were distinguished within a assemblage of a later period. The pottery assemblage of settlements is represented by Abashevo culture wares (in its Ural variant) without features of syncretism and without signs of the Sintashta culture. These new sites were identified within the territory of unfortified settlements from later Bronze Age periods, with the specific feature of being located on different parts of the same sectors. Moreover, in the steppe zone of the Southern Trans-Urals, a distinct pattern has been noted in the location of Abashevo culture settlements: they are consistently situated on the opposite bank, directly across from fortified Sintashta-period settlements. The spread of Abashevo culture sites in the steppes of the Southern Trans-Urals can probably be linked to the search for and exploitation of copper ore deposits. The short-term existence of Abashevo settlements located near the Sintashta fortified settlements was possibly caused by the strengthening of the Sintashta centers of the Southern Trans-Urals.

Keywords

• archaeology
• southern trans-urals
• steppes
• bronze age
• abashevo culture
• sintashta culture
• settlements
• fortified settlements