Stone inventory of the site complex “Koksharovsky Hill sanctuary — Yuryinskoe settlement” (based on materials of excavations in 2013 and 2015)

Abstract

The article presents detailed statistical, typological and mineralogical characteristics of stone products from the “Koksharovsky Hill sanctuary — Yuryinskoe settlement” complex of sites derived from the excavations of A.F. Shorin conducted in 2013 and 2015. By these excavations, the eastern part of the sacred space of the sanctuary and the adjacent to it section of the settlement Yuryinskoe were investigated. A noticeable admixture of the Mesolithic (16.35 %), as well as Eneolithic and Bronze Age stone products (1.4 %), was found within the complex. The main body of the stone complex of items belongs to the Neolithic (82 %). The technology of stone knapping was focused on obtaining 1.2–2.1 cm wide plates. The plates were processed mainly by ventral retouching, and they served as the initial semi-finished product for manufacturing knives, arrowheads, scrapers and points. Double-sided retouching was used to process arrowheads and knives. Adzes, axes and arrowheads were made by means of abrasive technique. Processing tools were represented by hammers, pestles, bumpers, retouchers, abrasives and grinding plates. Talc products were widely used. Non-utilitarian items were represented by two talc and quartzite discs, and a miniature talc “iron”. About 30 types of mineral raw materials, obtained mainly from local sources, were used on the site. Of these products, 30 % have preserved the primary (prevalently tile-like) crust.

Keywords

• middle transurals
• koksharovsky peat bog
• mesolithic
• neolithic
• eneolithic
• stone tools
• primitive technique
• mineral raw materials