Hunting of Game Fowl by the Russian Population of the Tarsky Irtysh Region in the 17th-19th Centuries: written and archaeological sources

Bird hunting as a type of economic activity of the Russian population in the 17th—18th centuries is analyzed on the basis of archeozoological collections and complexes from the cultural layers of rural sites. The composition and ratio of different types of commercial birds, methods of passive and active hunting are determined. The results obtained are compared with written sources of the 19 th century and archaeological materials from other regions. As part of the inventory of archaeological sites, in addition to the bow and arrowheads, a set of clay balls of different sizes and weights was identified, which were used as projectiles for slingshot in hunting flocking birds.

Ceramic and Stone Bread Stamps of Taurica. To the Question of the Allocation of Stylistic Groups

Introduction. Among the liturgical objects of the Byzantine Christian cult, liturgical bread stamps make up a special category. Despite the fact that they have become widespread on the territory of the Byzantine Empire since late antique and early medieval times, for medieval Crimea they remain a rare find. The source base of the work consists of 34 ceramic and limestone bread stamps, discovered in different years in almost all regions of medieval Taurica. Of these, only 3 copies were not introduced into scientific circulation, which greatly simplifies the work and avoids unnecessary repetitions. Bronze and wooden bread stamps, which have a pronounced originality, are not considered in this work. Methods and materials. The standard methods, which usually involved for the study of archaeological materials, are used in the work: stratigraphic, typological, and comparative. Analysis. Despite the fact that each bread stamp found on the peninsula has individual features, the work for the first time made an attempt to distinguish several stable stylistic groups. The main criterion is the design features of the objects and the arrangement of the elements forming the composition. Results. The data obtained made it possible to conclude that today we can talk about 8 groups in which stamps of different morphology are presented. The chronological scope of the occurrence and the period of existence of each of these groups is different. Archaeological complexes are also different, where products of a particular group were recorded. In quantitative terms, the groups are also not uniform. Some of them form single specimens of prosphores, others are more numerous.

The First and Second Gostiny Dig Sites in Tobolsk

This article continues a series of papers dedicated to introducing in the scientific discourse materials ob-tained during archaeological investigations of the cultural layer of Tobolsk — the main city of Siberia during the Russian colonization. In the course of investigation of the First and Second Gostiny dig sites, laid at the walls of Gostiny Dvor, there were recorded 24 structures of residential and economic purposes, dated to the period from the 17th to the 19th centuries on the basis of planigraphic and stratigraphic analyses and finds. The residential timber structures were single-storeyed, with saddle notch type corners (“v oblo”) with tails. Beside the houses, there were root cellars. A representative collection of finds is related to the houses: animal bones; breakage of stoneware, chinaware, and glassware; fragments of terracotta, enameled, and polychrome tile, as well as objects made of bone, leather, bark, and wood, mainly dated to the 17th — beginning of the 19th century. The most common mate-rial, amounted to several thousand items, was represented by pottery shards — pots, ewers, jars, and pans, which were used for food cooking, food storage, as well as for other everyday purposes. The porcelain ware is associated with the tea ceremony and is mainly represented by fragments of saucers, and sometimes those of drinking cups, bowls, and teapots. By the provenance, two groups of the porcelain have been identified — Chi-nese and Russian, with characteristic makers marks and patterns. The collection of iron items consists of knives, bridle bits, door hinges, latches, nails, hooks, and fragments of scissors. The leather footwear is represented by one-piece leather-hide shoes, high boots, and shoes with iron heeltaps. Another category of the finds is represented by bone combs, which were ordinarily used not only by women, but also by men. The numismatic collection com-prises 36 Russian coins and a counter pfennig struck in the workshop of Johann Adam Dietzel (master 1746–1768) in Nuremberg. The copper articles are represented by five baptismal cross pendants and by a find unique for the Siberian region — a gilded panhagia of a copper alloy with a sliding finial, several liturgical inscriptions, and images, including those of the Crucifixion, the Holy Trinity of the Old Testament, and the Mother of God of the Sign. In ge-neral, the archaeological materials of the digs show that this quarter of the uptown of Tobolsk was part of the resi-dential and commercial housing of the town, while its residents had a relatively high level of material wellbeing.

Spatially resolved LA-MC-ICPMS strontium isotope microanalysis of archaeological fauna

The analysis of the strontium isotope composition of archaeological materials can provide important information about the mobility of a range of mammals, including humans. The basis of this method is that, prior to any postburial diagenesis, the Sr87/Sr86 ratio of bone and teeth reflects the geological environment from which food and water were sourced while these biominerals were forming. Teeth are particularly amenable to tracing the geographic origins of humans as they mineralize during the first 12–13 years of life (White and Folkens, 2005) and do not subsequently change strontium composition after this time (Schweissing and Grupe, 2003). Strontium isotope analysis can be used to determine if individuals are local or nonlocal by comparison to the isotopic composition in and around their burial location (i.e., Schweissing and Grupe, 2000; Bentley et al., 2007; Conlee et al., 2009). In order to quantify the extent of faunal mobility, the strontium isotope composition of biominerals from fossil samples needs to be compared with a regional map of values obtained either from local faunal material (Price et al., 2002) or from analysis of the bioavailable component of strontium from plants, regolith, or bedrock (Capo et al., 1998).Strontium isotope analysis has been extensively applied to the determination of archaeological mobility, as reviewed by Price et al. (2002), Budd et al. (2004), Bentley (2006), and Montgomery (2010). Although studies of Paleolithic or older archeological material are rare, some have been undertaken on hominins (Sillen et al., 1995, 1998; Richards et al., 2008; Copeland et al., 2011) and faunal material (Horn et al., 1994; Copeland et al., 2010; Britton et al., 2011).Enamel has been shown to be the most favorable material for strontium isotope analysis based on its ability to resist postburial alteration far better than dentine, cement, or bone (Trickett et al., 2003). Enamel of some species grows over extended periods and, when analyzed with microprofiling or laser ablation analysis, can be used to reconstruct comprehensive life histories. This approach demonstrated the seasonal mobility of cattle in Iron Age Britain (Horstwood et al., 2008), Neolithic Germany (Bentley and Knipper, 2005), and England (Viner et al., 2010).

Zhangjipo site excavations’ history (1955-1992)

The article examines the question of the need to study the history of excavations at archaeological sites of ancient China, in particular at the largest burial ground of the Western Zhou era (1027-771 BC) - Zhangjiapo. Archaeological materials are the closest in time source for the history of the period. They not only confirm and supplement the reports of written sources on the political and social history of the era, but also provide new materials for the analysis of the economy and everyday life of the general population, which is not the object of description in written sources. In the first part, the author reveals the features of the source base of the era and points out a number of restrictions in conducting archaeological excavations and the further publication of their results. Then she proceeds to a brief description of the Zhangjiapo monument and reveals the stages in the history of its excavations, which allows us to answer the question about the reasons for the fragmentary excavations of the monument.

«Upper Rutha» / «Kunbulta» is the largest ancient funerary monument of the koban archaeological culture in the Digor gorge of the Central Caucasus.

В статье рассматриваются археологические материалы, обряд захо- ронения, погребальные сооружения Верхнерутхинского / Кумбултского некрополя ко- банской археологической культуры, расположенного в высокогорной части Ирафско- го района РСО-А, приводятся новые данные по элементам погребальной обрядности населения, оставившего этот памятник. The article examines archaeological materials, burial rite, burial structures of the Verkhnerutkhinsky / Kumbult necropolis of the Koban archaeological culture, located in the mountainous part of the Irafsky district of the RSO - Alania, provides new data on the elements of the funeral rite of the population who left this monument.

CHRONOLOGY OF RAMPARTS IN EASTERN CRIMEA (2015-2018 EXCAVATIONS)

Статья посвящена результатам работ автора на оборонительных валах Восточного Крыма в 2015-2018 гг. В ней кратко изложена история изучения этих объектов, рассматривается археологический материал, полученный в процессе работ, и делаются некоторые предположения относительно времени и обстоятельств возникновения этих масштабных сооружений. The paper reports on excavations conducted by the author on defensive ramparts in Eastern Crimea in 2015-2018. It summarizes the history of the excavations on these fortifications, examines archaeological materials obtained during the excavations and provides some suggestions on the period and the circumstances concerning these impressive constructions.

Woodworking tools of the Bashkirs in the XVI I– XVIII centuries (based on the data of archaeological and written materials)

The subject of this research is the woodworking tools of the Bashkirs in in the XVII– XVIII centuries. The goal lies in examination of the tools used by the Bashkirs for wood processing during the XVII – XVIII centuries leaning on the archaeological materials obtained in the course of exploration of Aznayevo settlement and Berekovo rural localities. The article also involves the written record of the authors of the late XVIII sources and the data of historical-ethnographic researcher of later periods. The research relies in the comprehensive approach of the available archaeological, written and ethnographic materials; as well as descriptive, historical-comparative methods, and analysis of real sources. This article is first to examine the woodworking tools used by the Bashkirs in XVII – XVIII centuries. The archaeological collections allows establishing that the Bashkirs used axes, knives, scraper, graver and drill for wood processing. For basket weaving from bast and birch bark was used the curved awl. According to the written sources, the woodworking tools also included adzes and chisels. The explored archaeological and written materials allow concluding that the woodworking tools of the XVII – XVIII centuries continued to exist among the Bashkir population until the XIX – early XXI centuries, which is proven by the results of historical-ethnographic research.