Introduction

Since 1999, the Ugra archaeological expedition of the Institute of History and Archeology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Ural State University (Yekaterinburg) has been studying archaeological sites in the big bend of the river. Endyr River, a left tributary of the Lower Ob River, 71 km south-southeast of Nyagan in the Oktyabrsky district of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug of the Tyumen Region (Fig. In the inner loop of the bend is also the settlement of Endyrskoe VIII. It occupies a section of the left-bank above-floodplain terrace of the river. It is a 2.0 - 3.5 m high endyr, overgrown with coniferous forest and covered with a forest floor of mosses, wild rosemary and coniferous litter. The monument is located on the tip of a promontory that gently descends from northwest to southeast into the swampy floodplain of the river. The boundaries of the settlement generally coincide with the configuration of the cape, although they will inevitably be clarified in the course of further excavations. Two large housing depressions are clearly visible on the surface of the terrace. One of them, surrounded by a very sprawling rampart-shaped embankment, is located at the tip of the cape. The study of this object by excavations is difficult due to the proximity of groundwater. Another depression marks the northwestern border of the settlement.-

1. Location of the Endyrskoe VIII settlement (A) and excavation plan for 1999-2005 (B).

page 53

2. Plan and profile of a late Bronze Age dwelling. 1-modern podzol and forest floor; 2-Early Iron Age cultural layer; 3-Late Bronze Age cultural layer; 4-dark gray sand on the floor of Bronze and Iron Age dwellings; 5-brown sand; 6-calculus; 7-buried podzol; 8-mainland; 9-perekopy and inversions of trees; 10-burnt blocks and poles; 11-metal drops; 12 - fragments of crucibles; 13-bilaterally processed stone tools; 14-a fragment of an arrowhead.

research institute. It is surrounded along the perimeter by a rather high rampart (1.1-1.5 m), and from the northwest and northeast-by an intermittent moat, the presence of which made it possible to classify the dwelling as a fortified one.

In 1999-2005, the central part of the settlement was excavated and 427.5 m2 of the cultural layer was studied (Fig. A wide variety of archaeological sites have been found on this square: the remains of a Bronze Age workshop (Koksharov and Pogodin, 2005), seven Early Iron Age dwellings, one medieval one, and a bronze (or iron?) burial site. centuries and 33 burials of the XIV/XV-XVI/XVII centuries [Zykov and Koksharov, 2006, pp. 116-117, 119-124]. In the studied part of the settlement, there were isolated fragments of ceramics with cross ornaments dating back to the end of the Bronze Age. However, only in 2003 it was possible to unearth the remains of a structure from this time. It was located 12 m south-south-east of the fortified dwelling (Fig.

This paper is devoted to the materials of the transition period from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age. They represent a fairly" clean " archaeological complex, since almost two-thirds of the finds are associated with housing. The new data allow us to correct the characteristics of the material culture of the taiga population of Western Siberia during this period and, I hope, will attract the attention of specialists studying the problems of the ancient history of the region.

Description of detected objects

The remains of a transitional structure from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age were found in the north-western part of the monument at uch. A-G / 13-16 and were not traced before the excavations*. It was found out that after the building ceased to function, a small pit appeared in its place. In the Early Iron Age, another dwelling was built in it, the floor of which was located 5-10 cm above the base of the Bronze Age object.

The structure was built on the ground, no more than 10 cm deep in the buried soil (Figure 2). Its outlines were traced on two levels: -81... -82 and -86... -87 cm**. In the plan, the structure had the shape of a rectangle

* Zykov A. P. Report on exploration in the Oktyabrsky and Sovetsky districts of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug of the Tyumen Region in 1999. Yekaterinburg, 2000. - Archive of the IIA of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ph. D. 68.

Zykov A. P. Research report: Excavations of the Endyrsky II burial ground in the Oktyabrsky district of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug of the Tyumen Region, conducted in 2002. Yekaterinburg, 2003. - Archive of the IIA of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ph. D. 95.

** Here and further, the depths are given from conditional zero.

page 54

measuring 5.2 x 3.3 (3.4) m, the long sides are oriented along the NE-SW line. There were no signs of exiting the building. This structure is associated with fragments of burnt poles, recorded near the western corner and in the middle part of the south-eastern wall. Two fragments of a burnt log (pillar?) they lay near the center of the north-eastern wall (uch. V / 14) at the level of the buried podzol. There was also a hole from the pillar, filled with bright red calcined sand. Another hole with calcined sand was in the northeast corner.

On a flat floor (level -85... -86 cm) in the central part of the structure, a brown spot measuring 1.38 x 1.00 x 0.04 m was recorded. It has been repeatedly observed that such spots occur at the location of open bonfires (see, for example, Chemyakin and Koksharov, 1984, p. 117; Borzunov and Chemyakin, 1994, p. 188).

Description of finds

Despite the small size of the object, it contains a large number of finds.

Fragments and ruins of 18 vessels, fragments of two crucibles, three drops of metal and individual stone products were collected here. Dishes found outside the boundaries of the object do not form clusters and are usually fragmented.

Ceramics

According to their purpose, ceramics can be divided into household (30 copies) and industrial (2 copies). Morphological and technological features of household ceramics. It is represented by pots with round and flat bottoms, separated by 25 corollas and 5 walls, as well as fragments of two individual containers. Pots have straight (11 specimens) or arched (14 specimens) necks. The latter, in turn, can be divided into weakly (5 specimens) and strongly (9 specimens) curved ones. At the base of the necks at the place of transition to the shoulders, ledges are repeatedly fixed (Fig. 3,2, 5; 4, 5) or shallow grooves and grooves (Fig. 3, 1, 4; 4, 3, 8). In one case, the neck was fitted with an adhesive roller formed over a pre-prepared groove (Fig. 4, 2).

3. Ceramics of the Atlym culture from the filling of the dwelling (1, 4, 5, 7) and from the inter-dwelling space (2, 3, 6). Endyrskoe VIII.

4. Ceramics of the Atlym culture from the first dwelling. Endyrskoe VIII.

page 55

The preservation of the material made it possible to make a graphic reconstruction of the vessels (see Figs. 3-5) and set their parameters. For 12 copies. the diameter of the corolla was measured (from 14.4 to 30.5 cm), and the height of five of them was measured. For 4 copies. the first indicator exceeds the second, i.e. these vessels are squat. Along with medium and large-sized dishes, fragments from two small containers were found (Figs. 5, 3).

Almost a third of the vessels were repaired: through holes are visible on the necks and walls. Perforation was usually carried out along the pits, where the wall thickness is minimal. In addition, the collection contains fragments of a flat bottom with through holes made on raw clay with the end of a round stick. Broken dishes were not thrown away, but collected in the structure in question, where they were used for a second time. On the bottoms of five vessels marked from one to three deep cuts (some of them through), resulting from sharpening (?) some long, narrow objects (see Figures 3, 4a; 4, 10a). Judging by the characteristic traces of harmony, individual shards served as scrapers. The presence of slagged fragments in the collection indicates their use in foundry production.

Ceramics are characterized by a thin-walled structure (4-5 mm) and careful processing of the walls before polishing. The clay contains an admixture of sand and crushed stone chips (granite?), which is found in combination with chamotte. For 6 copies. the impurities are visually indistinguishable.

Ornamentation of dishes. The outer surface of the vessels is covered with an ornament made with figured stamps in the form of an oblique, rarely straight cross, a snake and a comb. The patterns are sparse with belts of pits that form "pearls"on the inner side. Among the features, we can note the decor made with a cross stamp in the indentation technique (see Fig. 4, 8, 9), as well as a failure when applying the ornament, when the master unexpectedly switched from the printing comb technique to the "walking" one (see Fig. 3, 4).

Ornamental compositions consist of three zones, which are also distinguished morphologically. This is the neck, shoulder with mulberry and bottom part. The boundaries between zones are marked by rows of pits. Despite the use of the same shaped stamps when decorating all dishes, there are differences in the choice of ornaments, their combination and a set of patterns. Oddly enough, morphologically different vessels - pots with straight and slightly curved necks - show more similarity in decor than, say, the same type with arched necks. Thus, we can talk about two groups of ceramics that differ in their ornaments.

On the dishes of the first group, there is a fairly standard filling of ornamental zones, often separated by chains of pits. These are one - or four-row belts of cross prints, interspersed with rows of pits (see Figs. 3, 4, 7), cross prints arranged in a staggered order and forming zigzags or rhombuses (see Fig. 3, 1; 4, 2 - 4, 7, 8, 10; 5, 7, 8, 10, 11). Rows of pits are applied over dense cross patterns. In the bottom part, there are one or three belts of inclined comb impressions separated by chains of pits (see Fig. 3, 1,4; 4, 1,8, 10); in one case, the comb stamp was replaced by a cross stamp (see Figs. 3, 7), and only a few snake impressions were found in the bottom zone (see Figs. 5, 11).

A special feature of the ceramics of the second group is the use of a so-called trickle stamp for its ornamentation, which left an impression on the surface in the form of a not quite clear wave. The decor of dishes is subordinated to horizontal zoning. The area under the corolla is highlighted in the form of po-

5. Ceramics of the Atlym culture from the interhospital space. Endyrskoe VIII.

page 56

Spectral analysis of metal from the Atlymsky dwelling of the village. Endyrskoe VIII*

N

Sample

Si

Sn

Pb

Bi

Ag

Zn

As

Sb

Fe

Ni

Co

Au

1

Drop (uch. B / 15, dwelling)

Osn.

<0,003

0,004

0,006

0,25

0,03

0,4

0,07

0,04

0,02

<0,0004

0,009

2

The same thing

"

0,013

0,005

0,05

0,1

0,06

0,3

0,2

0,02

0,03

<0,0004

0,007

3

Drop (uch. V / 15, dwelling)

"

0,003

0,01

0,04

0,14

0,04

1

0,08

0,02

0,05

<0,0004

0,004

* Atomic emission spectrometric analysis of the metal was performed at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry SB RAS.

a yask made of slanted snake or comb prints. The middle part of the neck is covered with cross prints arranged in a staggered pattern, which form simple and complex zigzags (see Fig. 3, 2, 3; 5, 4, 9), rhombuses (see figs. 3, 5; 5, 2) or imitate a grid (see figs. 4, 5). Only in one case, the neck is decorated with an ornament in the form of a braid (see Figs. 5, 6). These patterns are limited from the bottom and top to one or two belts of impressions of a combed or" trickle " stamp, over which rows of pits are often applied (see Fig. 3, 2, 3, 5; 5, 2, 4, 6, 9). On the shoulder and torso, elements characteristic of the middle part of the neck are repeated. Vertical zigzags (see Figs. 5, 4), rhombuses (see Figs. 3, 5), and multi-slope stamp prints are limited to horizontal lines and are perceived as elegant ribbons (see Fig. 5, 2, 4, 9). On the shoulder of one vessel, a fragment of a zigzag with stepped branches is preserved, which are usually referred to as meandroid patterns (see Fig. 4, b). The bottom zone differs sharply from the above-mentioned ones by a herringbone pattern of multi-slope prints of "trickle" and combed stamps (see Fig. 3, 5; 5, 4).

Non-cultural ceramics. The collection includes a flat-bottomed pot, which differs from the rest in the nature of the ornament (see Figs. 5, 5). Its diameter at the corolla is 15 cm, height is 13.8 cm. The vessel is made of well-cured clay with no visible impurities. The wall thickness is 3.5 - 4.0 mm. They are covered with carbon deposits on the inside and outside.

The pattern is applied with a comb stamp and the end of a round stick. The ornamental composition is subordinated to the morphological features of the vessel and is divided into three zones: the first - on the neck, the second - on the shoulder, and the third - in the lower and bottom parts of the body. On the neck under the rim of the corolla is a belt of inclined stamp prints, below-two rows of horizontal "comb", covered with a belt of pits, then a zigzag and three more rows of horizontal "comb". There are two zigzags on the shoulder with symmetrical branches from the tops. The negative of the ornamental field between zigzags and branches is a meander, known from the decorative work of the taiga Ugrians and Samoyedic peoples of northwestern Siberia under the names " hare's ears "and" pike's teeth " (Koksharov and Ermakova, 1992, p.15). The ornament of the bottom zone is very sparse - two belts of an inclined "comb" and the same number of horizontal chains of pits. This zone is separated from the previous one by three rows of horizontal" combs", the middle of which is covered with pits.

Industrial ceramics. It is represented by the fragments of two crucibles found in the dwelling. The products were made of clay with a high content of sand. The flat edge of one crucible is decorated with smooth stamp impressions. Unfortunately, the available fragments are too small to talk about the shape and parameters of objects. A fragment of slagged ceramics and three drops of metal found in the hearth (uch. B/15, level -85 cm) and on the floor of the building near its eastern wall (uch. B/15, level -84 cm) indicate that they were engaged in foundry production. Spectral analysis of the metal shows an increased content of arsenic and silver; an admixture of antimony was found in one sample (see table)*.

Stone products

Seven stone objects** were found within the excavated structure, but not all of them can be associated with it with complete certainty. This is due to the proximity of objects from the earlier Bronze Age and Neolithic periods to this structure, and it is impossible to exclude the inclusion of early products in it. Only three bilaterally processed tools are simultaneous with the considered ceramic complex. Two more items related to the time of the building's existence were found outside its borders. These are so-called stone blocks.

Bilaterally processed tools. One of them (Fig. 6, 3) is made of light brown siliceous rock, has a sub-triangular, slightly asymmetrical shape, and dimensions of 46 x 24 x 6 mm. The body of the tool is treated with a counter flattening retouch. On the narrow end side, cool retouching from the back

* I would like to express my sincere gratitude to A.D. Degtyareva, an employee of the Institute of Problems in the Development of the North of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, for her help in studying metal.

** Description of stone tools was carried out by an employee of PNIAL USU A. A. Pogodin.

page 57

6. Tools made of flint (1, 3) and polished bars (2, 4). Endyrskoe VIII.

designed the scraper blade. The working edge is straight. Intense wear is even visually recorded on the edge. Most likely, the tool was used in the handle, for which the sides were blunted from the abdomen by edge retouching. 6, 7) is made of gray siliceous rock. Its shape in plan is willow-leaved, the end of the feather is slightly asymmetrical. Item dimensions 62 x 18 x 5 mm. His body is treated with a counter flattening retouch. The weapon was probably used as a knife. Its edges are blunted by an opposite edge retouch; the nozzle is decorated with a blunting retouch located on one side. The third item is represented by a fragment of the body of an arrowhead. The size of the fragment is 16 x 15 x 6 mm, the cross-section is lenticular, the surface is treated with a counter flattening retouch.

Stone blocks. They were preserved in the wreckage. Both are made of soft stone rocks by grinding and had a sub-rectangular shape in plan and cross-section (Figs. 6, 2, 4). The dimensions of the preserved part of the red-brown bar are 74 x 25 x 7.5 mm. On a wide plane at the ends, shallow transverse cuts were preserved. For the other bar, a granular rock with pyrite inclusions was selected. The dimensions of the wreck are 39 x 34 x 10 mm.

Discussion of materials

The cultural and chronological identity of the studied structure is determined by the appearance of ceramics and accompanying finds.

According to the features of molding and decoration, tableware belongs to the Atlym culture of the taiga Ob region [Vasiliev, 1982, Fig. 2, 3, pp. 7-11]. In the 1990s, due to the discovery of monuments of this culture in other taiga regions, the northern part of the Lower Irtysh region and the Konda River basin were included in its area [Glushkov and Zakhozhaya, 2000, p. 30].

Based on absolute dates obtained from coal from the Maloatlym settlement's cultural layer (3,100 ± 120 (Ki-991), 2,910 ± 90 (Ki-998) BP) [Kovalyukh, 1980, p. 18], E. A. Vasiliev limited the time of existence of the Atlym culture in the XII-VIII centuries BC.E. [1982, pp. 7-11]. This conclusion is not contradicted by the radiocarbon date for the Atlym layer of the Barsova Gora settlement I/22a - 2840 ± 40 BP (LE-1546), i.e. IX century BC (Chemyakin and Koksharov, 1984, p. 126, 129). The proposed dating of Atlym antiquities does not raise objections from other researchers [Lashuk and Khlobystin, 1986, p.49; Epoch..., 1987, p. 295-296; Chemyakin, 1989, p. 66; Borzunov, 1992, p. 130].

The presence of the VIII inokulyur pot in the Atlym complex of the Endyrskoye settlement indicates the direction of relations between the local population during the indicated period. When searching for analogs of this find, attention is drawn first of all to the original square wave on the shoulder of the vessel and the method of its execution. Unlike classical Greek, such a meander is common in a more limited area - in the regions of Western Siberia and Kazakhstan adjacent to the Urals. Its earliest samples are known from Alakul, Fedorovskaya, and Amangelda vessels (Sorokin, 1962, Table IV, 74; Stokolos, 1972, Fig. 25, 3; Zdanovich, 1973, fig. 4, 4]. The meander is formed by ribbons made by segments of a dragged or printed "comb". Later, this pattern is found on the ceramics of the Pakhomovskaya and Suzgun andronoid cultures (Korochkova et al., 1991, Fig. 3, 7, 17; Glushkov and Zakhozhaya, 2000, Fig. 48, 7]. It is interesting that in the manner of execution it is similar to the Endyr one, since it was also "read" on the negative of the ornamental field of combed ribbons with symmetrical branches from them. A similar meander, but made not by a ribbon pattern, but by separate stamp impressions (smooth, wavy), is found on Cherkaskul and Lozva ceramics [Shorin and Krutskikh, 1984, Fig. 3, 8; Viktorova, 1970, Tables 1, 9; Sladkova, 1991, Fig. 2; Koksharov, 1991, p. 99, fig. 2, 48]. However, the most complete correspondence to it is found in one of the groups of ceramics of the Luchkinsky type. Here it is either made with a printed "comb" or appears on the negative formed by zigzags and branches from them [Glushkov and Zakhozhaya, 2000, p. 101, Fig. 40, 2 - 4; 46, 4]. According to I. G. Glushkov, the ceramics of the Luchkinsky type on the Irtysh and Lozvinsky on the Konda "reflect one cultural and typological horizon, elongated in the latitudinal direction...

page 58

south of which (emphasis added - S. K.) is the Yelovsko-Suzgunsky typological horizon, synchronous in time to the taiga one" [1991, pp. 101-102]. Other researchers define the Luchkino I-type complexes as Suzgun-Lozva (Galkin, 1989, p.130) or consider them as a northern variant of the Suzgun culture (Stepanenkova, 1995). We can only add that a number of archaeologists admit the existence of indirect contacts between the carriers of the Suzgun and Atlym cultures at the turn of the II - I-beginning of the I millennium BC (Kosarev, 1993, p. 110; Potemkina et al., 1995, p. 131).

The stone tools associated with the structure under consideration are not numerous, but the polished bars with grooves included in its composition are quite typical for settlements of the late Bronze Age period and the transition time from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age. In the Lower Ob region, they were found on the monument of Nizyama VIII [Koksharov, 1991, p. 99, Fig. 2, 46] and Maloatlym settlement [Vasiliev, 1982, Fig. 3, 1, 2], on average - on the monuments of the Barsov and Atlym cultures in the Barsova Gora tract (Barsova Gora, object 107 [Elkina, 1977, Fig. 4, 2, 3], Barsova Gora settlements I / 40 [Chemyakin and Koksharov, 1984, Figs. 5, 10-13], I / 50 [Chemyakin, 1996, Figs. 4, 8, 12], II / 16a [Matveev and Matveeva, 1995, Fig. 2, 3], the Atlym dwelling in the Leopard town I / 10 (Chemyakin and Korotaev, 1976, figs. 2, 8). Currently, there are two views on the purpose of such items: G. F. Korobkova considered them as touchstones for sharpening and straightening knives, awls, light hammers for cold forging metal, processing other stone objects, as well as for grinding and grinding paint (Chemyakin and Koksharov, 1984, p.122, 129). Then these products were classified as fishing sinkers (Koksharov, 1991, p. 99). This opinion was later supported by Yu. B. Serikov, who is referred to in one of the works of Yu. P. Chemyakin [1996, p. 70].

Spectral analysis of the Endyr metal shows an increased content of arsenic, silver and, in one case, antimony. Admixtures of arsenic and antimony bring it closer to the metal of the Atlym foundry workers of the Barsova Gora tract (Barsova Gora III, object 107; Barsova Gora II / 16). The Surgut materials belong to tin-arsenic-antimony bronzes, " probably associated with the chemical and metallurgical group VK (Volga-Kama) "(Kuzminykh and Chemyakin, 1998, p. 114). Meanwhile, experts find it difficult to determine the area of origin of the alloys included in this group, and the nature of the origin of alloying impurities in the form of arsenic and antimony [Chernykh and Kuzminykh, 1989, p. 173]. They note that the area of this chemical and metallurgical group mainly covers Eastern European territories, and samples related to it are extremely rare to the east of the Urals. The oldest products made from such arsenic-antimony bronzes in the centers of the Eurasian Metallurgical Province are associated with the earliest syncretic log-Abashev complexes; they are also numerous in many cultures of the late Bronze Age. This type of alloy was also widely used in the Early Iron Age communities of the Urals (Ananyinskaya et al.) [Ibid.]. It can be added that the existence of links between the population of the Surgut Ob region and its western neighbors is indicated not only by the chemical composition of the metal, but also by the ceramics of the Gamayun culture found in the villages of Barsova Gora II/16 and I/10a (Kuzminykh and Chemyakin, 1998, p.114).

Ceramic material from the Endyrskoe VIII settlement allows us to clarify a number of issues related to the characterization of Atlym antiquities in the taiga Ob-Irtysh region. First of all, this concerns the typology of Atlym ceramics, developed by E. A. Vasiliev and laid the basis for dividing the monuments of this culture into early and late ones.

Until now, researchers have relied on the stratigraphic observations of E. A. Vasiliev, made during the excavations of the Maloatlym settlement*. He examined the cultural layer of the monument with conditional horizons of 10 cm each and identified two types of Atlym ceramics (the entire collection includes fragments of 80-90 vessels), samples of which lay at different levels: the first complex is lower than the second. E. A. Vasiliev attributed pots with straight weakly and strongly profiled necks, decorated with pits and various variants of cross stamp impressions, to type I dishes. Ornamental motifs are represented by rhythmically alternating belts of tightly placed prints of an oblique cross and round pits. Often the rows of holes are replaced by zigzags, triangles, rhombuses made with a cross stamp of a different type. In the upper part of some pots, finger pinches are marked. The compositions are characterized by the division of the ornamental field into horizontal zones [Vasiliev, 1982, p. 8, Fig. 2]. The second type is represented by flat-bottomed pots with an arched neck that has a clear transition to the shoulder. An increase in the number of ornamental elements (due to various types of combed stamp) and ornamental motifs is noted. Geometric patterns in the form of single-and multi-row zigzags,

* In 1999, a survey of the village of Maly Atlym and its environs revealed two more ancient settlements. To avoid confusion, the objects had to be renumbered. As a result, the monument studied by E. A. Vasilev was named Maly Atlym II or Maloatlym II ancient settlement (see [Zykov and Koksharov, 2000]).

page 59

triangles, rhombuses, applied cross stamps, supplemented with Christmas tree compositions made with a comb. On the most recent vessels, an ornament appears in the form of interpenetrating figures. The horizontal zoning of the overall composition is emphasized by several carved or combed belts [Ibid., Fig. 3].

E. A. Vasiliev traced the evolution of Atlym ceramics from early (type I) to late (type II). It reflects the general trends of ceramic production in the north of Western Siberia. However, this scheme, like any other, is intended to pay attention only to the features that, in the opinion of the archaeologist, distinguish this complex from materials from other cultures; it does not provide for any exceptions, for example, the presence of vessels of individual shapes (miniature, non-standard), does not take into account samples of transitional appearance that do not fit into the strict framework of typology. These "deviations" can be observed in the Endyr collection.

The published materials generally fit into the typology of Atlym ceramics, but at the same time they complement the list of its features. The complex presents dishes that do not correspond to any of the types of decorative and morphological features. This is a pot decorated only with belts of holes (see Figs. 4, 1), a sub-triangular cup with a drain, decorated with holes (see Figs. 5, 3), a vessel with deliberately made through holes in the flat bottom. In the Endyr settlement, there is a whole group of vessels that belong to different types in the design of their necks, but are almost identical in the nature of the ornament applied to them (see Figs. 4, 3, 4, 8, 10; 3, 5, and 4, 5). Such findings allow us to correct the conclusion about "stability" of combinations of the form and ornament of Atlym dishes of various types [Ibid., p. 7; Vasiliev, 2004, p. 108].

These inconsistencies do not give grounds to consider the Endyrskoye VIII settlement complex as a kind of derivative of the "classical" Atlym ceramics found in the Maloatlym II settlement layer. First, the distance between these monuments is minimal by Siberian standards, and therefore it is impossible to talk about local differences. Secondly, the Endyr collection is connected with the dwelling, where mass ingress of different-time and non-cultural ceramics is unlikely. The presence of a pot of the Luchkinsky type among the finds indicates contacts of the Lower Ob population with more southern neighbors. Third, it is necessary to take into account the facts of co-occurrence of various types of Atlym ceramics not only in the Endyr, but also in other settlements of the taiga Ob region (for example, the settlement of Barsova Gora II / 16a), which may indicate its synchronicity. However, in this case, a few vessels with the characteristics of Type I ceramics are invariably declared Gamayun, but it is never specified which of the seven local variants of this culture they belong to [Matveev and Matveeva, 1995, p. 61; Kuzminykh and Chemyakin, 1998, p. 114; Chemyakin and Karacharov, 2002, p. 34].

Gamayun dishes of Ural origin are really known in the Surgut Ob region. It originates from the early (Atlym) layer of the Barsov Gorodok I/10 and is characterized by an admixture of talc in clay (Chemyakin and Korotaev, 1976, pp. 53, 55, Fig. 2, 1). However, talc was not used in the manufacture of dishes of the Vagil variant of the Gamayun culture. According to the observations of V. A. Borzunov, the Vagil ceramics have such a significant similarity with some dishes of the Lozva type that they become difficult to distinguish from each other [1992, p. 90]. Thus, another problem is outlined - the lack of criteria for distinguishing between the Vagil and Lozva ceramic complexes in the Ural regions of Western Siberia, if, of course, such complexes have ever existed. In this connection, a completely natural question arises: should Endyr dishes of type I be attributed to the Atlym culture, which, as it turns out, is close to both Gamayun (in the Vagil version) and Lozva? I think so. Proof of this is the presence and simultaneous existence of both types of ceramics in the composition of the studied housing complex. The further away from the conventional "epicenter of culture" a particular monument is located, the greater the uniqueness of the associated ceramic complex. Against this background, the diagnostic features of cultures (and we are talking primarily about ceramics) are blurred, and the areas are amorphous. Due to the presence of two types of ceramics on the Atlym monuments of the lower Ob, as well as transitional dishes that combine the characteristics of both types, we can talk about very close contacts of the population living in the Ural part of Western Siberia during the transition period from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age. The existence of latitudinal connections between taiga fishermen and hunters is also indicated by the distribution of the VK group metal in the Atlym settlements of the Ob region.

Finally, I would like to pay special attention to the key monument of the Atlym culture in the Lower Ob region - the Small Atlym II hillfort, which is most often used by archaeologists. A study of the stratigraphy of the site in 1999 convinced us that the surrounding fortifications - two lines of ditches and the remains of the outer fortress walls in the form of a powerful rampart - belong to the Late Middle Ages. At the same time, an erroneous correlation of the remains of fortifications with Atlym ceramics was noted [Zykov and Koksharov, 2000, p. 115, 120-121]. By the way,

page 60

E. A. Vasiliev himself doubted the correctness of his conclusions regarding the time of construction of fortifications on the ancient settlement: "...connecting the entire Bronze Age complex on Maly Atlym with the ancient settlement, we do this somewhat conditionally" [1982, p. 7]. Fortified settlements of the Atlym culture certainly existed. They were discovered by Tobolsk colleagues on the Chilimka River, a tributary of the Konda in the Lower Irtysh region (Chilimka XIII and XXIII). According to the nature of the defensive structures of the ancient settlements, they are very similar to objects of the Early Iron Age: they have shallow ditches with a depth of 30 - 60 cm and a width of 70 - 150 cm (Zykov and Kok-sharov, 2000, pp. 120-121).

A significant amount of excavation during the construction of the medieval fortifications of the Small Atlym II settlement inevitably led to the destruction of the underlying cultural layer containing Mesolithic, Neolithic, and Early Metal artifacts. Therefore, it is hardly possible to speak about the occurrence of Bronze Age finds in situ. Based on this, we should pay more attention to the distribution of various types of Atlym dishes in the cultural layer of the monument. At the same time, despite the re-presentation of the material, the obtained absolute dates cannot be ignored. In any case, they specify the time of existence of Atlym antiquities in the Lower Ob region.

Conclusion

The small area of the structure in the settlement of Endyrskoe VIII (just over 17 m2) and the concentration of a large number of ceramics in it indicate the non-residential nature of the object. It was used exclusively for economic purposes, but it is unlikely that it was a specialized workshop: there are no traces of pottery production, stone processing, and the remains of foundry production are few and featureless. It should be added that a significant part of the Atlym population possessed the skills of simple casting, which they were engaged in within residential structures [Koksharov, 2006, p. 55]. In the studied object, out-of-use dishes could be stored and repaired, bronze was occasionally melted, and organic materials (leather, wood) were processed. The absence of stone drills for repairing pots in the collection is explained by the fact that the perforation of thin walls was carried out with punchers in the places where the holes were located. Some of the vessels are used as abrasives.

In addition to the studied farm building, the Atlymsky settlement includes a large fortified dwelling located 12 m to the north-northwest of it (see Fig. 1, B). This site has not been studied by excavations, but the lifting material originating from it includes ceramics of the Atlym culture.

Returning to the state of study of taiga monuments of the transition period from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age, we should pay attention to the lack of an exhaustive description of the Atlym culture. The lack of reliable archaeological sources (excavated settlements and burial grounds) does not allow us to move on to solving the main research task - building a model of the Atlym society. Despite its absence, archaeologists, bypassing the source study level of research, are willing to interpret the available sources. However, all their arguments are limited to elucidating the causes and ways of migration of militant "Atlyms" in the Ob-Irtysh region and adjacent areas [Vasiliev, 1980, p. 8-9; Borzunov, 1990, p. 17; Kosarev, 1993, p. 109; Zykov et al., 1994, p. 14]. Meanwhile, problems concerning the Atlym culture are closely related to the origin of ceramics with cross ornaments in the southern taiga and forest-steppe zones of Western Siberia (Krasnoozerskaya, Karkovskaya, Gamayunskaya). There is no consensus among researchers on this issue. Some believe that much remains unclear here [Glushkov and Zakhozhaya, 2000, p. 4]. 40], others hold a diametrically opposite opinion [Korochkova and Ponomareva, 2006, p. 57].

List of literature

Borzunov V. A. Genezis i razvitie gamayunskoy kul'tury [Genesis and development of the Gamayun culture].

Borzunov V. A. Trans-Urals at the turn of the Bronze and Iron Ages (Gamayun culture). Yekaterinburg: Ural State University Press, 1992, 188 p. (in Russian)

Borzunov V. A., Chemyakin Yu. P. Settlements and constructions of Late Bronze Age cultures of the Northern taiga of Western Siberia. Ocherki kul'turogeneza narodov Zapadnoy Sibiri [Essays on Cultural genesis of the peoples of Western Siberia]. - Tomsk: Publishing House Vol. State University, 1994, vol. 1: Settlements and Dwellings. - Book 1. - p. 176-190.

Vasiliev E. A. Migratsionnye protsessy v taezhnoy chasti obskogo basseina v epokhu bronzy [Migration processes in the taiga part of the Ob basin in the Bronze Age]. Tomsk: Publishing House of the Tomsk State University, 1980, pp. 3-10.

Vasil'ev E. A. Severo-Taezhnoe Priobye v epokhu pozdnoi bronzy (khronologiya i kul'turnaya otlichnost ' pamyatnikov) [North Taiga Ob region in the Late Bronze Age (chronology and cultural belonging of monuments)]. Tomsk: Publishing House of the Tomsk State University, 1982, pp. 3-14.

Vasilyev E. A. Atlymskaya kul'tura [Atlym culture]. Tyumen: Sokrat Publ., 2004, vol. 1, pp. 107-108.

Viktorova V. D. Etapy razvitiya figurno-shtampovannoy ornamentatsii na sosudakh pamyatnikov basseyna r. Tavdy [Stages of development of figurative-stamped ornamentation on vessels of monuments of the Tavda River basin]. Tomsk: Publishing House of the Tomsk State University, 1970, pp. 255-270.

page 61

Galkin V. T. Suzgun-Lozva settlements in the Tobolsk-Irtysh region / / West Siberian forest-steppe at the turn of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Tyumen: Publishing House of the Tyumen State University, 1989, pp. 129-136.

Glushkov I. G. Luchkino I settlement-late bronze monument of the lower Irtysh river // Sources on the ethnocultural history of Western Siberia. Tyumen: Publishing House of the Tyumen State University, 1991, pp. 93-103.

Glushkov I. G., Zakhozhaya T. M. Ceramics of the Late Bronze Age of the Lower Irtysh region. Surgut: Ed. - ed. center of Surgut State University. Pedagogical Institute, 2000, 200 p.

Elkina M. V. Poseleniya rannego zheleznogo veka v Surgutskom Priobye [Settlements of the Early Iron Age in the Surgut Ob region]. Sverdlovsk: Ural State University Press, 1977, pp. 104-118.

Zdanovich G. B. Keramika epokhi bronzy Severo-Kazakhstanoi oblasti [Ceramics of the Bronze Age of the North Kazakhstan region]. - 1973. - Vol. 12. - p. 21-43.

Zykov A. P., Koksharov S. F. Atlymskie gorodishchi [Atlym mounds] / / Monuments of Ugra: yesterday, today, tomorrow. Tomsk: Publishing House of the Tomsk State University, 2000, issue 1, pp. 106-123.

Zykov A. P., Koksharov S. F. Excavations of the Endyrsky VIII settlement in 2004 / / Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug in the mirror of the past. - Tomsk; Khanty-Mansiysk: Publishing House of the Tomsk State University, 2006. - Issue 3. - pp. 114-134.

Zykov A. P., Koksharov S. F., Terekhova L. M., Fedorova N. V. Ugric heritage: Antiquities of Western Siberia from the collections of the Ural University. Yekaterinburg: Vneshtorgizdat Publ., 1994, 159 p.

Kovalyukh I. I. Absolute dates to 14 S of the Institute of Geochemistry and Mineral Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR. Tomsk: Publishing House of the Tomsk State University, 1980, pp. 14-18.

Koksharov S. F. Khronologiya pamyatnikov bronzovogo veka Chronology of Bronze Age monuments Kondy / / Vopr. arkheologii Urala [Issues of Archeology of the Urals]. 1991, Issue 20, pp. 92-101.

Koksharov S. F. The North of Western Siberia in the era of early metal //Archaeological heritage of Ugra. Yekaterinburg: Charoid Publ., 2006, pp. 41-67.

Koksharov S. F., Ermakova N. N. Meandrovye uzory na keramike lozvinsky i atlymskogo tipov [Meander patterns on ceramics of Lozvinsky and Atlym types]. Tomsk: Publishing House of the Tomsk State University, 1992, pp. 12-21.

Koksharov S. F., Pogodin A. A. Workshop of the Bronze Age on the Endyr River / / Archeology, Ethnography and Anthropology of Eurasia. -2005. - N2 (22). - p. 100-113.

Korochkova O. N., Ponomareva T. M. Nekotorye shtrikhov k kharakteristike beloyarsk kul'tury [A few strokes to the characteristics of the Beloyarsk culture]. Tomsk; Khanty-Mansiysk: Publishing House of the Tomsk State University, 2006, issue 3, pp. 35-61.

Korochkova O. N., Stefanov V. I., Stefanova N. K. Kul'tury bronzovogo veka predtaezhnogo Tobolo-Irtysh'ya (po materialam rabot UAE) [Bronze Age Cultures of the pre-taiga Tobolo-Irtysh region (based on the materials of the UAE works)]. -1991. - Issue 20. - p. 70-92.

Kosarev M. F. Iz drevnoi istorii Zapadnoy Sibiri: Obshchaya istoriko-kul'turnaya kontseptsiya [From the Ancient History of Western Siberia: A General Historical and Cultural concept]. Moscow: INION RAS Publishing House, 1993, 283 p. (Russian Ethnographer; Issue 4).

Kuzminykh S. V., Chemyakin Yu. P. On sources of non-ferrous metal in ancient cultures of the Surgut Ob region // Sistema zhizneobespecheniya traditsionnykh obshchestv v drevnosti i sovremennosti [Life support system of traditional societies in ancient and modern times]. Archeol. - ethnogr. conf. - Tomsk: Publishing House Vol. State University, 1998, pp. 113-116.

Lashuk, L. P. and Khlobystni, L. I., The North of Western Siberia in the Bronze Age, KSIA, 1986, No. 185, pp. 43-50.

Matveev A.V., Matveeva I. I. A new monument of the transition period from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age in the Surgut Ob region / / Ancient and modern culture of the peoples of Western Siberia. Tyumen: Publishing House of the Tyumen State University, 1995, pp. 53-63.

Potemkina T. M., Korochkova O. I., Stefanov V. I. Forest Tobolsk-Irtysh region at the end of the Bronze Age, Moscow: PAIMS Publishing House, 1995, 208 p.

Sladkova L. N. Model of cultural stratigraphy of the Talia settlement (late Bronze Age) // Experimental archeology: Izv. Laboratories of Experimental Archeology of Tobolsk State Pedagogical Institute. Tobolsk: Publishing House of the Tobolsk State Pedagogical Institute, 1991, issue 1, pp. 29-33.

Sorokin V. S. The burial ground of the Bronze Age of Tasty-Butak I in Western Kazakhstan, Moscow: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1962, 185 p. (MIA; N 120).

Stepanenkova Z. V. Luchkinsky tip keramiki: Epokha pozdnoi bronzy [Luchkinsky type of ceramics: The Epoch of late Bronze]. Tomsk: Publishing House of the Tomsk State University, 1995, pp. 110-111.

Stokolos V. S. Kul'tura naseleniya bronzovogo veka Yuzhnogo Zaural'ya [Culture of the Bronze Age population of the Southern Trans-Urals]. Moscow: Nauka Publ., 1972, 168 p.

Chemyakin Yu. P. Surgutskoe Priobye v epokhu bronzy i rannego zheleznogo [Surgut Priobye in the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age]. Novosibirsk: Novosibirsk State Pedagogical Institute, 1989, pp. 60-74.

Chemyakin Yu. P. Zhilishche epokhi pozdnoi bronzy v Surgutskom Priobye [Housing of the Late Bronze Age in the Surgut Ob region]. Tomsk: Publishing House of the Tomsk State University, 1996, pp. 64-76.

Chemyakin Yu. P., Karacharov K. G. Drevnyaya istoriya Surgutskogo Priobya [The ancient history of the Surgut Ob region]. - 2nd ed. - Yekaterinburg: Thesis, 2002, pp. 7-74.

Chemyakin Yu. P., Koksharov S. F. Poselenie nachala I millenniya B.C. na Barsova gora [Settlement of the beginning of the first millennium BC on Barsova Mountain]. Sverdlovsk: Ural State University Publ., 1984, pp. 115-130.

Chemyakin Yu. P., Korotaev V. P. Mnogosloynoe gorodishche Barsov Gorodok I/10 (k periodizatsii arkheologicheskikh pamyatnikov v Surgutskom Priobye) [Multilayer settlement of Barsov Gorodok I / 10 (on the periodization of archaeological sites in the Surgut Ob region)]. Tyumen: Publishing House of the Tyumen State University, 1976, pp. 49-62.

Chernykh E. N., Kuzminykh S. V. Drevnyaya metallurgiya Severnoi Evrazii (seiminsko-turbinsky fenomen) [Ancient metallurgy of Northern Eurasia (Seiminsko-Turbinsky phenomenon)]. Moscow: Nauka Publ., 1989, 320 p.

Shorin A. F., Krutskikh N. A. Cherkaskulskie mogilniki v Cheliabinskaya oblasti [Cherkaskul burial grounds in the Chelyabinsk region].

The bronze age of the forest strip of the USSR / / Archeology of the USSR. - Moscow: Nauka, 1987. - 472 p.

The article was submitted to the Editorial Board on 25.10.06.

page 62

Permanent link to this publication: