Ceramics of the Early Iron Age from the Sites of Lake Tukh-Emtor: Results of Technical and Technological Analysis

This article presents the results of studies on ceramics from the Vasyugan and Sarov stages of the Kulai culture (5th century BC–5th century AD) from the archaeological complex at Lake Tukh-Emtor. Located in Vasyuganye on the left bank of the Middle Ob region, the site includes several settlements containing Kulai ceramics. Using a historical and cultural approach, a technical and technological analysis of ceramics from three sites was conducted. The primary objective was to identify cultural traditions in the selection of raw materials and the preparation of pottery paste, to examine the impressions of the ornamenting tools and understand the features of the working edge, and to compare the results obtained. It was found that all vessels were decorated with several tools, and items decorated with similar tools were identified at different sites. It has been established that highly sanded, iron-rich clays were used in the settlement of Tukh-Emtor II, clay with a medium iron content, and in Tukh-Sigat IV and VII, clay with medium and low iron content. Analysis of the composition and characteristics of natural inclusions in the raw material indicates different but similar clay deposits, apparently taken from the shore of a reservoir, likely Lake Tukh-Emtor. Two traditions were identified in the use of mineral inclusions in pottery paste preparation: 1) without the addition of mineral inclusions; 2) with chamotte. In four settlements, Vasyugan-type ceramics, which comprise chamotte, make up 26.5 %, while Sarov ceramics account for 36 %. Overall, the tradition of making ceramics without mineral inclusions prevails. Kulai sites in the Tomsk region are characterized by the addition of broken stone to the pottery paste, while chamotte is typical for the Priket region. In Vasyuganye, a third tradition has been identified—preparing pottery paste without mineral inclusions. This enables the determination of the direction of population contacts during the study period. In particular, the presence of chamotte vessels in Vasyuganye indicates an influx of people from Priketye with different skills in preparing pottery paste during the Vasyugan and Sarov stages. The small number of ceramics, compared to those of the Bronze Age, clearly indicates that the population of this area in the early Iron Age was relatively small.

early Iron Age, ceramics, Kulai culture, Vasyugan, raw material, molding masses, ornament