The earliest iron smelting sites in the Altai Republic: New data from the Yustyd River valley

Abstract

Аннотация. Статья посвящена древнейшим памятникам черной металлургии Горного Алтая. Публикуются новые радиоуглеродные даты из долины р. Юстыд, доказывающие существование железоплавильных технологий в I в. до н. э. -I в. н. э. Проведенные исследования позволили предположить синхронность крупных хуннских керамических и железоплавильных печей в долине р. Юстыд. Делается вывод о том, что генезис черной металлургии в Горном Алтае связан с расширением Хуннской державы, в результате чего юго-восточные районы Алтая были включены в центрально-азиатский ареал распространения хуннских металлургических традиций.Ключевые слова: металлургия железа, эпоха раннего железа, Горный Алтай, хунну, хунно-сяньбийское время, радиоуглеродное датирование * Исследование выполнено за счет гранта Российского научного фонда (проект № 18-78-10076).

Potentiality of Charcoal as a Dendrochronological and Paleoclimatic Archive: Case Study of Archaeological Charcoal from Southeastern Altai, Russia

“…The available radiocarbon age constraints are due to obtaining 30 dates for charcoal fragments from hearths in the Chuya-Kurai province (Supplementary Table S1): 18 dates for samples from the Chuya valley (Kuektanar mouth); 11 dates for charcoal from the Yustyd Valley, including a sample from a Hunnu pottery kiln; and 1 more date for samples from the Turgun valley (Figure 2). The radiocarbon dates confirm the timing by different authors, who place the use of bloomery hearths in the Chuya-Kurai province within the ancient Turk (late 5th century BC through 11th century AD [30,32,47] and, possibly, Hunnu (2nd century BC through 450 AD) [31,39] periods.…”

“…Unlike the Kuektanar samples, the in-slag charcoal fragments scattered at the terrace toe and near the excavation sites of Ziniakov [29] in the Yustyd valley can be only provisionally attributed to specific furnaces. The dates were published previously [39,47,72] and are cited in Supplementary Table S1. The dates of IGANAMS 7165 and IGANAMS 7166 are reported for the first time.…”

“…The dates of IGANAMS 7165 and IGANAMS 7166 are reported for the first time. [39,47,72] and are cited in Supplementary Table S1. The dates of IGAN AMS 7165 and IGAN AMS 7166 are reported for the first time.…”

“…Some inslag charcoal samples scattered on the ground near the hearths of different types show similar ages older than the box-shaped furnaces. The synchronicity of the samples indicates that the Hunnu kiln and some iron-smelting hearths from the Yustyd valley were operated during the same time span [39]. [30][31][32]47,73] and are cited in Supplementary Table S1.…”

“…Excavations by Ziniakov [29] revealed two types of bloomery furnaces in the Chuya-Kurai province: widespread box-shaped hearths of the Kosh-Agach type (see above) and a few hearths with an oval-shaped back wall were found in the Yustyd valley, which were possibly made in the Hunnu (Xiongnu) time, 2nd century BC to 5th century AD [39].…”