Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia 49 (1) 2021   doi:10.17746/1563-0110.2021.49.1.030-038

Annotation:  Evolution of the Lithic Industry in Central Dagestan During the Early Pleistocene: The Rising Occurr New Evidence of the Late Neopleistocene Peopling of the Lower Ob Valley Cruciform Signs Decorating Paleolithic Bone Artifacts from Cherno-Ozerye II, the Middle Irtysh Area From Ore to Metal: Exploitation of the Novotemirsky Mine, Southern Trans-Urals, in the Second Millen On a Distinctive Feature of the Andronovo (Fedorovka) Funerary Rites in the Baraba Forest-Steppe A Method for Attributing Non-Refi tting Fragments to a Single Artifact: The Case of Bronze Age Flat Three Silver Dishes from Yugra On Early Medieval Contacts of the Urals and Western Siberia with Central Asia: The Evidence of Ceram Composite Belt Ornaments with Bear Claw Pieces in Medieval Men’s Costume of the Perm Region, Western Unfortifi ed Settlements of the Cheptsa Culture (9th–13th Centuries): Ambiguity of Interpretation an Sections of the Early 18th Century Ditch at Fort Umrevinsky The Use of Natural Scientifi c Methods in the Study of Leather Items from Archaeological Excavations Cattle in Buryat Mythology and Ritual Evenki Reindeer Riding Saddle: Certain Principles of Mobility in the Taiga The Consecration of Altars in 17th–21st Century Siberian Orthodox Churches: The Neurosymbolic Aspect The Peopling of the Baraba Forest-Steppe in the Neolithic: Cranial Evidence Morphofunctional Characteristics of Mongolian Children and Adolescents Living in Different Ecologica   

From Ore to Metal:
Exploitation of the Novotemirsky Mine, Southern Trans-Urals,
in the Second Millennium BC

P.S. Ankusheva^{1, 2}, I.P. Alaeva¹, M.N. Ankushev², A.V. Fomichev³, E.P. Zazovskaya⁴, and I.A. Blinov²

¹South Ural State Humanitarian Pedagogical University, Pr. Lenina 69, Chelyabinsk, 454080, Russia

²Institute of Mineralogy, South Urals Federal Research Center of Mineralogy and Geoecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ilmeny State Reserve, Miass, 456317, Russia

³Orsk Humanitarian Technological Institute (Branch), Orenburg State University, Pr. Mira 15a, Orsk, 462403, Russia

⁴Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Staromonetnyi per. 29, Moscow, 119017, Russia

The Novotemirsky mine was the first in the Southeastern Urals to have large areas of the site uncovered. This has yielded new information on the technologies practiced by the first metallurgists in the region and on the evolution of these practices in the second millennium BC. Cultural layers revealed evidence of all stages of Bronze Age metal production. Mining is documented by pits of various forms and adjoining waste dumps. This is the first time that shaft mining has been discovered in the Bronze Age of the Southern Trans-Urals. Metal smelting is evidenced by a copper-smelting furnace with slag. Metal tools were cast in bivalve molds, of which one, made of chloritolite, was used for casting pickaxes. Results of radiocarbon AMS dating indicate three stages of mine exploitation in the Bronze Age, correlating with the chronological sequence of regional cultures. The furnace was built during the Sintashta period (2100-1900 BC). The shaft mine and the adjacent dumps date to the Alakul period (1700-1500 BC). Features dating to the Final Bronze Age (1500-1200 BC) have yet to be identified. It has been demonstrated that the same mines were exploited by people associated with various archaeological cultures in the second millennium BC, implying that a metallurgical center functioned in the Trans-Urals over the entire Late Bronze Age. Given that indicators of metallurgy are quite rare at unfortified sites, and that the technology changed, it can be assumed that smelting and casting became more specialized during the Alakul period: certain operations were performed at mines and/or nearby settlements.

Keywords: Ancient mine, copper metallurgy, Late Bronze Age, Southern Urals