MAIN STAGES IN THE METALWORKING DEVELOPMENT IN WESTERN SIBERIA DURING THE EARLY METAL PERIOD AND THE EARLY IRON AGE (COPPER AND BRONZE)

Abstract

The paper describes the main stages in the metalworking development of Western Siberian archaeological cultures during the Early Metal period and the Early Iron Age. The formation of the most ancient metalworking here is associated with two blocks of cultures: steppe cultures (alien stock-breeders of the Yamnaya and the Afanasievo cultures) and aboriginal ones (hunters and fishermen of cultures with “comb geometrical” decoration on pottery). At the early stages of the Bronze Age the metalworking in Western Siberian cultures had been mainly developing in the system of West Asian (Eurasian) metallurgical province. Only during the Late Bronze Age at the East and South-East periphery of this system (Irmen culture) production centers of East Asian (Central Asian) metallurgical provinces began playing a significant role. Metalworking during the Early Iron Age had been developing in close relationship with the cultural-historical processes of the period. Import of raw materials and products from the Altai and Kazakhstan still dominated. But as for the Trans-Urals (Sargut, Gorokhovo, Sarmatian cultures), one can note a significant influx of copper from the Itkul production centres.