Medieval Ceramic Burial Ground Complex Vak-Kur (As Excavated in 2005)

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Abstract:

This article introduces the collection of medieval ceramics produced in the course of archaeological research on the fourth excavation trench of the soil of the burial ground Vak-Kur (Middle Urals, on the right coast of river Tobol). The archeological site on the complex of accompanying inventory dates back to the 10th-11th centuries, and it is related to the Yudinsky archaeological culture.

The author has observed the morphological and decorative features of the ceramic collections. The basic features of the analyzed complex are the following: the vessels are squat, round-bottomed, thin-walled, illegible profiles; ornamentation is dense. The ceramic objects are decorated with horizontal lines of cord prints, series of scalloped stamp prints, row of holes on the vessel’s neck; different shaped stamps are often present, the corner stamp in particular.

The comparative analysis of the Vak-Kur’s pottery with the collections of other Yudinsky sites, shows the greatest similarity with the settlements Plamya Sibiry 6 and 7, and Antonovo 1. These sites are localized in the basin of the river Tura (dating back to the Early Middle Ages; belong to Molchanovsky culture).

The comparative analysis proves that the burial ground Vak-Kur and the aforementioned sites of the Tura basin existed in the same period. Therefore, the dating of these settlements requires readjustment. The burial ground ceramic complex Vak-Kur, as already reliably dated, can be the benchmark. It will allow to date the monuments from corded ware ceramics more accurately, as well as to observe the evolution of ornamental traditions of the Yudinsky culture and its local variants.

References:

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