«Irons» of the bronze age settlements of the north-east principal

Abstract

The article is devoted to the traceological study of a special kind of stone tools – the so-called “irons”. The studies of the leading scientist in this field, Usacheva I.V., allow us to assert that the earliest examples of irons were found on the sites of the 4th millennium BC, and their latest appearance dates back to the 2nd millennium BC. The specimens presented in the article were found during archaeological research at the settlements of the Paleometallic era of Toksanbai and Aitman, located in the NorthEastern Caspian region. Settlements with varying degrees of intensity have been studied since the 1990s. Settlements were built and existed at the same time. The dates obtained from C14 determine the existence of the settlements of the 18th-17th centuries. BC. The study of the tools presented in the article was carried out using functional-typological, traceological and comparative analyses. Trasological analysis showed that stone “irons” from the settlements of Toksanbay and Aitman were made to straighten shafts. However, after wear, they continued to be used for sharpening metal products, and as a polish for leather. The article also presents a ceramic “iron” from the Toksanbay settlement. The presented “irons” find a wide range of analogies in the materials of monuments of adjacent territories – the Urals, the Volga region and Kazakhstan.