Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T12:35:40.308Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

New AMS Dating of Bone and Antler Weapons from the Shigir Collections Housed in the Sverdlovsk Regional Museum, Urals, Russia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 October 2015

Svetlana Savchenko ,
Malcolm C. Lillie ,
Mikhail G. Zhilin  and
Chelsea E. Budd
Svetlana Savchenko
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology and Ethnology, Sverdlovsk Regional Museum, Malyshev Street 46, Yekaterinburg 620151, Russia ([email protected])
Malcolm C. Lillie
Affiliation:
Wetland Archaeology & Environments Research Centre, Department of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Cohen Building, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK ([email protected])
Mikhail G. Zhilin
Affiliation:
Stone Age Department, Institute of Archaeology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Dmitri Ulyanov Street 19, Moscow 117036, Russia ([email protected])
Chelsea E. Budd
Affiliation:
Research Laboratory for Archaeology & the History of Art, University of Oxford, Dyson Perrins Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, England, UK ([email protected])
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This paper presents new AMS dating of organic finds from the Shigir (Shigirsky) peat bog, located in the Sverdlovsk Province, Kirovgrad District of the Urals. The bog is located immediately south of the river Severnaya Shuraly, with the Urals to the west. Intermittent survey and excavation has been undertaken at this location since 1879, resulting in the recovery of in excess of 3000 cultural artefacts, including oars, sculptures of birds, snake figurines, wooden skis, arrowheads, and fish hooks. The dates presented here indicate that not only is there a long duration of human use of the wetlands at Shigir, but that the artefact forms also appear to have a significant duration of use throughout the earlier prehistoric periods considered here.

Résumé

Nouvelles datations S.M.A,d’armes en os et bois de cerf des collections de Shigir conservées au musée régional de Sverdlovsk, Oural, Russie, de Svetlana Savchenko, Malcolm Lillie, Mikhail, G. Zhilin et Chelsea E. Budd

Cet article présente de nouvelles datations S.M.A. de trouvailles organiques de la tourbière deShigir (Shigirsky) située dans la province de Sverdlovsk, district de Kirovgrad dans l’Oural. La tourbière se trouve immédiatement au sud de la rivière Severnaya Shuraly, avec les monts Oural à l’ouest. Des prospections et des excavations intermittentes ont été entreprises à cet endroit à partir de 1879, le résultat en a été la récupération de plus de 3000 objets façonnés culturels, y compris des rames, des sculptures d’oiseaux, des figurines en forme de serpent, des skis en bois, des pointes de flèche et des hameçons. Les dates que nous présentons ici indiquent que non seulement l’utilisation humaine des marais de Shirgir fut de longue durée mais les formes des objets manufacturés semblent aussi avoir eu une considérable durée d’utilisation tout au long des périodes de la première partie de la préhistoire prises en considération ici.

Zussamenfassung

Neue AMS-Datierungen von Waffen aus Knochen und Geweih aus den Shigir Sammlungen des Sverdlovsk Regionalmuseums, Ural, Russland, von Svetlana Savchenko, Malcolm Lillie, Mikhail G. Zhilin und Chelsea E. Budd

Dieser Beitrag stellt neue AMS-Datierungen organischer Funde aus dem Shigir-Moor vor, das in der Provinz Sverdlovsk im Kirovgrad-Distrikt des Urals gelegen ist. Das Torfmoor liegt unmittelbar südlich des Flusses Severnaya Shuraly, mit dem Ural im Westen. Zeitweilige Surveys und Ausgrabungen wurden an diesem Fundplatz seit 1879 durchgeführt, was zur Entdeckung von mehr als 3000 Artefakten führte, darunter Ruder, Vogelskulpturen, Schlangenfigurinen, hölzerne Skier, Pfeilspitzen und Fischhaken. Die hier vorgelegten Daten zeigen, dass wir es nicht nur mit einer langen Dauer menschlicher Nutzung der Feuchtgebiete von Shigir zu tun haben, sondern dass auch die Formen der Artefakte einer signifikanten Gebrauchsdauer während der frühen prähistorischen Epochen, die hier diskutiert werden, zu unterliegen scheinen

Resumen

Nuevas dataciones radiocarbónicas por AMS de armas de hueso y asta de las colecciones de Shigir albergadas en el museo regional Sverdlovsk, Urales, Rusia, por Svetlana Savchenko, Malcolm Lillie, Mikhail, G. Zhilin y Chelsea E. Budd

Este artículo presenta las nuevas dataciones radiocarbónicas por AMS obtenidas de los restos orgánicos procedentes de la turbera Shigir (Shigirsky), ubicada en la provincia de Sverdlovsk, distrito Kirovgrad de los Urales. El pantano está localizado inmediatamente al sur del río Severnaya Shuraly, con los Urales al oeste. Desde el año 1879 se han estado desarrollando prospecciones y excavaciones de manera intermitente, provocando el descubrimiento de más de 3000 artefactos culturales, incluyendo remos, esculturas de pájaros, figuras de serpientes, esquíes de madera, puntas de flecha y anzuelos de pesca. Las dataciones presentadas en este artículo no sólo reflejan una ocupación humana de larga duración en los humedales de Shigir, sino que también manifiestan un uso prolongado de los artefactos durante los primeros periodos prehistóricos considerados aquí.

Keywords

AMS datingorganic preservationbone and antler objectswaterlogged depositsRussiaMesolithicNeolithic
Type
Articles
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 81 , December 2015 , pp. 265 - 281
Copyright
© The Prehistoric Society 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Averin, V.A., Zhilin, M.G. & Utkin, A.V. 2006. The site Stanovoye 1 at Podozerski peat bog. Tver Archaeological Proceedings 6(1), 203–208 (in Russian)Google Scholar
Abramova, Z.A. 1979. The Paleolithic of the Yenisey. Kokorevo Culture. Novosibirsk: Nauka (in Russian)Google Scholar
Bayliss, A., Bronk Ramsey, C., Plicht, J. van der & Whittle, A. 2007. Bradshaw and Bayes, towards a timetable for the Neolithic. In Bayliss, A. & Whittle, A. (eds) 2007. Histories of the Dead: building chronologies for five southern British long barrows. Cambridge Archaeological Journal 17(1) Supplement, 1–28 Google Scholar
Bers, A.A. 1930. The Past of the Urals. (in Russian)Google Scholar
Bonsall, C. (ed.). 1989. The Mesolithic in Europe, Papers Presented at the Third International Symposium Edinburgh 1985. Edinburgh: John DonaldGoogle Scholar
Brock, F., Bronk Ramsey, C. & Higham, T.F.G. 2007. Quality assurance of ultrafiltered bone dating. Radiocarbon 49, 189–192 Google Scholar
Brock, F., Higham, T., Ditchfield, P. & Bronk Ramsey, C. 2010. Current pretreatment methods for AMS radiocarbon dating at the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit (ORAU). Radiocarbon 52(1), 103–112 Google Scholar
Bronk Ramsey, C. 2009. Bayesian analysis of radiocarbon dates. Radiocarbon 51, 337–360 Google Scholar
Bronk Ramsey, C., Higham, T., Bowles, A. & Hedges, R.E.M. 2004a. Improvements to the pre-treatment of bone at Oxford. Radiocarbon 46, 155–163 Google Scholar
Bronk Ramsey, C., Higham, T. & Leach, P. 2004b. Towards high precision AMS, progress and limitations. Radiocarbon 46, 17–24 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bryusov, A.Ya. 1951. The Urals archaeological expedition. Brief Reports of the Institute of the History of Material Culture 37, 69–70 (in Russian)Google Scholar
Burov, G.M. 1989. Some Mesolithic wooden artefacts from the site of Vis I in the European North East of the U.S.S.R. In Bonsall (ed.) 1989, 391–401 Google Scholar
Burov, G.M. 2001. Ancient wooden objects and structures in oxbow peat-bogs. In Purdy (ed.). 2001, 214–232 Google Scholar
Butrimas, A. 1996. Šarnelės neolito gyvenvietė. Vilnius. Lietuvos archeologija 14, 174–191 Google Scholar
Chairkin, S.E. & Zhilin, M.G. 2005. Mesolithic materials from cave sites of the forest zone of Eastern Urals area, In Zhilin (ed.) 2005, 252–273 (in Russian)Google Scholar
Chairkina, N.M. 2011. Peat-bog sites in the Trans-Urals. Archaeology, Ethnography & Anthropology of Eurasia 38(4), 85–92 Google Scholar
Chairkina, N.M., Kuzmin, Y.V. & Burr, G.S. 2013. Chronology of the perishables, first AMS 14C dates of wooden artefacts from Aeneolithic–Bronze Age waterlogged sites in the Trans-Urals, Russia. Antiquity 87, 418–429 Google Scholar
Clark, J.G.D. 1954. Excavations at Star Carr. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Google Scholar
Coles, B.J. & Coles, J.M. 1986. Sweet Track to Glastonbury, The Somerset Levels in Prehistory. London: Thames & Hudson Google Scholar
Dmitriev, P.A. 1951. Culture of the population of the Middle Eastern Urals in the Bronze Age. Materials and Research of the Archaeology in the USSR 21, 7–27 (in Russian)Google Scholar
Eding, D.N. 1940. The Carved Sculptures of the Urals. Moscow: Proceedings of the State History Museum 10 (in Russian)Google Scholar
Hlobystin, L.P. 1976. Bone and Antler Artifacts from Paleolithic Layers of Birusa Site. Materials and Research of Archaeology of the USSR 185 (in Russian)Google Scholar
Hotinsky, N.A. 1977. The Holocene of the Northern Eurasia. Moscow: Nauka (in Russian)Google Scholar
Indreko, R. 1948. Die mittlere Steinzeit in Estland. Mit einer übersicht über die Geologie des Kunda-Sees von K. Orviku. Stockholm: Kungliga Vitterhets Historie och Antikvitets Akademiens handlingar 66 Google Scholar
Lillie, M.C. & Ellis, S. 2007. Wetland archaeology and environments. In Lillie, M.C. & Ellis, S. (eds), Wetland Archaeology and Environments, Regional Issues, Global Perspectives, 3–10. Oxford: Oxbow Books Google Scholar
Lillie, M.C., Zhilin, M., Shavchenko, S. & Taylor, M. 2005. Carpentry dates back to Mesolithic. Antiquity 79(305) (http, //antiquity.ac.uk/projGall/lillie/index.html)Google Scholar
Longin, R. 1971. New method of collagen extraction for radiocarbon dating. Nature 230(5291), 241–242 Google Scholar
Louwe Kooijmans, L.P. 1987. Neolithic settlement and subsistence in the wetlands of the Rhine/Meuse delta of the Netherlands. In Coles, J.M. & Lawson, A.J. (eds), European Wetlands in Prehistory, 227–251. Oxford: Clarendon Press Google Scholar
Loze, I.A. 1988. Stone Age Habitation Sites of the Lubana Lowland. The Mesolithic, Early and Middle Neolithic. Riga: Qinátne (in Russian)Google Scholar
Malakhov, M.V. 1887. About prehistoric epochs in the Urals. Proceedings of the Urals Society for Natural Sciences. Yekaterinburg 11(1), 1–8 (in Russian)Google Scholar
Meiklejohn, C., Chamberlain, A.T. & Schulting, R. J. 2011. Radiocarbon dating of Mesolithic human remains in Great Britain. Mesolithic Miscellany 21(2), 20–58 Google Scholar
Mochanov, Yu. A. 1977. Earliest Stages of Human Settlement of North-Easterm Asia. Novosibirsk: Nauka Google Scholar
Mook, W.G. 1986. Business meeting, recommendations/resolutions adopted by the twelfth International Radiocarbon Conference. Radiocarbon 28, 799 Google Scholar
Okladnikov, A.P. 1960. Shilkinskaya cave – a monument of ancient history of the Upper flow of Amur. Materials and Research of Archaeology of the USSR 86, 9–71 (in Russian)Google Scholar
Oshibkina, S.V. 1989. The material culture of the Veretye-type sites in the region to the east of Lake Onega. In Bonsall (ed.) 1989, 402–413 Google Scholar
Oshibkina, S.V. 1997. Veretye 1. The Mesolithic Site at the North of Eastern Europe. Moscow: Nauka (in Russian)Google Scholar
Oshibkina, S.V. 2006. The Mesolithic of the Eastern Onega Region. The Veretye Culture. Moscow: Nauka (in Russian)Google Scholar
Panova, N.K. 2001. The history of lakes and vegetation in the central part of the middle Trans-Urals during late glacial and post glacial time. Yekaterinburg: Rescue Archaeological Research in the Middle Urals 4, 48–59 (in Russian)Google Scholar
Pitulko, V.V. 2001. General trends in development of slotted tools. In Losovski V.M. (ed.), Stone Age of European Lowlands, 161–167. Sergiev Posad: Podkova Google Scholar
Purdy, B. (ed.). 2001. Enduring Records, the Environmental and Cultural Heritage of Wetlands. Oxford: Oxbow Books Google Scholar
Raushenbakh, V.M. 1956. The Middle Eastern Urals Area During the Neolithic and Bronze Age. Moscow: Proceedings of the State History Museum 29 (in Russian)Google Scholar
Reimer, P.J., Bard, E., Bayliss, A., Beck, J.W., Blackwell, P.G., Bronk Ramsey, C., Buck, C.E., Cheng, H., Edwards, R.L., Friedrich, M., Grootes, P.M., Guilderson, T.P., Haflidason, H., Hajdas, I., Hatté, C., Heaton, T.J., Hoffmann, D.L., Hogg, A.G., Hughen, K.A., Kaiser, K.F., Kromer, B., Manning, S.W., Niu, M., Reimer, R.W., Richards, D.A., Scott, E.M., Southon, J.R., Staff, R.A., Turney, C.S.M. & Plicht, J van der. 2013. IntCal13 and Marine13 Radiocarbon Age Calibration Curves 0–50,000 Years Cal bp . Radiocarbon 55(4), 1869–1887 Google Scholar
Rimantene, R. 1996. Akmens Amzius Lietuvoje. Vilnius: Ziburio Google Scholar
Savchenko, S.N. 1999. The history of the formation of the collection of Shigir antiquities in Sverdlovsk regional museum. In Kovaleva, V.T. (ed.), 120 Years of Archaeology of the Eastern Slope of the Urals, Pt 1, 46–53. Ekaterinburg: Urals State University (in Russian)Google Scholar
Savchenko, S.N. 2007. Bone arrowheads of the ‘Shigir’ type with thick head and long stem in the collection of Sverdlovsk regional museum. In Zhilin M.G. (ed.), Peculiarities and Adaptation of Cultures of the Northern Eurasia During Terminal Pleistocene–Early Holocene, 253–273. Moscow: Voskresensk Google Scholar
Savchenko, S.N. 2011. Bone slotted arrowheads in the Middle Eastern Urals area. Russian Archaeology 2011(1), 27–37 (in Russian)Google Scholar
Serikov, Yu. B. 1992. Koksharovsko-Yurjinslaya peat bog site in the Middle Eastern Urals area. Russian Archaeology 4, 131–147 (in Russian with English abstract)Google Scholar
Serikov, Yu. B. 2000. The Paleolithic and Mesolithic of the Middle Eastern Urals Area. Nizhnii Tagil: Nizhnii Tagil State Pedagogical Institute (in Russian)Google Scholar
Smolyaninov, R.V. & Bessudnov, A.N. 2009. Neolithic burials in the Upper Don area. Tver Archaeological Proceedings 7, 323–326 (in Russian)Google Scholar
Stuart, A.J., Kosintsev, P.A., Higham, T.F.G. & Lister, A.M. 2004. Pleistocene to Holocene extinction dynamics in giant deer and woolly mammoth. Nature 431, 684–689 Google Scholar
Stuiver, M. & Reimer, P.J. 1986. A computer program for radiocarbon age calculation. Radiocarbon 28, 1022–1030 Google Scholar
Tolmachov, V. Ya. 1914. The Antiquities of the Eastern Urals. Proceedings of the Urals Society for Natural Sciences 34(8, 9–10, 11–12), 151–226 (in Russian)Google Scholar
Tolmachov, V. Ya. 1927. Antiquities of the Eastern Urals. Proceedings of the Urals Society for Natural Sciences 10(2), 55–81 (in Russian)Google Scholar
Vankina, L. 1999. The Collection of Stone Age Bone and Antler Artifacts from Lake Lubāna. Catalogue. Riga: Zinatne Google Scholar
Vdovin, A. & Makarov, N. 1996. Mesolithic age and early Neolitic age of Krasnoyarsk forest-steppe (problems of origin and development). In Kononenko, N. A. (ed.), Late Paleolithic and early Neolithic of Eastern Asia and North America, 33–36. Vladivostok: Insitute of the History, Archaeology & Ethnography of Peoples of the Far East Google Scholar
Zagorska, I. 1972. Akmens Laikmeta Harpunas Latvija. Latvijas PSR Zinatnu Akademijas Vestis 8(301), 80–98 Google Scholar
Zagorska, I. 1974. Videja Akmens Laikmeta Zivku Skepi Latvija. Arheologija un etnografija 11(1), 25–37 Google Scholar
Zagorska, I. 1977. Viengabala Kaula Makskeres Aki Latvija. Latvijas PSR Zinatnu Akademijas Vestis 8(361), 87–102 Google Scholar
Zagorska, I. 1994. Saliktie Makskeraki Latvijas Arheologiskaja Materiala. Arheologiaja un Etnografia 17, 129–138 Google Scholar
Zagorska, I. & Zagorskis, F. 1989. The bone and antler inventory from Zveknieki II, Latvian SSR. In Bonsall (ed.). 1989, 414–423 Google Scholar
Zaretskaya, N.E., Hartz, S., Terberger, T., Savchenko, S.N. & Zhilin, M.G. 2012. Radiocarbon chronology of the Shigir and Gobunovo archaeological bog sites, Middle Urals, Russia. Radiocarbon 54(3–4), 783–794 Google Scholar
Zhilin, M.G. 1999. New Mesolithic peat sites on the Upper Volga, in Kozlowski, S., Gurba, J. & Zaliznyak, L.L. (eds), Tanged Points Cultures in Europe, 295–310. Lublin: Wydawnictwo UMCS Google Scholar
Zhilin, M.G. 2001a. Mesolithic Bone Industry of the Forest Zone of Eastern Europe. Moscow: URSS (in Russian)Google Scholar
Zhilin, M.G. 2001b. Technology of the manufacture of bone daggers in the Mesolithic of Upper Volga. In Choyke, A.M. & Bartosiewicz, L. (eds), Crafting Bone. Skeletal Technologies Through Time and Space, 149–156. Oxford: British Archaeological Report S937Google Scholar
Zhilin, M.G. 2003. Early Mesolithic peat bog sites on the Upper Volga. In Bauerochse, A. & Hassmann, H. (eds), Peatlands. Archaeological Sites – Archives of Nature – Nature Conservation – Wise Use. Proceedings of the European Peatland conference 2002 in Hannover, Germany, 48–61. Hannover: Liedorf Google Scholar
Zhilin, M.G. 2004. Environment and Economy of the Mesolithic Population of the Center and North-west of Eastern Europe. Moscow: Academia (in Russian)Google Scholar
Zhilin, M.G. 2006. Mesolithic Peat Bog Sites of the Tver Flow of the Volga, Cultural Peculiarity and Adaptation. Moscow: Lira (in Russian)Google Scholar
Zhilin, M.G. 2007. Mesolithic wetland sites in Central Russia. In Lillie, M.C. & Ellis, S. (eds), Wetland Archaeology and Environments, Regional Issues, Global Perspectives, 65–78. Oxford: Oxbow Books Google Scholar
Zhilin, M.G. 2008. Bone perforated plates and production of strings and ropes in the Mesolithic, a case study from Stanovoye 4 site, Upper Volga. In Longo, L. & Skakun, N. (eds), Prehistoric Technology, 40 years Later. Functional Studies and the Russian Legacy, 429–431. Oxford: British Archaeological Report S1783Google Scholar
Zhilin, M.G. 2009. Chronology and evolution in the Mesolithic of the Upper Volga – Oka interfluve. In Crombe, P., Van Strydonck, M., Sergant, J., Boudin, M. & Bats, M. (eds), Radiocarbon Chronology and Evolution within the Mesolithic of North-West Europe, 451–472. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing Google Scholar
Zhilin, M. 2010. Antler perforated staff heads from Central Russia and Eastern Urals area. In Legrand-Pineau, A., Sidéra, I., Buc, N., David, E. & Scheinsohn, V. (eds), Ancient and Modern Bone Artefacts from America to Russia. Cultural, Technological and Functional Signature, 135–140. Oxford: British Archaeological Report S2136Google Scholar
Zhilin, M.G. & Savchenko, S.N. 2010a. Mesolithic and early Neolithic peat bog sites in the Eastern Urals area, some results and prospects of multidisciplinary research. In Ryzhkova O.V. (ed.), Tagil Regional Proceedings 6, 28–39. Nizhnii Tagil: PUBLISHER (in Russian)Google Scholar
Zhilin, M.G. & Savchenko, S.N. 2010b. A ‘hoard’ of bone arrowheads from the site Beregovaya II in the Middle Trans-Urals. In Davudov O.M. (ed.), Research in Prehistoric Archaeology of Eurasia, 302–315. Makhachkala: Dagestan Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (in Russian)Google Scholar
Zhilin, M.G., Kostyleva, E.L., Utkin, A.V. & Engovatova, A.V. 2002. Mesolithic and Neolithic Cultures of the Upper Volga Area. On the Materials of the Site Ivanovskoye VII. Moscow: Nauka (in Russian)Google Scholar
Zhilin, M.G., Antipina, T.G., Zaretskaya, N.T., Kosinskaya, L.L., Kosintsev, P.A., Panova, N.K., Savchenko, S.N., Uspenskaya, O.N. & Chairkina, N.M. 2007. Varga 2. An Early Neolithic Site in the Middle Eastern Urals Area (an Attempt of Multidisciplinary Research). Yekaterinburg: Rezh (in Russian)Google Scholar
Zhilin, M.G., Savchenko, S.N., Serikov, Yu.B., Kosinskaya, L.L. & Kosintsev, P.A. 2012. Mesolithic Sites of the Koksharovo Peat Bog. Moscow: Voskresensk (in Russian)Google Scholar
Zimina, M.P. 1996. The Msta Culture. (in Russian)Google Scholar
Supplementary material: PDF

Savchenko supplementary material

Appendix Figs. S1-S4

Download Savchenko supplementary material(PDF)
PDF 235.2 KB