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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
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])

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.

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Articles
Copyright
© The Prehistoric Society 2015 

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