Early Iron Age Pottery Technology of the Kazakh Uplands (Saryarqa)

Introduction. The article introduces the Early Iron Age pottery technology of the Kazakh Uplands (Kaz. Saryarqa ‘Yellow Ridge’). Goals. The study seeks to identify common and specific features inherent to pottery traditions traced in ceramics from settlements and barrows scattered across the Saryarqa. Materials and methods. The work examines sherds from a total of 314 Saka-era vessels (including 291 samples from 6 settlements of Central Kazakhstan and 3 settlements of North Kazakhstan, as well as 23 samples from 9 barrows). In addition, 17 vessels from barrows with ‘moustaches’ (or stone ridges) previously dated to the Early Iron Age have also been investigated. A. Bobrinsky’s method — with the aid of МБС-10 binocular microscope and СНОЛ muffle laboratory furnace — has proven most instrumental in testing the pottery technology. Results and conclusions. The investigated settlements of Central and North Kazakhstan are characterized by that they would mainly select similar raw material — medium-iron clays. However, the pottery paste recipes did differ: in North Kazakhstan, preference was given to medium-size mineral tempers, and to larger ones — in Central Kazakhstan. Furthermore, pottery shaping techniques of Central Kazakhstan were largely dominated by coiling, while in North Kazakhstan they would turn to pinching/patching, and the latter method happens to have been as widespread in ceramic samples from the Saka-era barrows. The wall-to-base sequence prevails in ceramics from both settlements and barrows. Our analysis of related data for barrows with ‘moustaches’ shows the latter’s pottery traditions (preference to clay concentrates, grog, and spiral patching) essentially differ from those traced in regular barrows. This can be explained by that according to recent radiocarbon tests the barrows with ‘moustaches’ date from later periods. In general, the study shows the Early Iron Age population of the Saryarqa was very heterogeneous, and the era was witnessing active mergers of various groups.

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