Поволжская археология

Archive » The Volga River Region Archaeology Vol.1 (39) 2022

The Copper Smelting Furnace at the Novotemirsky Ancient Mine

Ankusheva P.S., Ankushev M.N. (Miass, Russian Federation), Alaeva I.P. (Chelyabinsk, Russian Federation), Fomichev A.V. (Orsk, Russian Federation), Blinov I.A., Artemiev D.A. (Miass, Russian Federation)

UDC 902/904:553.43(470.5)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24852/pa2022.1.39.34.48

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The paper presents research results of the copper smelting furnace at the turn of the 3^rd/2nd millennium BC discovered in the ancient mine Novotemirsky. This is the first evidence of the metals smelting from ores directly at the deposit in the Bronze Age of the Southern Trans- Urals. The technology of smelting metals from ores (the furnace structure, the type of ores and slags, the melting temperature, and the metal composition) was determined using a complex of mineralogical and geochemical research methods (optical and electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence analysis and LA-ICP-MS)., The results demonstrate an original metallurgical technology despite the territorial-chronological localization of the furnace within the Sintashta culture. In particular, sulfide inclusions in the Cr-rich containing olivine slags find analogies in the Abashevo culture from multilayer Bronze Age settlements of the Southern Urals.

Keywords

archaeologyancient mineBronze AgeSouthern Trans-Uralsfurnacemetallurgical slagSintashta cultureAbashevo culture.

About the author(s)

Ankusheva Polina S. Candidate of Historical Sciences. South Ural State Humanitarian Pedagogical University. Lenina av., 69, Chelyabinsk, 454080, Russian Federation; Institute of Mineralogy South Urals Federal Research Center of Mineralogy and Geoecology UB RAS. Ter. Ilmensky reserve, Miass, Chelyabinsk district, 456317, Russian Federation; polenke@yandex.ru https://orcid.org/0000-0002- 1826-9919

Ankushev Maksim N. Candidate of Geological-mineralogical Sciences. Institute of Mineralogy South Urals Federal Research Center of Mineralogy and Geoecology UB RAS. Ter. Ilmensky reserve, Miass, Chelyabinsk district, 456317, Russian Federation; ankushev_maksim@mail.ru. https://orcid. org/0000-0001-9628-5546

Alaeva Irina P. Candidate of Historical Sciences. South Ural State Humanitarian Pedagogical University. Lenina av., 69, Chelyabinsk, 454080, Russian Federation; alaevaira@mail.ru https://orcid. org/0000-0001-8322-5835

Fomichev Aleksander V. Candidate of Historical Sciences. Associate Professor. The Orsk Humanitarian-Technological Institute (branch) of Orenburg State University. Mira av., 15a, Orsk, Orenburg Region, 462403, Russian Federation; homabrut1987@gmail.com https://orcid.org/000- 0001-7578-6683

Blinov Ivan A. Candidate of Geological-mineralogical Sciences. Institute of Mineralogy of South Urals Federal Research Center of Mineralogy and Geoecology UB RAS. Ter. Ilmensky reserve, Miass, Chelyabinsk district, 456317, Russian Federation; ivan_a_blinov@mail.ru http://orcid.org/0000-0001- 7397-4760

Artemyev Dmitry A. Candidate of Geological-Mineralogical Sciences. Institute of Mineralogy of South Urals Federal Research Center of Mineralogy and Geoecology UB RAS. Ter. Ilmensky reserve, Miass, Chelyabinsk district, 456317, Russian Federation; artemyev@mineralogy.ru