Petrographic research on stone tools from the megalithic cult site of Tokivske-1

Нікітенко, І. С.; Starik, Oleksandr V.; Kutsevol, M. L.; Shevchenko, S. V

doi:10.29202/nvngu/2018-4/1

Cited by 3 publications

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“…Data were ob tained on the technology of mining, preparation, and melting of ore. Using mineralogical and petrographic methods, stone tools used in the production process were investigated, most of which are not of local origin, but have analogues among raw materials mined in the Bronze Age on the territory of the Ukrainian shield [9,10]. The latter fact testifies to the distant trade relations of the Kartamysh inhabitants.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

On extraction of ore minerals of the Donetsk basin in the early metal age

Brovender¹,

Okalelov²

2019

NVNGU

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Purpose. Comprehensive analysis of ancient mining monuments of the Paleometal era in the Donetsk basin as sociated with the extraction of metal ores; determination of the cultural and chronological affiliation of the Ber ezovskyi mine on the extraction of silver ores-a unique object of ancient mining in Eastern Europe. Methodology. The work involved a set of methods: retrospective, historical and comparative, cartographic, statis tical ones, method of analogies, method of typological and functional analysis. In addition, mineralogical methods were used to study sulfide ores (mineral diagnostics), the method of stratigraphic, mineralogical and petrographic analysis and a retrospective description of the mining technology development. findings. The results significantly expand the understanding of the resource base of the Donetsk basin exploited in the Bronze Age. The complex of ancient stone mining tools identified in one of the mine workings of the Ber ezovskyi silverpolymetallic deposit allows suggesting its development by the population of a catacomb cultural com munity during the Middle Bronze Age (XXVII-XX centuries BC). And this, thereby, makes productive time of the Donbass ore base more remote, known from the materials of the ancient mines of the Late Bronze Age (XVII-XIII centuries BC) in the copper ore zone of the Bakhmut depression of the Donets Basin almost by a thousand years. originality. For the first time in the territory of Eastern Ukraine an ancient silver ore mine was discovered. To date, their exploitation in antiquity, in contrast to polymetallic ores, was not even anticipated by researchers. The Caucasus was traditionally considered to be the main source of raw materials for the manufacture of silver products of by the population of the Eastern European steppe and foreststeppe in the Bronze Age. The study made it possible to expand not only the raw material base of the ancient Donbass population of the Bronze Age (XXX-XIII centuries BC), but also the chronological framework of its mining activities for the extraction of metal ores. Practical value. The data obtained expands the understanding of the raw material base used by the ancient popula tion of the Donetsk basin. In turn, this will contribute to the formation of a holistic view on the metal production of the ancient inhabitants in the Eastern European region, which may probably be applied in preparing special works on ancient history, including the history of mining, as well as related disciplines, in the systematization of funds and the designing the museum exhibits.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

On extraction of ore minerals of the Donetsk basin in the early metal age

Brovender¹,

Okalelov²

2019

NVNGU

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“…The authors already carried out a petrographic study of stone artefacts from Tokivske-1, found during the first five years of excavation (Nikitenko, 2018). However, new discoveries in the territory of the complex led to the need in revising the role of the studied monument, particularly as a metal processing center of the Bronze Age.…”

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confidence: 99%

Results of petrographic research of new finds from the archaeological monument Tokivske-1

Нікітенко¹,

Starik²,

Марченко³

2019

Journ. Geol., Geogr., and Geoec..

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The purpose of the work was to determine the provenance of the raw materials of ancient stone products, found during the excavations of the Bronze-Early Iron Age monument Tokivske-1, with the aim to establish connections of the ancient population of the area with residents of other regions. The archaeological monument Tokivske-1, located in the northern outskirts of the village Tokivske, Apostolove Raion, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, has been explored by the expedition of Dnipropetrovsk National Historical Museum named after D.I. Yavornytskyi since 2012. The authors of this article already carried out petrographic study of stone artefacts from this monument, which had been found during the first five years of excavations. However, over the past two years, a number of stone and other items were found that could expand our knowledge of the links of Tokivske-1 with ancient industrial centers of other regions. To carry out the petrographic analysis, six artefacts were taken, mainly those made from macroscopically different rocks. Most of them can be related to metalworking. The analyzed samples are represented by an amphibolite hammer for forging jewels or peening sheet copper, a dolerite anvil-prop for a specified hammer, a fragment of an abrasive stone made of ferruginous quartzite, a quartz tile, which is a fragment of an altar, and fragments of an anvil and a scepter-pestle made of sandstone. Petrographic analysis of artefacts allowed determining the probable provenance of their raw materials. Amphibolites are quite common in the territory of the Middle Dnipro area, but by the color of the hornblende, the predominance of epidotization processes over sericitization and macrostructural features, the studied rock is more similar to the amphibolites from the middle stream of the Bazavluk River. Dolerites, similar to the raw material of the anvil-prop, are also common in the area of excavations, and by the presence of the micropegmatite in its composition, its origin can be localized in the middle stream of the river Bazavluk or in the valley of the river Mokra Sura. Magnetite quartzite – the raw material of the abrasive stone – most likely comes from the territory of the city of Kryvyi Rih. Quartz tile – a fragment of an altar – is a quartz vein, similar to those that intersect granites of the Tokivskyi massif directly near the village Tokivske. Sandstones, from which the anvil and the scepter-pestle were produced, appeared to be very similar in their petrographic features. They are represented by quartz sandstones with fragments of rocks and polymineral cement with the predominance of quartz regenerative and porous sericite cement. Also, the relic chalcedony and, more rarely, clay cement are present in the pores. In the territory of Ukraine, the most similar to them, according to petrographic characteristics, are the sandstones of the Carboniferous system, which crop out in the Donbas. Thus, the obtained data testifies to the connection of the Tokivske-1 archaeological complex with other parts of the Middle Dnipro area, such as the middle stream of the Bazavluk River and the Kryvyi Rih area, as well as with more distant regions such as the Donbas. It should be noted that scepter-pestles, similar to the one studied by us, are associated with metalworking, and the Donetsk basin, where the raw material of the indicated tool originates from, was the copper production center of the Late Bronze Age.

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Results of a Petrographic Study of the Bronze Age Casting Molds Finds

Нікітенко

Starik²,

Kutsevol

2020

VKNUGEOL

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The present article is devoted to the mineralogical and petrographic research of raw materials of the collection of casting molds of the Bronze Age, found by the expedition of Dnipropetrovsk National Historical Museum named after D.I. Yavornytskyi during the excavations of the archaeological monument of Tokivske-1, located near the village Tokivske of Apostolove Rayon, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The finding of casting molds is of great importance, since it can be the evidence of bronze foundry production existence in the territory of the monument, which until now was regarded only as a megalithic place of worship. Provenance determination of the raw materials of casting molds can help to identify the role of Tokivske-1 in the system of metalworking cells of the Sabatynivska culture time (XVI–XIII centuries BC) and to establish its links with the ancient centers of mining of stone raw materials. According to previous petrographic studies, it is known that stone molds were made mainly of talc-chlorite-tremolite schists, since this material was easily processed and could withstand more castings than clay molds. Because of this, stone casting molds were highly valued, as well as bronze wares and ingots, and were transported over long distances. The purpose of the study was to establish links between the archaeological monument of Tokivske-1 and known mining and metallurgical centers of the Bronze Age, on the basis of mineralogical and petrographic research of raw materials of casting molds. As a result of the study of samples in thin sections and by X-ray diffraction analysis, it was established that the stone molds were mainly made of tremolite-chlorite-anthophyllite meta-ultrabazites. The determination of the origin of the rocks from which the casting molds were made was carried out by comparing their mineralogical and petrographic features with the features of similar rocks that form natural outcrops, as described in geological survey reports and literary data, and as observed by us in rock samples from natural outcrops in the Middle Dnipro and the Azov Sea areas. It was ascertained that the rocks from which all the casting molds of the collection were made do not form natural outcrops in the Middle Dnipro area and are not characteristic of the Kryvyi Rih area, which is considered to be the main center of raw materials extraction for the stone foundry forms of the Late Bronze Age on the territory of Ukraine. It was established that such rocks are more characteristic of the Western Azov Sea area, but one can not exclude another source of raw materials of the mold collection, in particular the Southern Urals, where bronze metallurgy was significantly developed and similar stone matrices were used. The obtained results suggest revision of established ideas on sources of supply of stone raw materials during the late Bronze Age.

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Petrographic research on stone tools from the megalithic cult site of Tokivske-1

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

On extraction of ore minerals of the Donetsk basin in the early metal age

On extraction of ore minerals of the Donetsk basin in the early metal age

Results of petrographic research of new finds from the archaeological monument Tokivske-1

Results of a Petrographic Study of the Bronze Age Casting Molds Finds

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