A COMPLEX OF FINDS OF THE 6th –7th CENTURIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE METALLURGY OF FERROUS AND NON-FERROUS METALS FROM PIT 4 OF EXCAVATION VII AT THE TETYUSHY-II HILLFORT OF THE IMENKOVO CULTURE IN TATARSTAN

Abstract

The article examines materials obtained from pit no. 4 of excavation VII of the Tetyushy-II hillfort, located on the northern outskirts of the city of Tetyushy in the Tetyushy district of the Republic of Tatarstan. The hillfort belongs to the Imenkovo archaeological culture of the 5th–7th centuries. The peak of activity at the site occurred in the 6th–7th centuries. It was at this time that a metallurgical production center with forges and smelting pits functioned here, and jewelry workshops existed. The population of this settlement was engaged in selling their products on near and far markets, in exchange for a variety of products. These include beads made of amber, carnelian, glass, shellfish or cowrie shells; rings and pendants made of amber, etc. Finds from Pit 4 are directly related to the production site of this site, primarily the forges and smelting pits. After the melting was completed, the forges were disassembled to extract the iron bloom (kritsa). Fragments of the walls of the forges made up a significant part of the filling of the pit. Among them were fragments with tuyeres. Analysis of the planigraphy of the location of the forges and the presence of these artifacts made it possible to put forward the assumption that they belonged to a mine-type forge with tuyeres. To service them, special devices were required — bellows. In addition, slag, ash, calcined sand and clay from the production site were thrown into the pit along with fragments of the forge walls. Also in the pit were crucibles in the shape of a glass on a low stem. They are known from other monuments of the Imenkovo culture. In pit no. 4, more than 200 of them, in their entirety and in fragments, were found. The small volume of the crucible suggests that they were necessary for the production of small castings. The clay from which these crucibles were made was not fireproof, but ordinary, so almost all of them became very brittle after use. Under normal conditions, crucibles were not preserved in this state in the cultural layer. In addition, small coals that had a regular geometric shape and were possibly associated with jewelry production were discovered along with them. These finds date back to the end of the 6th — beginning of the 7th century. The upper part of the pit was already filled with kitchen waste.