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Distribution of metal throughout the coastal margins of the Okhotsk Sea maritime region
Section 1. Archaeology
Lebedintsev Aleksandr Ivanovich, North-East Interdisciplinary Scientific Research Institute n. a. N. A. Shilo,
Far East Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of Sector of Archaeology and History E-mail: [email protected]
Distribution of metal throughout the coastal margins of the Okhotsk Sea maritime region
Abstract: A review of the archaeological record of the appearance of metal in the Okhotsk Sea region and a periodization of the development of ancient cultures in this region are provided in the article.
Keywords: the Okhotsk Sea, coastal territories, Old Metal Age, early Iron Age.
The problem of the appearance of the metal in the Far
East is one of the most difficult in the archeology of the region. Researchers ancient past of this region faced with the facts of uneven development of human societies in this part of the Asian continent, caused by natural and historical reasons. Assigns to companies with forms of economy and material culture of the Neolithic appearance, which were away from the more developed communities Bronze and Iron Ages, were used the terms “Remnant Neolithic” and even “undeveloped Bronze Age” and “undeveloped Iron Age” [5]. However, new archaeological materials obtained in the last decades in the Far East, have allowed more thoroughly analyze the available data on the problem and justify the need for the distinguish of the Paleometal era.
Copper products — a small rod of the awl of the rectangular cross section and the composite crankshaft knife with a copper blade and ivory handle (Spafareva site) [10] found in sites of the Tokarev culture (VIII century BC - V century AD) of the Northern Okhotsk coast, as well as found handle cutters equipped with iron blades (the Upper site on Zavyalova Island, settlements Spafareva and Olskaya) [9]. The active use of metal tools of Tokarev people also show a wide variety of bone tools with traces of metal instruments. Many products are ornamented with thin lines, testifying about using iron cutters for their making. Typical for Tokarev culture points and knives made of stone and with a set-off bases and hilts designed with special and pointed side projections, and sometimes a sharp spur at the base, are copies of metal tools or stone replicas.
Ironware penetrated to the Northern Okhotsk coast from Amur and Primorye coastal tribes [3, 190]. Using iron contributed to the development of sea mammal hunting and the making bone tools.
Widespread use of iron instruments in economic activity in the North of the Okhotsk Sea coast existed in the Old Koryak culture (V-XVII centuries) [3]. For early stage characterized by a predominance of stone tools, bone products making not only stone tools, but also metal.
Koryak actively using iron tools (knives and cutters) with the X century, the iron was used in the form of rivets of harpoon heads. At settlement Atargan was found slag. At this time there is flourishing of bone industry. Increases the number of bone arrowheads, leisters points, harpoons heads; combs, needles, needle cases, adzes, hoes, spades. Appear protective plates for wrist, armored plate, flat hunting knives. Prototypes cuirass plates and hunting knives, apparently, are metal products. Harpoon heads become more diverse in forms and specializations. The most typical harpoon heads is with obliquely truncate base and a one basal spur. And some of these heads have a slot for end iron point.
Knives of iron found in Atargan [3, Table. XVIII, 6], Three Brothers [3, Table. XLI, 4] and Astronomicheska-ya sites. The iron leister point found in the upper layer of Oksa I [9, Fig. 147, 1]. A charcoal sample from the layer gives a date of860 ± 40 (Beta- 155136), calibrated date 1040-1260 AD.
The iron rod like point with a small stem [9, Fig. 149, 4], toggle harpoon heads with narrow slits for metal blades at the top, as well as bone, probably a ritual knife with a handle and a circular pommel, copying, apparently, the iron sample was found on the Stanyukovicha site.
Koryak continue to use iron tools in XII-XV centuries. This is evidenced by findings harpoon heads, which equipped with iron blades, bone and wooden handles of knives; the wide treatment of bone using cutting and sawing, the engraved ornament on bone products.
Bronzes found on the Old Koryak sites. The point (the tip-insert with two hanging barbs for toggling harpoon heads) discovered on the Stanyukovicha site, and the button was found on the Svetlaya-2 site. Very interesting finding is the Sung bronze coin from the Srednaya site, which was issued during the reign of Emperor Jen Tsung of Northern Sung Dynasty in 1038-1040 AD [3, 109].
Toward to the middle of the II millennium BC stone and bone tools ofthe Old Koryak culture have become increasingly
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Section 1. Archaeology
rare. There are products of iron, ceramics is much rarer, and then disappears completely.
Pieces of iron found on the Old Koryak site Kavran (the west coast of Kamchatka), relating to the period XIII-XV centuries. According to R. S. Vasil’evsky [3, 128], the population of Kavran was not only familiar with the use of metal, but, apparently, knew ways to handle it.
It is believed that the main source from which the iron spreads to north Okhotsk coast was the Primorye region.
Metal products found at the number of sites, located to the south-west of Tauisk Bay [9]. Iron tools found at sites Kukhtuy VII and Kukhtuy VIII under Okhotsk, Nagdan site in 15 km. from the mouth of Ulya River and at the site Uyka under Ayan. Materials indicate that the appearance of iron in this area was in the end I millennium BC — the first half of I millennium AD. However, the iron in this period is rarely used. Mainly stone, bone and wood tools dominated. These sites are likely to belong to the early Iron Age or Paleometal.
The Paleometal epoch in Kamchatka spaned more than a thousand years — since the end I millennium BC before the II millennium BC [15]. The end of this era is associated with the appearance of deer-breeding. In this time at the north of the Far East, including the Kamchatka Peninsula, finished goods and fragments of objects of different metals (copper, bronze, iron) regularly receives on exchange from the area on the Okhotsk coast of the Amur Region and southern Primorye through the Japanese and the Kuril Islands. In the I millennium AD polished stone knives and many tools and thinks of bone and antler appeared, and in the II millennium ironmongery (knives and hooks) were found [16: 280, 281]. Traces of iron knife are on a bear canine from the site Red Partisan I, relating to I millennium BC [11, 112]. The wide spreading of bone artifacts in the Old Itel’men monuments I millennium BC probably due to the use of metal tools. Polish knives also show on the use of metal knives in this time that may have copied the metal specimens.
Iron knives (one safe and two fragments) and 18 Japanese bronze coins of during the reign of Kaney and bronze smoking pipe found in the upper layer of Zhupanova site [11, 47, Table. 1]. Layer dated XVII-XVIII centuries. The amorphous bronze plate found in the dwelling on Cape Siyushk [4, 94]. Copper products (arrowhead, fragment indefinite artifact, several amorphous small plates) were found in the Lopatka site [4, 44]. Iron products together with ceramics, typical for late Ainu culture Naiji, found at several localities in South Kamchatka. Bronze coins Kaney-tsuho found in southern Kamchatka in the Bol’shoy Kamen’ site, near the mouth of the river Ozernaya, on the Sivuyskiy Cape of Kurile Lake, in Lopatka I and Ryabukhina sites.
Formerly, researchers have noted the later appearance of metal products in southern Kamchatka and the east coast of the peninsula [4, 167; 11, 190]. It is likely that metal products could get to Kamchatka already in I millennium AD. It is doubtful to attribute sites I and II millennium AD to the Neolithic and to unite sites this time to the earlier period (Tarya culture for N. Dikov)
into a common Taryinskuy culture with three periods ( Tar’insky, Kronotsky and Nalychevsko-Nikulskiy stages), the existence of which is determined by the period from the beginning of the III millennium BC to the XVII century AD [13; 16, 279-281]. It was not very successful the consolidation of same periods under the title Old Itel’men culture [12].
In the north-western coast of Kamchatka stands the culture or monuments type Tevi [14]. This culture finds most analogies in the Old Itel’men and the Old Koryak cultures, several elements characteristic of Neoeskimo, Aleut and south Okhotsk maritime cultures. Perhaps monuments type Tevi represent one of the local variants of the Old Koryak culture of I millennium AD in Kamchatka. These sites belong to the Paleometal period [15].
Sakhalin archaeologists is noticing the first signs of the use of population metal in complexes of the first half of I millennium BC. Probably, in this time the island cultures were experienced the influence of early Iron Age cultures — Urilskaya (XI-IV centuries BC) and Poltsevskaya (V century BC - IV century AD). Metal products (iron and bronze) arrived on the islands from the mainland.
The Aniva culture (VIII-III centuries BC) is relating for the transition period from the stone to the metal [2]. It is believed that this culture is one variant of generality of final Jo-mon — early Post-Jomon. Archaeological monuments of this community located on the shores of Aniva Bay and Tonino-Aniva Peninsula. Given the chronology and the metal epoch number of signs (thin-walled ceramic, grinding adzes) the researchers believe that the Aniva culture people were already known with the metal. Since from the middle I millennium BC the Aniva culture coexists with paleometal cultures (Su-suya, Nabil and Piltun).
The Nabil culture (X-I centuries BC) selected from the Severo-Sakhalinskaya culture and is located on Northern Sakhalin. Sharp based vessels with the comb ornamentation, the diameter of the mouth of the vessel exceeds the height is characterized for this culture. Nabil monuments of culture are represented by large settlements on the shores of bays and rivers. Winter homes of the Nabil people located in the valleys of rivers and streams. In spring and summer, they migrated to the coast and lived in summer homes. Researchers believe that the people of the Nabil culture already knew metal tools, but mostly used stone tools.
The Piltun culture (V-I centuries BC) was found in the north-eastern Sakhalin near Piltun and Chayvo Bays. Reference monuments are multilayered settlement Kashkale-bagsh-2, Chayvo-1, Lebediniy-1. Winter settlements gravitate to the west coast bays and estuaries of salmon rivers and summer seasonal sites located on sand spits between the bays and the Sea of Okhotsk. The materials sites have stone artifacts with high quality grinding, that is testifying about the knowledge of the population of this culture with the metal. The pottery tradition characterizing by the appearance of round-bottomed vessels vase-shaped with comb impressions indicate on connections with continental cultures.
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Distribution of metal throughout the coastal margins of the Okhotsk Sea maritime region
The Bolshebuhtinskaya culture (middle - second half of I millennium BC) allocated on the Lower Amur [17]. Ceramics of the bolshebuhtinsk type found in the north-west coast of Sakhalin (the site Kefi), as well as in the place of the Nevskoe Lake (Zapadnoe 10, Donskoe 3, Berdyanskoe 2) [2]. Apparently the bolshebuhtinskaya culture exerted a certain influence on the development of the culture Paleometal in northwestern Sakhalin.
The Susuya culture (V-IV centuries BC - IV-V centuries AD) formed in southern Sakhalin, but later took up the most part of Sakhalin and spread to the northern part of Hokkaido. Sites of this culture found on the islands Mineron, Rebun and Risiri. Ceramics of the Susuya type was found on the Lower Amur and on Okushiri Island (south-west coast of Hokkaido) [2]. Total of about 50 sites of this culture are known. All sites of the Susuya people linked to the seaside. Usually settlements consisted of a few dwellings. Summer houses located on sand spits at the mouth of the river near the coast. Winter settlements were located away from the sea in the valleys enclosed from winds. The most famous settlements on Sakhalin — Starodubskoe 2, Kuznetsova 1, Ozersk 1, Belinskoe 1, Ust-Ainskoe 1, Chirikova, and on Hokkaido — Onkoromanay. The Susuya culture is considering as a culture of the early Iron Age, and already subsequent cultures Okhotsk ethno-cultural community belong to the early Middle Ages [2; 16, 295-300].
Metal objects were found already at several settlements of the Susuya culture, in connection with which it has been suggested that the further study of its the iron will become ordinary thing for these monuments [1, 158]. The findings of iron tools and careful polishing of stone cutting tools evidenced on the use of metal by the Susuya people. The iron knife with a handle made of deer antlers was found on the floor dwelling in the settlement of Ust-Ainskoe. Several unidentifiable corroded iron objects also were found on another settlement Chirkova-1. Stone polished axes were quadrangular section with right angles, which is typical for metal tools [2].
The local archaeological culture Towada appears in the end of V - beginning VI centuries AD in Sakhalin [6, 201]. Settlements were located in the same places where Susuya people lived, and consisted of slightly semisubterranean dwellings. The Towada people used polished axes and splitting adzes. For the treatment of bone tools they used iron knives.
The Okhotsk culture became widespread in the second half of I millennium BC, which represents local variants or even a chain of local cultures, united in Okhotsk historical and cultural community. Okhotsk culture of Sakhalin dated within the VII-XIII centuries. In Hokkaido Okhotsk culture existed about in the period VI-XII centuries. Okhotsk culture of Sakhalin characterized by a wide use of bone and antler for making various instruments and objects (arrowheads, spears, harpoon heads, leisters, hooks, daggers and other household utensils). Stone tools are very small and presented arrowheads, chopping tools. Okhotsk people actively used tools made from the iron, bronze objects are rare.
Chronological framework of the Early Iron Age in Sakhalin defined within V century BC - XII century AD. Early Iron Age in the Kuril Islands comes later — in I millennium BC. This process involves Post-Jomon community of eastern Hokkaido and the Kuril Islands.
The transition from the Neolithic to Paleometal epoch dated around 2500-2300 years ago [7]. Boundary between the Neolithic and Paleometal in the southern Kuril Islands drew about 2000 years ago [8, 195].
Based on the foregoing review of the archaeological record of the appearance of metal in the Okhotsk Sea region, we can conclude that I millennium BC in this region is a transition stage from the Neolithic to the Early Metal. For Northern Sea of Okhotsk the period from middle I millennium BC until middle I millennium BC can be defined Pa-leometal era and next V-XVII centuries is Iron Age. For the Southern Sea of Okhotsk Early Iron Age has several other frameworks (V century BC - VI century AD), and further there is Late Iron Age (VII-XVI centuries).
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