Early Metal Epoch, the

Subject / Relics
The early Metal Epoch. In 2000 BC ancestors of the Finno-Ugric tribes, which include the local Neolithic population, mooved to the Leningrad Oblast territory from Verkhneye Povolzhye (the Volga River upperstream region). They brought the culture of the textile and cellular ceramics and skills of metal production. The early Metal Epoch settlements were discovered by N.N. Gurina on the Volkhov River bank (Sopka, Yushkovo, Issadi villages) and on the Pasha River bank (Ust-Ribezhna 2). Later they were found in the other oblast districts. Fireplaces and furnaces with metal slag, dinds of clay moulds for metal spill testify to smelting bronze and iron. However metal has not replaced stone tools yet. Silicon arrow-heads, scrapers and slate axes were used widely. The availability of tools made of light stone denotes the fact of the change with tribes of the South Beloye Sea region. Flat-bottomed profiled vessels of the great baking with a touch of quartz grains are predominated among ceramics items. Some vessels had rounded bottom. The vessels' surface was covered with prints of fabric over which comb impressions, pits or riflings are placed. From time to time the stylized images of ducks are found. Finds of ceramics with a touch of asbestos and organic touch are known in the north and east of the Leningrad Oblast. Shaded ceramics are found equally with textile one in not numerous settlements of the first centuries AD. On the whole explored settlements are dated from the second half of 2000 BC to the first half of AD 1000. Plotkin, Konstantin Moiseyevich
Gurina, Nina Nikolayevna
Leningrad Oblast, the/Volkhov District/Issad Village
Topographical landmarks/Pasha River, the
Historical Toponyms/Ust-Rybezhna II
Topographical landmarks/Volkhov River, the
Leningrad Oblast, the/Volkhov District/Yushkovo Village
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