Purpose. The article presents the results of the development of a problem task for the academic discipline “Archaeological heritage of Altai”, studied by second-year students of the Institute of History, Social Communications and Law of the Altai State Pedagogical University, studying in the direction of training “Tourism”. As part of the educational project, students are invited to establish the reliability of the interpretation of a well-known archaeological find in the region – an Iron Combat Hatchet with an anthropomorphic image from the Novotroitskoye-2 necropolis. Results. During the implementation of the educational project, the study of the history of the discovery of the Combat Hatchet, the search and analysis of its multi-temporal photographs, the comparison of the original photographs and research reconstruction are carried out. In the course of these operations, it is established that the anthropomorphic image on the Hatchet was not recorded at the time of its discovery. During the processing of the Hatchet, fragments of corrosion were removed from it, due to which it acquired human-like shapes. There are no analogies to such an image on the sites of the south of Western Siberia. Thus, the fact of the presence of an anthropomorphic image on the Hatchet from Novotroitskoye-2 is questioned. Conclusion. Problem tasks based on the consideration of particular debatable topics that involve variability of judgments have a clear promise in the modern educational practice of higher educational institutions. Their involvement in the educational process contributes to the formation of students' critical thinking. 

Purpose. The seemingly simple procedures, the methods of their implementation in remote times may cause heated discussions among the researchers. Bonding of skins and hides is difficult to imagine without the involvement of a needle and thread, but do we always have correct ideas about their use by our predecessors? To a certain extent, this problem is solved by an experiment; the main stages thereof are described in the article. Its purpose is to obtain and analyze the traces of utilization, the dynamics and specificity of their formation on the bone needle (with a tendon-based thread) in the conditions of perforation of a fragment of a roughly treated hide. Results. The study presents the results of making and using a needle made from a mammoth tusks splinter for punching rough-workmanship hides. Particular attention is paid to the description of modification of the tool in the course of this procedure and to discussion of traces of utilization formed on its surface in the process of hundreds of perforation acts. The obtained data make it possible to reasonably discuss the particular stages of both the manufacture and use of similar items, the pace of formation of typical signs of activity on the surface of the tools. Obviously, short-type needles were used for rough hides and skins. Punching of the said material is possible only with cranking (threading) of the tool, which leaves characteristic marks on the tip of the needle; the search of them should be made both on the needles and on the tools accompanying the hide treatment procedure (sharp-pointed tools, piercing tools, cranking tools, pricking tools). Conclusion. The obtained trace samples allow for discussion of the methods for using the needle for punching rough hides. The traces of utilization on the Paleolithic-period needles remain poorly described, which complicates detailed comparison of experimental data and original sources. The needle could undoubtedly be used for punching rough materials, but in this case, it is comparable with compound-functional tools (for punching hides and thread transportation), and the traces of use are comparable with the traces on piercing and cranking tools. The continuation of experiments in this area contributes to the formation of a reference samples base regarding production process traces on the tools used for treatment of hides and skins, which brings us closer to comprehension of production processes of the far-back primitive time, the evolution of functions of the tools we know well, the adjustment of modern tool typologies.

Purpose. Percussive-abrasive tools are essential for the Stone Age toolkits to process mineral and organic raw materials. This study aimed to reconstruct the functions of stone percussive-abrasive tools (n = 13) of the second cultural horizon of the Obishir-5 site (Fergana Valley), which were identified as a result of the archaeological collection analysis. Results. As a result of this study, we identified a variable set of stone instruments used by the site inhabitants for various purposes. The discovery of retouchers and hummer-stones, together with numerous debitage and cores, makes it possible to judge the presence at the Obishir-5 site of mass processing of stone raw materials to obtain blanks and their further processing into the tools. An essential result of the analysis was the identification of plates and pestle, which were most likely used for grinding organic materials. Conclusion. A new series of percussive-abrasive tools, identified as a result of the collection analysis from excavations in 2017–2021, allows us to significantly supplement the available data on the Middle Holocene lithic assemblage of the Obishir-5 site.

Purpose. The Tartas-1 complex of burials, ritual places and settlement takes a special place. Due to the excavation method of full opening of the site area, today the followings are explored and fully studied: an area of more than 36,000 m2 , 802 burials and related structures in the form of ditches, 1745 pits of various orientations, ritual complexes of various eras and cultures, including an early Neolithic settlement. The settlement is represented by two household structures (dwellings) and a complex of storage pits for fish, dated to the 7th millennium BC and attributed to the Baraba culture of the early Neolithic. The purpose of this article is to present the characteristics and dating of the new fish pit studied in the 2021 field season in the context of the known data. Results. The fish pits excavation method, mainly based on the enclosing soil-fill study, is proposed. The stratigraphy characteristic and the parameters of the pit are presented. A feature of the absence of any animal skeleton (dog, hare, fox, wolverine, etc.) placed in the pit as a sacrificial offering is noted. The date of (MAMS 53633) BP 7714 ± 29 Cal BCE 1 σ (Intcal 20) 6588–6502 2σ (Intcal 20) 6636–6469, obtained from an animal horn tool (tur?) found in the pit at the depth of 2.36 m below bedrock, is presented. The analysis was carried out at the Curt-Engelhom-Centre for Archaeometry (Germany). Calibration of the date by 1σ and 2σ demonstrates a complete correlation with the already available dates from the pit samples. The period of the Baraba culture's existence – the 7th millennium BC – is confirmed. Conclusion. The manifestation of economic practice among the bearers of the early Neolithic Baraba culture is a demonstration of innovation. It consists of the improvements on the appropriating economy with the increasing role of water resources, and the transition to a less mobile way of life, found among the ancient Siberian population at the end of the 8th – 6 th millennium BC. Pit no. 1741 also existed in this time period.

Introduction. Studies of ancient fortifications in the Eastern Primorye of Russia in the Margaritovka River basin are conducted for the first time by complex methods: mapping, geophysical characteristics, classification by shape, size, functional purpose.

Results. Four fortification sites have been identified: Shcherbakovskoye settlement, Senokosnoe-1 fortification, Margaritovo fortress, Margaritovskaya stone defensive wall. Shcherbakovskoye settlement belongs to the mountain type. It is characterized by a closed configuration of shafts, corner and wall towers, stone-throwing platforms, an inner city, residential estates. Shcherbakovskoye settlement is a gift of the 13 th century period of the state of Eastern Xia. The Senokosnoe-1 fortification belongs to the cape type. It is protected by earthen ramparts and a moat. The fortification is comparable in archaeological material with the Polzevskaya culture of the early Middle Ages. The Margaritovo fortress belongs to the cape type and dates from the post-Bohai period. The Margaritovskaya stone wall is located on the Sikhote-Alin mountain spur. It is equipped with a watchtower. It was built in the Middle Ages. Conclusion. The location of the fortifications and the stone rampart indicate the functioning of a land and river route in the Margaritovka River basin. The road began on the mountain Perevalnaya. The final point of the road was the bay of the Morayak-Ribolov of the Sea of Japan. The entrance to the bay and the mouth of the Margaritovka River was protected by a stone wall with signal towers.

Purpose. Barsova Gora is a unique archaeological and landscape site located in the Tyumen Region of the Russian Federation. The archaeological sites Barsov gorodok I/5 and I/7 are located on the edge of the bank of Utoplaya River. The aim of the study is to reconstruct the content of the production steps in pottery of the surgut variant of the kulai culture in the sites Barsov gorodok I/5 and I/7. Results. A technical and technological analysis was carried out for 33 vessels from the site Barsov gorodok I/5 and for 5 vessels from the site Barsov gorodok I/7. Nine recipes of clay paste have been found at the site Barsov gorodok I/5. The main ones are unmixed recipes Clay + Broken stone, Clay + Chamotte. Recipes with the addition of sand, introduced in a ratio of 1 : 1, stand out. Three recipes have been found on the site Barsov gorodok I/7. Vessels were molded with the help of flaps. Cases of using tapes with an overlay have been recorded. Various combinations of tools for surface treatment. 22 variants have been found on the site Barsov gorodok I/5. On the site Barsov gorodok I/5, 4 variants were found for 5 vessels. On both sites, a specific method of smoothing down with a serrated tool was recorded on the inside of the transition point from the shoulder to the body. Ware could be fired in a reducing and reducingoxidizing environment. Conclusion. The pottery skills of the population of both settlements are similar to the general pottery traditions of the kulay culture on Barsova Gora. This is manifested in the similarity of the clays used, a close range of artificial impurities and recipes for clay paste, variability in surface treatment, and the presence of specific technological skills. The difference is manifested in the skills of constructing a hollow body and in the use of sand as an artificial impurity. The use of patchwork molding along with the band molding reflects the coexistence of two groups of potters with different skills in vessel construction at these sites. This may be due to the interaction within these settlements of populations with different technological traditions or to the influence of earlier pottery traditions of previous cultures. The addition of sand may be related to the interaction of this population with the more eastern groups of the kulay culture, for which this admixture is dominant, or be the result of mixing with an earlier pottery tradition.

Purpose. Important evidence of external contacts of the Altai population in the early Middle Ages is the “imported” items found during excavations of archaeological sites. Most of these products show a different kind of relationship with China. Much more fragmentary is the material evidence of contacts of nomads in other directions. Therefore, it is quite clear that any new information in this regard requires separate consideration and detailed interpretation. This article presents the characteristics of a little-known metal mirror from the collection of the Biysk Museum of Local Lore after V. V. Bianki. Results. The study of the museum documentation made it possible to establish that the mirror was discovered as a result of excavations or collections carried out by M. D. Kopytov in 1924 near the Ust-Bolshaya Rechka village (Blizniye Elbany complex) in the Forest-Steppe Altai. According to the available data, this find, as well as a number of other items, may come from a destroyed burial. The key characteristic of the mirror ornamentation is small circular circles with a dot in the center. The range of analogies to the subject under consideration, which is not characteristic of the material culture of the Altai population, indicates its “western” or Central Asian origin. A kind of “inscription” applied to an object over a circular ornament, probably, is an imitation of an Arabic benevolent inscription. Conclusion. Analysis of the mirror, as well as other objects, presumably originating from the destroyed burial, allows attributing this object to the Srostki archaeological culture and dating within the framework of the end of the 1 st – the beginning of the 2 nd millennium AD with a possible narrowing of the designated chronology by the boundaries of the 10th century AD. A set of items (mirror, two-piece fastener, button, beads, etc.) demonstrates a female burial, built for a representative of the elite of the early medieval society of the Forest-Steppe Altai.

Purpose. An important direction in the historical and archaeological research of the Siberian ostrogs at this stage is the solution of specific problems associated with the main events of their history. This study is devoted to solving a set of problems related to the history and archaeology of the Urtamsky ostrog in Kozhevnikovsky District of the Tomsk Region: it’s localization, the determination of the foundation date and reconstruction of its architectural appearance, taking into account its transformation over time. Results. Based on the analysis of the written sources, it is proved that the ostrog was founded in 1685, contrary to the point of view in the historiography that the ostrog was established in 1684. Based on the analysis of the written sources, cartographic material and archaeological survey data, a reasoned hypothesis is made about the location of the Urtamsky ostrog on the north-eastern outskirts of the modern village Urtam. Here, material was gathered and artifacts from plundering excavations were collected, indicating the long-term presence of the Russian population in this area. In the course of analyzing the complex of written sources, it was established that the ostrog from the moment of its foundation until the mid-1730s at least once was substantially rebuilt, which resulted in the construction of a new log wall and the replacement of the two corner barn towers with the two gate towers. An analysis of the architectural parameters of the first Urtamsky ostrog showed that the log walls were equal in height to the height of the tower log cabins (about 4 m). Only the roofs of the towers towered above the log wall. At the same time, the towers themselves had a squat appearance and served as barns. Probably, it was this circumstance that prompted S. U. Remezov to depict the Urtamsky ostrog as having no towers, since the towers, neither architecturally nor functionally, did not fully correspond to their classical appearance and purpose. It is possible that the other ostrogs, depicted by S. U. Remezov with no towers, had towers similar to those of the Urtamsky ostrog. Conclusion. The study made it possible to significantly clarify the history of the origin and the reconstruction of the Urtamsky ostrog. The prospects for further research of this object are associated with the archaeological excavations.

Purpose. The paper focuses on the armor plates stored in the funds of the State Historical Museum (SHM). They come from the burial mound excavated by V. V. Radlov in the Prichulym region in 1863. Results. The set consists of 30 plates on which the remains of the organic basis of the armor are fixed. All plates of the series have a prominent (tier-like) surface, 29 of them are equipped with five iron rivets located in a cross. Two plates had buckles that tightened the cut of the shell (only one of them is preserved). The inner layer of the organic base of the armor was made of leather, while the outer layer was made of red woolen fabric. The design features make it possible to classify the armor as lamellar-sewn (lamellar-riveted) shells with internal armor, which were known among the Russians and Turks as “kuyak” (from Mong. “Huyag”), and among the Europeans as “brigandine”. Based on the typological analysis carried out, it was established that the plates were made by Oirat or South Siberian craftsmen of the 17th – mid-18th centuries, which is confirmed by the find of the Russian copper coins of the first half of the 17th century in one of the burial mounds. Apparently, the SHM plates did not constitute a self-consistent protective element, but were cut off from a larger piece of armor (presumably a bib or back plate). The armor itself could have been cut in the form of a “cuirass” with one or two lateral cuts. Cut in the form of “cataphracts”, “vest” or swing “robe” is less likely. Conclusion. Plates from the Prichulym region can be used as a standard for dating and attribution of similar plates from the territory of Central Asia and South Siberia.

Introduction. In the 10th – 11th centuries, the process of formation of the Oghuz tribes was underway in Central Asia. It was accompanied by the disintegration of kinship ties and the emergence of statehood. A new type of ethnic community was being formed, based on territorial and economic ties. The formation of the Oghuz Yabgu State with its political center in the lower reaches of the Syr Darya (river in the territory of modern Kazakhstan) played an important role in this process. The paper analyzes the preconditions and peculiarities of the Oghuz tribes’ westward migration. In addition, a comparative analysis of its economic and political consequences is carried out. Results. The Oghuz State, like many other nomadic empires, was not monolithic and its borders were not permanent and strictly defined. As a result of the extended social conflict, the Syr Darian Yabgu State collapsed and did not withstand the attack of the neighboring Kipchak tribes in the middle of the 11th century. This caused a new migration wave directed westward. Conclusion. As a result of the Oguz migration to the Westward there have been changes in the geopolitical and ethnoterritorial characteristics of Western Asia and Asia Minor regions. Oguz migration has become an integral organism of cultural and economic values. The political and ethnic traces of these changes can still be seen today.

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to find out the complex of traditional ideas about the wild pig and its symbolism among the Buryats. Results. In the first part of the work, a comparative characteristic of wild and domestic pigs in the Buryat culture is carried out. Lexical materials indicate the common Mongolian origin of the main terms denoting wild and domestic pig. Based on the fact that the population of the Baikal region knew about the domestic pig from the Hunnic time, the ancestors of the Buryats could get information about this animal at a fairly early period of their history. It is indicated that the Buryats reflected the biological characteristics and behavior of wild and domestic pigs in the works of small genres of folklore. The negative characteristic of the domestic pig in the traditional worldview of the Buryats is emphasized in general. In the second part of the study, mythological views about the wild pig are isolated. It is noted that in the traditional representations of the Buryats, this animal appears as a totem or nurse of the progenitors. The symbolism and semantics of the boar are revealed, the connotation of this artiodactyl among the Buryats is determined. The third part of the article is devoted to identifying the image of a wild pig in the traditional ritual of the Buryats. The manifestations of the image of the boar in the traditional ritual of the Buryats are being clarified. The sacredness of his image is associated, in particular, with the apotropaic function of the animal’s head, especially its tusks. The main motives associated with the wild pig are determined. Conclusion. The study shows that in the traditional worldview of the Buryats, the image of a wild pig is polysemantic and has ambivalent connotations. Comparative characteristics of images of domestic and wild pigs in the culture of the Buryats revealed a different attitude towards them. Based on the analysis of Buryat vocabulary and small genres of folklore, it can be argued that the domestic pig symbolized sensuality, poverty and, conversely, material well-being. Many negative qualities of a person were associated with it. Meanwhile, the boar personified bravery, and at the same time thoughtlessness. Of the biological signs of a wild pig, the Buryats especially distinguished its hearing and sense of smell. Despite some fragmentation of the image of the boar in the traditional worldview of the Buryats, a complex of judgments about it is revealed. In them, the animal acts as a totem, and as the nurse of the first ancestors. He is perceived as a symbol of strength, masculinity. In addition, he is endowed with the symbolism of fertility and heavenly water. In the epic of the Buryats, his image received an unambiguously negative connotation, and was linked to the motive of the soul of a demonic being. In the shamanic ritual, the tusks and, in general, the boar’s head, played the role of the apotropee. In it, the image of the animal was associated with the “game” spirit of Gakhai ongon. In shamanic poetry, the boar appears as an anthroponym (Gakhai bagsha). The materials on shamanic rituals highlight the positive connotation of this animal, due to such important meanings as earth, sky. The wild pig is a symbol of fertility. Probably, she was also perceived as a transport for the deity. However, there is also a negative connotation associated with the perception of the boar as a messenger of death.

Purpose. The research reveals the time and routes of field research expeditions of doctor of art history, architect Е. А. Aschepkov in Altai and the Upper Ob region, gives the assessment of conditions and methods of field research, as well as evaluates the source potential of documents of his personal fund in the State Archive of Novosibirsk Region for ethnography of Russian long-term residents. Results. The first expedition of Е. А. Aschepkov evidenced by the documents took place in the South of Western Siberia in the year 1943. The primary attention of the architect was concentrated on long-term residents' architecture characteristic of the Russian population of Rudny Altai. The second expedition in the territory of the present Kamensky district of Altai krai took place in August 1944. The choice was determined by the dominance of groups of the longterm resident Russian population. The result of both expeditions was gathering of significant selection of materials characterizing the elements of material culture of the Russian population connected with the settler body, serviceutility pictures of life in the period of conducting the expeditions, as well as the processes of development of peasant architecture of the years 1930–1940s, considered as consequences of Soviet state policy of influence that changed the layout of the village. Conclusion. The routes of surveyed villages of Altai and the Upper Ob region described in the article allow us to reveal the ethnographic heritage of the material culture of the long-term resident population of two regions – Rudny Altai and Kamenskaya Ob territory. Е. А. Aschepkov’s archive fund has a great source potential both on the ethnic groups of these regions and the methods of his field research work. The results of the research allow us to speak about the necessity of more active use of archive documents containing the information that is not fixed in field research. The interpretation of the expedition work of specialists from interconnected scientific spheres from the ethnographic point of view expands the capabilities of ethnography.