Metallographic analysis of an iron vessel fragment from the Late Saka kurgan of the Kyzylzhartas burial ground, Central Kazakhstan

Two fragments of the rim of an iron vessel have been found in mound 2 of the Kyzylzhartas cemetery located in the Shet district of the Karaganda region. The mound, 34 m in diameter and 1.4–2 m high, represents a burial site of the elite of the Late Saka period. This status of the burial is also conf...

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Main Authors: Beisenov A.Z., Panichkin A.V.
Format: Article
Language:Russian
Published: Tyumen Scientific Centre SB RA 2025-06-01
Series:Вестник археологии, антропологии и этнографии
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Online Access:http://ipdn.ru/_private/a69/84-93.pdf
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author Beisenov A.Z.
Panichkin A.V.
author_facet Beisenov A.Z.
Panichkin A.V.
author_sort Beisenov A.Z.
collection DOAJ
description Two fragments of the rim of an iron vessel have been found in mound 2 of the Kyzylzhartas cemetery located in the Shet district of the Karaganda region. The mound, 34 m in diameter and 1.4–2 m high, represents a burial site of the elite of the Late Saka period. This status of the burial is also confirmed by the gold jewellery that survived the robbery of the mound in ancient times. Based on archaeological data and radiocarbon analysis, the mound is dated to the second half of the 4th–3rd centuries BC. Metallographic analysis of single rim has shown that the vessel was manufactured from an iron sheet, 0.8–1 mm thick, made from a bloom by forging. The edge of the rim is bent inwards, and two circular hoops made from the same sheet are placed on the outside to strengthen the neck of the vessel. The lower one is a narrow strip bent at an obtuse angle. A second hoop is positioned on top of it, folded along its length from ca. 10 mm wide strip, with a cross-section in the shape of a flattened “eight”. The rim of the vessel is decorated with an ornament of a strip of yellow paint. The analysis of the structure of the paint layer suggests that the pigment was obtained from the mineral brown iron ore, otherwise limonite, by the means of grinding. Vessels of the late Saka period, made of iron sheet, are unknown on the territory of Kazakhstan. It was not possible to find any similarities in neighbouring regions as well. The results of the study are published for the first time.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1811-7465
2071-0437
language Russian
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publisher Tyumen Scientific Centre SB RA
record_format Article
series Вестник археологии, антропологии и этнографии
spelling doaj-art-4295194b7b0d45ad8059bdf058caa3fe2025-08-20T03:46:53ZrusTyumen Scientific Centre SB RAВестник археологии, антропологии и этнографии1811-74652071-04372025-06-012(69)849310.20874/2071-0437-2025-69-2-7Metallographic analysis of an iron vessel fragment from the Late Saka kurgan of the Kyzylzhartas burial ground, Central KazakhstanBeisenov A.Z. 0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2524-264X Panichkin A.V.1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2403-8949Institute of Archeology named after A.Kh. MargulanInstitute of Metallurgy and Ore Beneficiation, Satbayev UniversityTwo fragments of the rim of an iron vessel have been found in mound 2 of the Kyzylzhartas cemetery located in the Shet district of the Karaganda region. The mound, 34 m in diameter and 1.4–2 m high, represents a burial site of the elite of the Late Saka period. This status of the burial is also confirmed by the gold jewellery that survived the robbery of the mound in ancient times. Based on archaeological data and radiocarbon analysis, the mound is dated to the second half of the 4th–3rd centuries BC. Metallographic analysis of single rim has shown that the vessel was manufactured from an iron sheet, 0.8–1 mm thick, made from a bloom by forging. The edge of the rim is bent inwards, and two circular hoops made from the same sheet are placed on the outside to strengthen the neck of the vessel. The lower one is a narrow strip bent at an obtuse angle. A second hoop is positioned on top of it, folded along its length from ca. 10 mm wide strip, with a cross-section in the shape of a flattened “eight”. The rim of the vessel is decorated with an ornament of a strip of yellow paint. The analysis of the structure of the paint layer suggests that the pigment was obtained from the mineral brown iron ore, otherwise limonite, by the means of grinding. Vessels of the late Saka period, made of iron sheet, are unknown on the territory of Kazakhstan. It was not possible to find any similarities in neighbouring regions as well. The results of the study are published for the first time.http://ipdn.ru/_private/a69/84-93.pdfcentral kazakhstanlate saka periodiron vesselmetallographic analysisbloomforging
spellingShingle Beisenov A.Z.
Panichkin A.V.
Metallographic analysis of an iron vessel fragment from the Late Saka kurgan of the Kyzylzhartas burial ground, Central Kazakhstan
Вестник археологии, антропологии и этнографии
central kazakhstan
late saka period
iron vessel
metallographic analysis
bloom
forging
title Metallographic analysis of an iron vessel fragment from the Late Saka kurgan of the Kyzylzhartas burial ground, Central Kazakhstan
title_full Metallographic analysis of an iron vessel fragment from the Late Saka kurgan of the Kyzylzhartas burial ground, Central Kazakhstan
title_fullStr Metallographic analysis of an iron vessel fragment from the Late Saka kurgan of the Kyzylzhartas burial ground, Central Kazakhstan
title_full_unstemmed Metallographic analysis of an iron vessel fragment from the Late Saka kurgan of the Kyzylzhartas burial ground, Central Kazakhstan
title_short Metallographic analysis of an iron vessel fragment from the Late Saka kurgan of the Kyzylzhartas burial ground, Central Kazakhstan
title_sort metallographic analysis of an iron vessel fragment from the late saka kurgan of the kyzylzhartas burial ground central kazakhstan
topic central kazakhstan
late saka period
iron vessel
metallographic analysis
bloom
forging
url http://ipdn.ru/_private/a69/84-93.pdf
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AT panichkinav metallographicanalysisofanironvesselfragmentfromthelatesakakurganofthekyzylzhartasburialgroundcentralkazakhstan