Bystry Kulyogan-38 – Bronze Age Fortifi ed Dwelling in the Surgut Ob Area

Bystry Kulyogan-38 – Bronze Age Fortifi ed Dwelling in the Surgut Ob Area

V.A. Borzunov, V.I. Stefanov, and I.G. Glushkov .

In 2000, archaeologists from Yekaterinburg and Surgut excavated the preserved portion (380 sq. m) of the Bronze Age fortifi ed settlement situated on the Bystry Kulyogan River, right bank of the Ob River, 35 km west of Surgut. The settlement was initially estimated to be approximately 650 sq. m in size. An isolated dwelling was located on a small sandy promontory. It was protected by an arcuate moat and probably by a palisade along the perimeter. The dwelling is rectangular in plan and resembles a tall truncated pyramid with rounded angles. It is characterized by a frame-pole construction with vertical load bearing posts, inclined log and pole walls, and fl at or very low gable roof similar to those encountered among traditional Khanty surface dwellings or above grave structures. Walls were fi xed by sandy mounds along the outer perimeter. The largest portion of the dwelling was occupied by a rectangular pit with vertical walls 0.4–0.9 m high sheeted with half-beams or half-section timber. Plank beds were located along the walls. The elevated shelf between the pit and walls was used to store kitchen utensils, tools, and provisions. The Bronze Age assemblage includes 33 stone artifacts and 1640 fragments of at least 25 Kulyogan type vessels. Vessels are jar-like with fl at bottom, decorated with comb and pit patterns. The site is preliminarily dated to the fi rst half or the fi rst third of the 2nd millennium BC.

Keywords: Surgut area, Ob River, Bystry Kulyogan River, fortifi ed dwelling, Bronze Age, Kulyogan type ceramics.