The Late Chalcolithic Ceramics of the Volga Forest-Steppe

The Late Chalcolithic Ceramics of the Volga Forest-Steppe

DOI: 10.17746/1563-0110.2018.46.1.027-033

A.A. Shalapinin
Samara State University of Social Sciences and Education, Maksima Gorkogo 65/67, Samara, 443099, Russia

Chalcolithic pottery from the eastern Volga area was subjected to a technological and typological analysis. Three types are described: Chekalino, Gundorovka, and vessels “with an inner rib”. Chekal ino vessels have gently curved profiles, are tempered with crushed shells, and are decorated with short and moderately long comb imprints and pits. Gundorovka vessels are either pot-like or have gently curved profiles, are tempered with crushed shells and feathers, and are decorated with moderately long comb imprints and those of a cord. Vessels “with an inner rib” are pots and jars tempered with crushed shells and feathers, and decorated with imprints of a fine-tooth comb or a plain stamp, hatching, and pits. The Chekalino-type ceramics are paralleled by the Chalcolithic pottery of the forest and foreststeppe Volga and Kama. The Gundorovka vessels reveal similarities to the collared Chalcolithic vessels of the foreststeppe, and to the Volosovo ceramics of the Middle Volga forests. Vessels “with an inner rib” show some resemblance to those of the Sredni Stog, Altata, and Turganik forest-steppe. The Late Chalcolithic ceramics date to 4250–3500 BC. Chekalino is related to Late Neolithic combed ceramics of the Middle Volga. Gundorovka originates from the collared Chalcolithic pottery of the Lebyazhinka III type. Ceramics “with an inner rib” derive from those of the forest-steppe Middle Chalcolithic.

Keywords: Late Chalcolithic, chronology, ceramics, forest-steppe, Volga basin, radiocarbon date, ornamentation