Wooden Paddles from the Nizhny Tagil Museum-Reserve of Mining and Metallurgy in the Urals

Wooden Paddles from the Nizhny Tagil Museum-Reserve
of Mining and Metallurgy in the Urals

doi:10.17746/1563-0110.2023.51.4.086-095

V.P. Mylnikov¹, N.M. Chairkina², and S. Reinhold^3
1Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
²Institute of History and Archaeology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, S. Kovalevskoi 16, Yekaterinburg, 620108, Russia
³German Archaeological Institute, Eurasian Department, Im Dol 2-6, D 14195 Berlin, Germany

This article describes Early Metal Age wooden paddles from the Gorbunovo peat bog, kept by the Nizhny Tagil Museum-Reserve of Mining and Metallurgy in the Urals. Their morphology and manufacturing technology are analyzed. The archaeological context and new AMS-dates are introduced. This sample of early wooden paddles is the largest and the most representative in the world. The specimens are very standardized with regard to general proportions, shape of the blade and handle, and decoration of the handle. A distinctive feature of this sample is that the handle of certain specimens is composite. A comprehensive traceological and technological analysis of the paddles has revealed several aspects of their manufacture, and xylotomy has provided information about the species of wood (pine, cedar, and spruce). On the basis of the processing traces, a tentative toolkit was reconstructed. The paddles generally fall in two categories: most are one-piece, and a few are composite. During the Early Metal Age, woodworking was probably a traditional craft in the Trans-Urals, showing a number of customary techniques.

Keywords: Gorbunovo peat bog, Early Metal Age, wooden paddles, morphology, processing traces, woodworking tools, manufacturing technology