Chronological Attribution of Iron-Smelting Furnaces and Landscapes of the Chuya-Kurai Paleo-Metallurgical Province (Russian Altai) Based on Tree-Ring Analysis and Radiocarbon Dating

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Abstract

Assigning to the calendar time scale of the first in Russia and the longest in the world 377-year “charcoal” tree-ring chronology (TRC), numerous radiocarbon dating of charcoal fragments from slags and the unique find of tree bark argue for operating of box-shaped iron-smelting furnaces of the Kosh-Agach type in the Chuya-Kurai paleo metallurgical province (Russian Altai) in the 7th–8th centuries AD, i.e. in ancient Turkic times. This result closes the recently announced “paradox of ancient Turkic metallurgy” – the inexplicable sudden disappearance of iron production in Southern Siberia in the 7th century AD. The constructed “charcoal” TRC indicates that the “old wood” effect in the high mountainous Chuya-Kurai region is at least 290–370 years. The enrichment of slags with ancient parts of wood of long-lived trees does not allow the time of smelting events to be directly established even with numerous 14C dating. The only way to solve the “old wood” problem is to date the bark, which is a unique find. Cross-dating of charcoal fragments from three distant paleometallurgical sites shows the presence of a common climatic signal: about 1.5–1.3 ky ago, the now forestless eastern periphery of the Chuya Basin was occupied by tree vegetation, which completely disappeared under conditions of progressive aridization and intensive cutting for economic needs by nomads.

About the authors

A. R. Agatova

V.S. Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Ural Federal University,

Email: agat@igm.nsc.ru
Novosibirsk, Russia; Ekaterinburg, Russia

R. K. Nepop

V.S. Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Ural Federal University,

Novosibirsk, Russia; Ekaterinburg, Russia

V. S. Myglan

Siberian Federal University

Krasnoyarsk, Russia

V. V. Barinov

Siberian Federal University

Krasnoyarsk, Russia

A. V. Petrozhitskiy

Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Novosibirsk State University

Novosibirsk, Russia; Novosibirsk, Russia

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