M. O. Filatova

Calendar dating of archaeological wood presupposes the existence of long-term tree-ring chronologies. Until recently, the development of such chronologies for the Novosibirsk Region remained an unanswered challenge. Several methodological issues had to be addressed, including the assessment of spatial homogeneity in dendrochronological signals across the region, the enhancement of the composite climatic signal contained within tree growth patterns (achieved through modern approaches to sample preparation and measurement of linear parameters of annual tree rings in archaeological wood), etc. To address these challenges, in 2016–2023, wood cores were sampled from 12 sites in forest stands dominated by Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), along with those from seven architectural structures in the Novosibirsk Region. The application of modern digital methodologies enabled us to construct a treering chronology network. The analysis revealed homogeneous tree-ring signals across the region, demonstrating that regional and composite chronologies provide a basis for reliable calendar dating of wood from 18th–19th century historical structures in the region. The study resulted in the development of a long-term generalized Nov chronology, spanning 375 years, by pooling samples from living trees and archaeological wood, with EPS ≥ 0.85 for the most recent 318-year segment. Results demonstrate that residual (res) chronologies should be preferentially employed for cross-dating procedures in the Novosibirsk Region.

The study of rural architectural objects is an important topic in the research of regional building traditions. This article presents a comprehensive analysis of a house located at 28 Severnaya Street in the Shapsha village (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug). The approximate age of the house was estimated on the basis of architectural features, after that, a dendrochronological analysis was carried out to confirm the proposed date. The house is a five-walled structure (pyatistenok) built using the ‘log cup’ (v chashu) technique, which corresponds to the regional construction tradition, the porch of the house is designed in an eclectic style with Art Nouveau elements. Based on the architectural features, the house was dated to the late 19th – early 20th century. For the dendrochronological analysis, 16 cores were taken from the northwestern, northeastern, and southeastern parts of the building. Standard laboratory processing of the collection was carried out using digital dendrochronology, after which the samples were measured and cross-dated with each other. As a result, a 259-year tree-ring chronology was derived. For calendar dating, two chronologies from this region were used: (1) one based on living trees in the vicinity of Shapsha village and (2) the “Gorn” chronology which was built to date the Gornopravdinsky burial ground. As a result, the series showed a high correlation coefficient with the burial ground chronology. The dating revealed four age groups of samples, the latest of which dates to 1900–1906. Since no sapwood rings are present on any of the samples, it is concluded that the house was built not earlier than 1906. It was established that the wide range of age groups does not indicate repairs or renovations of the house structure. Consequently, the dendrochronological analysis confirmed the conclusions drawn from the architectural analysis regarding the dating of the site to the early 20th century. The derived data expanded the dendrochronological database for dating archaeological sites in the region.

The article examines the results of comprehensive dating of an urban manor located at 106 Ilya Mukhachev St. Three methods were applied to obtain the dates: architectural and ethnographic analysis, analysis of written sources, and dendrochronological dating. The architectural description of the buildings in the manor complex is provided. Based on the decorative ornamentation of the residential house in the Eclecticism style with Art Nouveau elements, the manor was attributed to the late 19th to early 20th centuries. According to the decree approving the protected status of the cultural heritage object, the house is dated to 1897. The dendrochronological method was employed to determine the actual construction time. As a result of processing 28 samples, a 201-year floating chronology was generated. To obtain absolute dates, a network of reference tree-ring chronologies based on the width of annual rings of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), developed in the Altai Territory, was used. Ultimately, the dendrochronological method revealed that the construction time of the manor was earlier than previously indicated: the house no earlier than 1863, and the carriage shed—1872, respectively. Hypotheses are proposed to explain the observed discrepancies. A comparison of the dating results demonstrates a number of advantages of dendrochronological dating.

The authors presented a generated database for determining the species of archaeological wood and charcoal. Russian and foreign atlases and databases are compared; their limitations in analyses of archaeological material are identified. The main drawbacks include the difficulty in comparing the sample images from the atlases with archaeological wood due to the destruction of the cellular structure; the limited scope of the atlases and databases on plants from a single natural region; and the lack of specialized atlases that provide images of the cellular structure of charcoal. The methods of collecting and processing samples are described in detail. The wood was collected in Western Siberia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The principles of preparing slices of “live” wood, charcoal, and photo recording are described. The present study resulted in creation of an online database containing data on 53 samples. Its key feature is the parallel demonstration of “live” and burnt wood in three anatomical projections (transverse, radial, and tangential). This principle promotes the comparison of the degraded structure of coals with reference features. The database is an indispensable facility for determining the species of archaeological wood.

В статье излагаются результаты междисциплинарного анализа материалов атипичного погребения, находящегося под насыпью кург. № 6 на курганном могильнике Пятилетка-1 в Новосибирской обл. Представлено полное описание надмогильного земляно-деревянного сооружения и погребальной камеры. Охарактеризована поза погребенного. Приводятся результаты исследований материалов методами естественных наук. Определено, что сосуды были изготовлены по рецепту глина + шамот, сырье для их лепки было добыто, вероятно, в районе оз. Круглого. Анатомический анализ образцов древесины из земляно-деревянной конструкции и из погребения показал, что она принадлежит березе. Четыре радиоуглеродных даты пересеклись в одном диапазоне -1411-1404 гг. до н.э. Краниометрический анализ сохранившейся части черепа погребенного выявил сходство с ирменскими группами и отдельными представителями ранних этапов периода поздней бронзы (ППБ) Минусинской котловины. Изученное погребение по элементам погребальной практики значительно отличается от захоронений других культур эпохи поздней бронзы региона — ирменской, корчажкинской, еловской. Наиболее близкие аналоги обнаруживаются в материалах I (карасукского) этапа ППБ Минусинской котловины. Выдвинуто предположение, что изученное атипичное погребение маркирует волну (или волны) переселения на восток, на основе которого сложится I этап ППБ этой территории.

Календарная датировка древесины из исторических объектов невозможна без наличия длительных древеснокольцевых хронологий (ДКХ). До недавнего времени вопрос об их построении для Новосибирской обл. оставался нерешенным. Необходимо было дать ответ на ряд вопросов методического характера, например связанных с оценкой пространственной однородности дендрохронологического сигнала в области, попыткой усиления комплексного климатического сигнала, который содержится в приросте деревьев (путем применения современных подходов при пробоподготовке и измерении линейных параметров годичного кольца археологической древесины) и т.п. Для решения поставленной задачи в 2016-2023 гг. были отобраны керны древесины с 12 пробных участков в лесных массивах, где лесообразующей породой является сосна обыкновенная (Pinus sylvestris L.), и привлечен материал с семи исторических построек Новосибирской обл. Применение современного цифрового подхода позволило построить сеть ДКХ, анализ которых показал, что сигнал, содержащийся в годичных кольцах деревьев, на территории области однороден, т.е. построенные региональная и обобщенные хронологии дают возможность проводить календарную датировку древесины с памятников XVIII-XIX вв. на этой территории. Итогом работы стало построение длительной генерализованной ДКХ Nov путем объединения образцов с произрастающих деревьев и исторических построек (продолжительностью 375 лет, при этом для последних 318 лет EPS > 0,85). Анализ полученных результатов показал, что в методическом плане при проведении перекрестного датирования в Новосибирской обл. следует использовать остаточные (res) хронологии.

This study examines the use of charcoal for dating iron-smelting furnaces in the southeastern Altai. Problems with using radiocarbon analysis in this case are connected with the accuracy of assessing the calendar age. Another important reason why the age of furnaces is overestimated is the “old wood” effect. This effect cannot be avoided by making radiocarbon dating of thin tree trunks (branches) from slag or by using the youngest radiocarbon dates of samples from a single archaeological context. In the case of dendrochronological analysis, considering the age trend in individual series is also not a reliable criterion for determining closeness to the bark due to the long lifespan of trees in the southeastern Altai. Currently, the only way to avoid the “old wood” effect is to date samples with preserved bark, which are quite rare. Results of dendrochronological analysis demonstrate that conclusions drawn from the earliest dates for the same furnace are unreliable. Long tree-ring chronologies based on archaeological charcoal are more prospective for dating ferrous metallurgy sites in the region. The use of dendrochronological analysis minimizes the difficulties with interpreting radiocarbon dates.

This article presents the anatomical analysis of side shoulder plates in a Buryat composite bow which is kept in the collection of the National Museum of the Republic of Buryatia in Ulan-Ude (inventory No. MIB NV 1208/1). Based on the combination of its surviving structural elements and morphometric features, this severely damaged composite bow was attributed to the manufacturing tradition typical of the settlement area of the Selenga Buryats. The condition of the bow made it possible to remove a fragment of the lateral plate, made of plant material, for analysis without damaging the bow structure. This fragment served as additional cover for the side surface of the bow. The analysis revealed that bamboo (Bambusa Schreb.) was the material used for making these plates. Previous studies contained descriptions of plates dating back to the Xiongnu period, which may be tentatively compared with the lateral plates under study. However, the appearance of these elements was reliably documented only in the Late Middle Ages and the Modern Period. Bamboo plates appeared in the vast majority of the Buryat-made bows from the southern part of Western Transbaikalia. With rare exceptions, such elements were not typical of other Buryat bow designs and for distinctly different imported bows. This data confirms the imported nature of the raw material (bamboo) for the lateral plate, but does not make it possible to definitively identify its source or explain why Buryat artisans decided to consistently use these elements.

This article discusses specific aspects of dendrochronological research using charcoal – a material long considered unpromising for tree-ring analysis. Frequent discoveries of charcoal at various archaeological sites and its relatively good preservation in cultural layers have made it possible to enhance modern approaches to sample preparation and research methodologies for this material. This represents a significant step forward in dendrochronological dating for a greater number of sites where wood was absent. This article analyzes charred wood as object of dendrochronological study and evaluates the available methods for charcoal sample preparation in terms of overcoming the limitations imposed by this material. Key transformations of wood during heating and burning are examined at morphological, physical, and chemical levels. Important structural aspects of charcoal, such as shrinkage, friability, and cracking, are analyzed along with influence of vitrification, loss of the final growth ring during combustion, and impact of these deformations on the subsequent dendrochronological dating. The article outlines some crucial aspects of charcoal sample preparation, which differ from the methods used for dry or waterlogged wood. The challenges of radiocarbon dating of charcoal, particularly the “old wood effect,” are also discussed. In some case studies, the chronologies constructed from charcoal were crossdated with chronologies derived from uncharred wood, demonstrating capacity of dendrochronological research involving this material. It is concluded that further advancements in dendrochronological analysis of archaeological charcoal may be achieved through studies of charcoal from wooden structures at settlements and burial sites, and from sites in lowland regions.

In 2025, the Kurai Team of the IAET SB RAS undertook rescue excavations of a burial mound at the Anash-10 burial ground, attributed to the Podgornovo stage of the Tagar culture and located in the flood zone of the Krasnoyarsk Reservoir. A set of six socketed arrowheads made of copper alloy was of particular interest among the finds. This is a unique discovery since fragments of wooden shafts have been preserved, which happens extremely rarely in archaeological practice. The preservation of the organic material resulted from the conserving effect of copper salts which turned out to be toxic to biodeteriorants. The objective of this study was to identify the wood species used for making the arrow shafts. This would make it possible to reconstruct the technological and raw material strategies of the ancient population. Four samples were examined using optical microscopy. The analysis of anatomical features observed in the cross, tangential, and radial sections revealed that all specimens were of silver birch (Betula pendula Roth). This choice was not accidental, since birch is a hard and durable species widely available in the forest-steppe zone and well-suited for manufacturing weaponry. This data is consistent with numerous parallels from the Early Iron Age sites in Southern Siberia and the Urals, where birch was the primary material for arrow shafts. Thus, this research makes a significant contribution to understanding the economic, domestic, and ritual practices of the Tagar culture. It also expands the corpus of sources on ancient woodworking, confirming the established tradition of utilizing local timber resources.