“A CRUCIBLE WITH SOLIDIFIED SUBSTANCE” OR AN ORE SAMPLE: EXPERIENCE OF THE COMPLEX ANALYSIS OF A UNIQUE FIND OF THE CHEPETSKAYA ARCHAEOLOGICAL CULTUREстатьяИсследовательская статья
Аннотация:In this paper, we present the results of the complex analysis of “a crucible
with the solidified substance”. This “crucible” was found during the archaeological
research of the Kachkashursky I burial ground—one of the 9–13th centuries CE
funeral sites of the basin of the Cheptsa RiverA unique find was revealed during a
study of the 1971 collection. A primary interpretation of the find as a crucible and
a search for analogies requested a further archaeometry study. The results of the
chemical and phase composition analysis are presented in the work. The chemical
analysis has revealed that “solidified substance” from the artifact is oxidized iron.
The phase analysis revealed that the basis of the material of the contents of the
“crucible” and the “crucible” itself is iron metahydroxide FeO(OH) (goethite) with
quartz impurities. This composition is typical for bog ore. We examined that the find
is a large nodule—a type of bog ore, which was the main source of iron ore during
the Middle Ages.