Settlement structure of the Karagaily-Ayat river valley in the Bronze Age (on materials of archaeological sites)

Abstract

The article publishes the results of a spatial analysis of the Bronze Age archaeological sites located in the Kartalinsky district of the Chelyabinsk region. In order to build a model of resettlement of the Bronze Age collectives of the Karagaily-Ayat river valley in the South Trans-Urals, the location of settlements and burial grounds of this region was studied. Analysis of the localization of objects by cartography and GIS methods allowed us to identify some trends in the development of the surrounding landscape by the carriers of the Sintashta, Petrovka, Srubno-Alakul cultures and the late Bronze Age cultures (the Cherkaskul and Alekseevo-Sargarinsk ones). The research methodology included the formalization of data and its formation in several records of a single structured fi le, followed by its processing in the ArcGIS Pro software product. The systems of peopling of the valley identifi ed by us at these conditional stages are correlated with the economic strategy and socio-demographic situation, reconstructed by researchers for the bronze age societies of the steppe TransUrals. The constructed model makes it possible to demonstrate a phased process of settlement of the territory, from local development of the middle course of the river to the subsequent location of settlements throughout the valley. The results obtained are consistent with the statement on the new character of the carriers of the Sintashta culture in the South Trans-Urals and complement the picture of the lifestyle of the societies of the past reconstructed by the researchers. For the fi rst time, the whole range of archaeological sites of the microregion, accessible to us from reports and publications, has been studied, taking into account their location and archaeological context.