Some problems of method for reconstruction of the bronze age and early iron age dwellings in the southern part of West Siberia

This article suggests a method for reconstruction of the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age dwellings in forest-steppe zone of the southern part of West Siberia. With a respectable experience in dwellings reconstruction, there are still no universal methods in archeology, only separate achievements and groundwork in different regions. We assume that the optimal approach is the research of house-building traditions in different large geographical regions in historical retrospective, with their further studying and comparison. This algorithm of buildings reconstruction was suggested for West Siberian forest-steppe. It involves five stages: 1 - singling out the dwellings in a cultural layer (deepened objects, above ground buildings, annexes, inner porches ("senee"); 2 -buildings are grouped according to their characteristics (description with the further grouping according to the main morphological characteristics: size, number of chambers, shape, traces of the constructions: the presence of dimples from the pillars, their position, presence of the trenches from timber, carbonaceous strips, remains of arboreal decay; 3 - reconstruction of certain groups' buildings; the experience of the reconstructions held indicates that there were buildings with pole frame construction walls, wooden fence walls, framework walls, the existence of light conic buildings is not ruled out; the most difficult task in buildings reconstruction is defining the type of roof (with four, two one sloping surfaces?); 4) - restoration of the possible types of building frame elements heat insulation: it is conducted on basis of fixed traces of materials used for heat insulation (soil, grass, birch bark), ethnographical analogues, burial grounds building materials; 5 - identifying of the structure of the specific buildings, and the technical methods in their construction. While carrying out the reconstruction traces of repair works and rebuilding were registered, and also cases of labour and natural resources saving, the presence of various building techniques in construction of one of the buildings. Such rarities give evidence of forming and use of some construction methods, skills, and ways of adaptation of the ancient architects to the conditions which existed at that time. Reconstruction of the number of buildings in archeological cultures allows to mark out a model of the dwellings which existed in that period based on the common characteristics - a common image and type. The research of house building traditions of a certain archeological culture or region in a certain age gives us a chance to put a question about the types of dwellings existed in the ancient times, about cultural peculiarities, evolution of the living environment, detecting of household, economical and migratory reasons for changes in habitation.

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