Костяные орудия прядения и ткачества на Синташте

Abstract

SPINNING AND WEAVING BONE TOOLS IN SINTASHTA A group of weaving and spinning tools «knitting-needles» has been singled out in 18 Timber-grave settlements (44 items), in the Sabatinovskaya (8 items) and Chernolesskaya (2 items) settlements. A great number of «knitting needles» (more than 59 items) has been found in the Timber-grave burials. After publishing the article in 1999 (A. N. Usachuk, R. A. Litvinenko, 1999. P. 204-216) the traceware analysis of bone items has made it possible to single out some more «knitting-needles». In the Timber-grave settlement (Kapitanovo-II) 3 more «knitting-needles» have been found (10 items in the whole). In addition to them, some «knitting-needles» were found in the settlements of Ukraine: Chernikovo Lake-1 (3 items), Kapitanovo-II (1 item) and Boguslav (3 items). Sets of «knitting needles» were found in the Timber-grave burials in Rostov and Saratov regions of Russia. One «knitting needle» has been found in the settlement of Lebyazhinka (the Middle Volga). A great number of such bone tools has been singled out in the Late Bronze Age Settlements of the South Ural (Pokrovskoye – 1 item, Rodnikovoye – 3 items, Tokskoye – 4 items, Gorney – 1 item). The traceware analysis of bone tools from the Sintashta fortified settlement has made it possible to single out 6 «knitting-needles» (fig. 1, 1-6). Four «knitting- needles» (fig. 1, 1-4) were found in the corner of dwelling 6 and, perhaps, they are sacrificial. One «knitting-needle» (fig. 1, 5) was found in addition to the 4 other ones (dwelling 7 – ?). The place where the latter was found (fig. 1, 6) is not clear enough. Nowadays there have been found 81 «knitting-needles» in 29 Late Bronze Age Settlements. A group of «knitting-needles» from the burials of the period totals 67. Authors believe spinning and weaving bone tools were used not only in the Late Bronze Age but, perhaps, in the Middle Bronze Age as well.