Work

Ancient Ceramic Crucibles for Non-Ferrous Metalworking from the Russian Far East: An Archaeometry Study

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The article presents the research findings on a collection of ceramic crucibles excavated at the Koksharovka-1 hillfort, known as one of the most significant archaeological sites of the Medieval epoch (7th–13th centuries) in the Russian Far East. This study represents an investigation of melting crucibles as a distinct category of metalworking ceramics discovered in the research area. The study is based on an integrated approach combining traditional archaeological analysis with physicochemical methods, including scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), Raman spectroscopy, electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), and computed microtomography (micro-CT). The research found that the morphological and technological properties of the crucibles were consistent with their function as containers for metal heat treatment. Traces of copper-based alloys as well as gold and silver processing were detected as a result of the crucible examination. For the first time, archaeological evidence of silver and gold metalworking in the Russian Far East during the Medieval epoch has been obtained.

Source: Heritage

DOI: 10.3390/heritage9080296

Authors: Irina S. Zhushchikhovskaya, Igor Yu Buravlev, Aleksandra V. Balagurova, Alexander A. Karabtsov, Aleksander A. Karpenko, Nikolay A. Kluyev