UDC 903.2

S. N. Skochina

Institute of Problems of Development of the North SB RAS a / z 2774, Tyumen, 625003, Russia

E-mail: sveta_skochina@mail.ru

Bone and horn tools dating back to the Neolithic period are rare not only in the forest-steppe region of the Ishim region, but also in Western Siberia as a whole. The rich collection of bone tools from the settlement of Mergen-6 is currently unique and the only one that characterizes the high level of tool equipment of the carriers of the Koshkinsky culture. The paper presents the results of typological and tracological analysis of bone and horn tools. The types of bone tools that demonstrate a high level of such types of domestic production as leather processing, wood processing, making ceramic products, netting, mats, etc. are shown. In addition, the main features of the bone industry of the settlement in the Neolithic period are considered.

Key words: Neolithic, forest-steppe Priishimye, settlement Mergen-6, Koshkinskaya culture, bone and horn tools, trace analysis of bone tools, micrographs of traces of harmony on the bone.

Introduction

In the collections of the studied monuments of the Koshkino culture, there are practically no finds made of organic materials that would expand the understanding of the assortment of tools used for various activities. In this regard, studies of the multi-layered settlement Mergen-6, located on the north-eastern shore of the lake of the same name in the forest-steppe zone of the Ishim region (Figure 1), are particularly valuable, where rich bone tools were found in the filling of Neolithic dwellings along with Koshkinsky-type ceramics and stone artifacts. The Neolithic period includes nine sites with various amounts of bone and horn tools (Zakh and Skochina, 2003).

Bone-cutting production technology

Bone-cutting production focused on the physical and mechanical properties of bone. It has hardness, density, elasticity, is well cut, sharpened, polished, its specific gravity is approx. 1.5 n / m3, Mohs hardness-2, modulus of elasticity is 1600 kg / mm2 [Craft..., 1994]. The production process can be divided into three stages::

- selection and preparation of raw materials;

- production of horn and bone semi-finished products;

- final finishing of the finished product using various operations.

Traditionally, it is believed that when preparing bone and horn blanks, softening was performed by steaming or soaking [Semenov, 1957; Zhilin, 2001]. At the settlement of Mergen-6, a similar process took place, as evidenced by smooth cut edges without notches on parts of the blanks. On the use of fire when working with bone

The work was carried out within the framework of the project of the program of fundamental research of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences "Historical and cultural heritage and spiritual values of Russia".

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Fig. 1. Location of Mergen-6 settlement.

a small number of burnt fragments may indicate this.

After softening, the horn was split into blanks and, if necessary, straightened in a heated state. Further processing of horn and bone blanks was the same. The technology of bone-cutting production was based on mechanical impact on the bone and included cutting, cutting, sawing, rarely drilling, grinding, polishing, carving.

In two dwellings of the settlement, accumulations of bone blanks were recorded, consisting of ribs, tubular bird bones, chopped elk horns, split and straightened plates of them. It should be noted that no tools made of horn plates were found.

The tools were made using raw materials, the shape and physical characteristics of which partially corresponded to the function of the product-tubular bird bones, ribs, metapodia, teeth. The horn was used less frequently, mainly for making chopping tools and crafts. There are bone blanks with preliminary marking using a cut, along which the edge was subsequently broken off. In the presence of irregularities or the need to remove the remaining sponge mass and level the surface, grinding on stone abrasives was used. For blanks intended for the manufacture of punctures, awls, only the working end was processed, which was ground. Part of the blanks from the ribs were split lengthwise, the surface was scraped, the edges were planed, and the final finishing was grinding. Sometimes a groove was cut or scraped on the bone, along which the unnecessary part was broken off. Bone drilling was not widely practiced, an example is objects with cut holes, this technique was used only for needles. Among the archaic techniques, one can note the lining for the design of the working part of massive blanks (for example, plows) [Semenov, 1957].

Product Description

Despite the dominance of the remains of wild animals in the settlement, which indicates a rather large role of hunting in the life of the Koshkinsky population, the tools associated with this activity are not numerous. They are represented by arrowheads, harpoons, and daggers.

There are two types of arrowheads: rod-shaped (needle-shaped) and biconic. The first one (14,6*14,0*0,9 cm) - petiolate rod-shaped or with an elongated feather, diamond-shaped in cross-section, the tip is designed with an oblique section, the nozzle is conical, oval in cross-section (Fig. 2, 1; 3). At the tip and at one longitudinal edge, rough scratches are fixed on two surfaces located perpendicular (or slightly inclined) to the long axis of the product, and the longitudinal edge is deformed by rare two-sided recycling facets (Fig. 3, A, B). This tip was used as a wood cutter. Second petiolate rod-shaped tip (9,5*1,2*0,5 cm) flat-oval in cross-section, made of a bone plate processed in the planing technique. The tip is broken, the transition of the pen to the nozzle is slightly thickened, the nozzle is decorated with two longitudinal sections (see Fig. 2, 2). A short biconic tip (9,5*1,6*1,0 cm) rounded in cross-section, one point is broken (see Figs. 2, 3). Subsequently, the product was used as a puncture.

At the settlement of Mergen-6, a single harpoon tip is presented in a single copy. It is single-row, 7.6 cm long, has three prongs with an extended protrusion-line (see Figs. 2, 4). The harpoon tip and all the main parts were cut with a stone knife, no grinding was used.

2. Bony rod-shaped (1, 2), biconic (3) arrowheads and harpoon tip (4).

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Fig. 3. Arrowhead reutilized as a wood cutter (A, B-microphotography of traces of harmony with an Olympus BX-51 metallographic microscope,- *5).

Tools for processing fishing and hunting prey include various knives made from split ribs (4 copies). Typologically, they are beveled points with an asymmetric blade (Fig. 4).

Tools for stone processing include intermediaries made of sharpened segments or fragments of horns (3 copies), whose longitudinal edges are formed by planing (Fig. 5). Signs of wear are found only on one of them: the end of the tool is deformed, crumbled, there are several creases, rare elongated scratches run from the deformation boundary, parallel to the surface. the long axis of the product (Fig. 5, 2).

The group of woodworking tools consists of horn hatchets, chisels, chisels, plows, and tooth scrapers. Hatchets (3 copies) are made of horn, which has a greater hardness than bone. The first one (11,0*5,0*1,2 cm) is cut from a massive horn plate, has a rectangular plan and a prismatic cross-section shape (Fig. 6, 5). The upper part of the product, as well as the angle of the blade, is broken off. Two longitudinal edges and a blade are processed by planing. The blade and partially one longitudinal edge are decorated with sections 0.8 cm wide and 1.5 - 2.0 cm long. There are no signs of harmony.

Fig. 4. Bone knives (A-microphotography of harmony traces with an Olympus BX-51 metallographic microscope, *5).

Figure 5. Horn intermediaries.

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Fig. 6. Woodworking tools.

1-chisel; 2-chisel-plough; 3, 5-horn hatchets; 4-chisel; 6-8-scrapers.

Fig. 7. Horn hatchet (A-D-microphotography of harmony traces with an Olympus BX-51 metallographic microscope, *5).

Fragment of the second hatchet (5,3*4,3*1,7 cm) has a sub-rectangular plan and sub-oval cross-section shape, the upper part is missing (Fig. 6, 3). The longitudinal edges are planing. The surface has a dull sheen, brighter closer to the blade. On one side there is a longitudinal groove. The blade is beveled, slightly convex, and trapezoidal in cross-section due to grinding. There are no signs of use.

The third hatchet (7,2*5,1*0,7 cm) is made of a thin horny plate, has a sub-rectangular in plan and lenticular in cross-section shape. One surface is decorated with planing. On the upper part of the hatchet, traces of cutting are visible in the form of oblique long notches parallel to each other, along which the product broke. In addition, one longitudinal edge was broken, possibly during recycling (Fig. 7). The blade of the hatchet is symmetrical, slightly convex-concave. The edge is rounded and blunted. Near it, a two-sided dull polish is localized, and on the concave surface it occupies a narrow strip. On both sides, traces of recycling are recorded in the form of diagonal scratches of various lengths relative to the long axis, less often there are long lines located parallel to the blade (Fig. 7, A-D).

The main tools for chiseling wood are chisels and chisels. With their help, they make various recesses, sockets and eyelets necessary for making carpentry joints. A chisel differs from a chisel with a longer and thicker blade. They are hollowed out depressions, holes. The chisel is designed for removing small thickness: for cleaning sockets and grooves, fitting joints, chamfering, etc.

Chisels (3 copies) are represented by fragments. They are made of massive tubular bones, have an oval or lenticular cross-section. The blades differ in shape: wide, convex, straight and tapering, convex (see Fig. 6, 1). On the one hand, they were corrected on the abrasive. One chisel is grooved (Fig. 8). The surface on the side of the sponge structure is formed by scraping, the convex surface is formed by planing and polishing, and the edges are formed by pounding. The asymmetric blade is slightly beveled on one side, and on the other hand, it has been worked out by grinding. Its edge is rounded, and on the convex surface, mainly at one corner section, rare multi-caliber disposal facets are visually traced, from which scratches are oblique relative to the blade (Fig. 8, A-B).

Chisels (3 copies) are tools with a narrow blade. One of them (21,0*2,4*1,3 lenticular in cross-section, with a convex symmetrical blade width of approx. 1.5 cm. On both sides of the blade there are short thin and coarser scratches,

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Fig. 8. Bone chisel (A-B-microphotography of traces of harmony with a metallographic microscope "Olympus BX-51", *5).

perpendicular to the product's long axis. Another chisel is represented by a fragment. It is designed with the help of upholstery and planing. One plane is decorated with an ornament in the form of grouped oblique intersecting lines forming a zigzag (see Figs. 6, 4). The chisel has an asymmetric narrowed convex-flat blade with a width of 1.2 cm. The edge line is knocked down, slightly jagged. Linear disposal marks in the form of grouped short scratches parallel to the blade, and rare rougher diagonal ones are mainly concentrated on a flat surface. On the opposite side, rare rough oblique scratches are located on the corner sections of the blade.

Combined tools are represented by chisels, which were also used as plows. One of them is grooved, triangular in cross-section, has a narrow rounded asymmetric tip-a blade designed on an abrasive (see Fig. 6, 2). The surface and longitudinal edges are processed by planing, the gutter-by scraping. On the convex side of the blade, thin lines parallel to the long axis of the product are located, and closer to the longitudinal edges - frequent short rough lines, also perpendicular to the long axis. On one longitudinal edge on both sides, disposal facets localized closer to the tip are fixed. The convex side of the blade shows frequent short rough scratches parallel to each other. Another chisel-plow is an elongated plate (18,0*2,6*0,7 cm) with an asymmetric rounded blade, sanded on both sides on an abrasive. The longitudinal edges of the handle are treated with upholstery, the end is pointed. The edge line of the blade is slightly crumpled, the edge is sharp-angled in cross-section, and there is a slight serration in the corner areas. On the convex and concave surfaces of the blade are located oblique relative to the long axis of the gun long scratches. The longitudinal blades are wavy due to the upholstery and disposal facets, the edge is rounded. Fine and rough scratches, mostly inclined relative to the long axis of the product, are located mainly on the convex surface of the blade, on the opposite they are rare.

The plough is made of a split tubular fragment of the diaphysis. On one of the longitudinal edges, a jagged chipping is visually observed, forming a concave blade, as well as intersecting (perpendicular to the long axis of the product and oblique) linear traces of recycling.

On the settlement there are tools (5 copies) made from longitudinally split animal teeth (see Fig. 6, 6, 7; 9, 1). The working part was a crown. On the side of the chip, either a funnel-shaped notch entering the tooth channel or a narrow transverse blade was formed using grinding (Fig. 9, 2, 3). The adjacent fault surface was partially ground nearby. The outer side (enamel) was not treated. A single specimen has its longitudinal edges sanded apart from the blade. All products have a concave blade confined to the tooth channel. Its width is approx. 0,5-0,8 cm, length 0,9-1,3 cm, the angle of sharpening is 70-80°. One tool is made from a fragment of the lower jaw of Canis sp., in which the molar tooth is worn off by grinding, resulting in a concave blade (see Figs. 6, 8). The edge of the blade in these tools is trapezoidal or arched in cross-section. The blade in the middle part and the outer edge of the edge are discarded as a result of recycling (see Figs. 9, 6, 7). On the surface of the enamel at the edge of the blade are visible diagonal relative to the long axis of the product, sometimes intersecting scratches (see Fig. 9, 4, 5). Tools were used for scraping wooden rod-shaped objects or parts of products.

A fairly representative collection of tools designed for leather processing: awls, punctures, needles, scrapers, plows. Awls and piercings are made from metapodia, tubular bird bones, and rodent canines. In metapodium awls (13 specimens), the sharp end was formed by planing (Figs. 10, 1, 6). One ec-

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Fig. 9. Tooth scrapers (7) and micrographs of their blades made with the help of MSPs-1, *5 (2, 3), and the Olympus BX metallographic microscope-51", *5 (4 - 7).

Fig. 10. Tools of leather production.

1, 6-awl; 2-5, 7, 8 - punctures; 9-scraper; 10-13-needles; 14, 15-plows.

Fig. 11. Punctures from rodent canines (1) and microphotography of traces of harmony with the Olympus BX metallographic microscope-51", *5 (2).

the semplar is decorated with short transverse notches along the longitudinal edges (Figs. 10, 6) . For punctures made of tubular bird bones (9 specimens), the tip was formed using an oblique cut and sharpened by grinding (Fig. 10, 2 - 5, 7,8 ).

When making punctures from rodent canines (11 specimens), the upper part of the tooth was split, then one half was broken off, and the surface of the break was polished. Under the microscope, you can see that the working part of the tip is smoothed, has a dull polish, and there are thin long scratches from the tip (mainly from the inside) (Fig. 11).

Needles with ears (4 copies) have a length of 5 cm, a thickness of 0.2 cm, a rounded or oval cross-section, are made on

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Fig. 12. Bone needles (1) and microphotography of harmony traces with an Olympus BX metallographic microscope-51", *5 (2 - 6). 2 - abrasive grinding on the rod; 3-5-polishing and linear traces in the area of the eyelet; 6-linear traces at the tip.

thin rods (fig. 12, 1), designed with an abrasive (Fig. 12, 2). The ears were examined under a microscope (Fig. 12, 3-5). In the upper part of the edge of the holes on the surface, traces of dull ossification are recorded, in the zone of which chaotic short thin risks are located; transverse, parallel to each other thread-like scratches are partially recorded on the side edges. Perhaps these are traces of threads. The needle points are smoothed, there is a dull polish in the form of a dull gloss. From the tip there are thin elongated scratches (Fig. 12, 6). In a single copy, a highly polished half of a needler with a length of 10.6 cm is presented.

Scrapers (3 copies) are made on the fragments of blades, are thin flat plates with a length of 11-15 cm, a width of approx. 10, 9). The blade was formed by cutting or planing. As a result of the work, its edge has acquired a smooth outline, rounded. In the area of contact with the material, the surface of the scrapers is lightened. Under the microscope, you can see the polish and thin scratches parallel to each other, located perpendicular to the long axis of the gun. One scraper was also used as a knife. It has an additional cut of an asymmetric blade, on which, in addition to linear traces from scraping, there are thin elongated scratches parallel to the blade from cutting.

Ploughs (2 copies) are made on long massive ribs, originally used as clay spatulas (see Figs. 10, 14, 15). They are curved flat plates with one transverse edge rounded on the abrasive. The working part was a longitudinal concave edge. At the first plough (18,0*3,1*1,0 cm) adjacent surfaces are lightened on both sides. The concave blade is smoothed and rounded in cross-section. In the area of bright polishing, numerous parallel thin risks are located on one side, located perpendicular or at an angle. The second tool is a combination of a plough for processing leather and a spatula on a spatula. Typologically, it is correlated with the first one, only the end opposite to the rounded end is pointed. The concave longitudinal edge is designed in the same way as the previous gun. At the sharp end, a bright polish and chaotic short scratches are recorded on one of the surfaces (Fig. 13). Ploughs-hollows are made of massive split diaphysis (2 copies). Two flat working blades are designed by pounding on the inside.

Tools related to the manufacture of clay vessels are represented by spatulas, including their fragments (25 copies), and ornamentation. Spatulas, stack spatulas, and spatulas are distinguished (Fig. 14). Almost all products have combined traces of disposal, which indicates participation in various operations. Fragments of longitudinally dissected ribs were more often used for the manufacture of these tools, and whole ribs and tubular bones were less often used.

Spatulas are bony flat plates, slightly curved in profile, with one transverse edge rounded on the abrasive, the other broken off. The surface adjacent to the rounded edge was partially removed by incomplete splitting. Some spatulas are ornamented, the pattern consists of check marks and zigzag lines. Working groups

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Fig. 13. Traces of harmony on the plough for skin treatment (A, B), which was also used as a hummock (C) (microphotography with an Olympus BX-51 metallographic microscope, *5).

14. Tools of ceramic production.

1-spatula; 2-spatula-gloss; 3-spatula; 4-7-spatulas-stacks.

The tool sections were the longitudinal edges, the rounded transverse edge, and the adjacent part of the flat surface (Poplevko, 2002, p. 249-250; Glushkov, 1996, p. 58). The working edge line is smoothed and rounded in cross-section. Common for tools of both good (light shades) and bad (brownish color) preservation is a polish that combines bright and dull spots. Thin scratches perpendicular to the blade are fixed on the longitudinal edges, and uneven long and short scratches perpendicular and diagonal to the long axis of the product are fixed on the adjacent surface (Fig. 15).

Stack spatulas (3 copies) are tools made of split ribs, in which one end is sharpened on both sides by grinding, and an oblique or slightly convex blade with a width of approx. is formed on the other. 3 cm. The polish and direction of scratches is as follows

15. Bone spatulas for processing the surface of vessels and microphotography of traces of harmony with a metallographic microscope "Olympus BX-51", *5.

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the same as on the spatulas described above. Traces of disposal are added to the pointed work area. They are located parallel to the long axis of the gun or at an angle to it, intersecting with scratches coming from the longitudinal edges.

At the stage of forming the vessel with spatulas, they worked both on the outer and inner sides, smeared the clay with them and sealed the seam. On the Mergeni vessels, the most obvious traces of these tools are recorded from the inside at the bottom, i.e. spatulas were used to attach the first tourniquet to the bottom-a flat cake. Spatulas-stacks, among other things, cut off excess clay and formed a smooth edge of the corolla.

Spatulas were used for smoothing the surface and compacting (knocking out) clay when modeling vessels. They are made on split ribs, have one transverse edge rounded by grinding, sometimes formed by incomplete splitting of the rib, and one working flat surface on which rough long scratches, mainly parallel to the long axis of the tool, are visually fixed (see Fig. 14, 1). On two spatulas used for knocking out clay, linear traces of disposal are not visible. they are fixed, but the entire working plane, especially at the rounded transverse edge, is deformed, one might say, knocked out. Apparently, they were also used as spatulas in the beginning, as evidenced by scratches on the longitudinal edges and parts of the adjacent surface that were not affected by subsequent deformation.

The ornamenter is made on the fragment of a split tool, has a flattened tip, on which the shine characteristic of such tools is visible.

Hummocks consisting of ribs (15 specimens) and split diaphysis often have a pointed tip and a curved shape in the profile (Figs. 16, 1, 2). On the side of the sponge structure, the longitudinal edges and the tip itself are sanded, and the opposite surface is polished. The polish is bright. On the longitudinal edges, long and short scratches are visible, entering the polished surface. They are located obliquely or transversely with respect to the long axis of the tool (Fig. 17). The rest of the hummocks (14 specimens) are made on split or whole tubular bones (see Fig.16, 5). They are straight in profile, the tip is more often rounded, less often pointed. The working part of the hummocks of ribs and tubular bones was formed by an oblique cut, then ground on an abrasive.

Tools previously assigned to the group of products intended for weaving (3 copies) are called needles for knitting nets, which is not entirely successful, the term "shuttle" is more appropriate. One weapon is a split bone plate with a rounded transverse edge, on which a hole is cut. For making the other two, use.

16. Bone heads (1, 2, 5) and needles for knitting nets (3, 4).

17. Traces of harmony on bone hummocks (microphotography with an Olympus BX-51 metallographic microscope, *5).

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18. Needles for knitting nets (A-D-microphotography of traces of harmony with a metallographic microscope "Olympus BX-51", *5).

these are hollow, teardrop-shaped parts of the ribs with one sharp longitudinal edge and a longitudinal groove on one of the surfaces (see Fig. 16, 3, 4: 18, 1, 2). The tapering rounded working end was formed by an oblique longitudinal section (Fig. 18, 3). Closer to the tip on one of the an oval hole of approx. 0.6 cm in size was cut or scratched with a chisel near the natural longitudinal groove of the bone (Fig. 18, 4).

Traces of disposal were found only on one gun, the rest are very poorly preserved. The surface of the tip itself is somewhat erased, and numerous randomly located risks are observed in the erasure zone. From the tip of the tip, on the one hand, there are scratches of various directions and lengths, sometimes intersecting (Fig. 18, A, B, D), as well as grouped elongated (Fig. 18, C): on the other - long, sometimes intersecting scratches, among which diagonal ones predominate relative to the long axis of the product. The surface of the tip and groove near it has a dull mottled sheen. There are no linear traces in the area of its localization inside the groove. Apparently, we are looking at tools with a hole designed to stretch threads.

Ornaments are represented by pendants made from the incisors of rodents, the tusk of a small predatory mammal, and the gill cap of a fish (Fig. 19). Two products have two grooves for tying on the root part, and the third one has a hole cut out. Most likely, the jewelry also includes a bone frame made of horn (Fig. 19, 4). It is sub-rectangular in shape, with rounded corners, and is ornamented around the entire perimeter: on one side - a straight line, on the other - a zigzag, with cuts visible on the transverse edges.

Products of unclear purpose include a fragment of a round rod with a length of 12 cm and a diameter of 1 cm. It has a tapering rounded end. The longitudinal edges are marked with notches, 11 on one side, 9 on the other. The product is poorly preserved, but transverse circular scratches parallel to each other are recorded on certain areas of the surface (Fig. 19, 1).

19. Bone inventory.
1-rod with notches; 2, 3-tooth pendants; 4-horn frame; 5-gill cap pendant.

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Ornamentation

The ornamentation on bone tools is somewhat primitive, complex geometric shapes and curved patterns are not typical. More often there are such elements as a dash, an oblique or straight cross, a zigzag, straight vertical, horizontal or oblique lines, sometimes parallel to each other, a check mark (corner), in the only case forming a pattern in the form of a Christmas tree. A zigzag consisting of grouped slashes is shown (see Figs. 6, 4). As for the preferences and connection of the ornament with certain functionally selected tools, we can note the decoration of some punctures and awls with rows of horizontal notches and oblique lines along the longitudinal edges (see Figs. 10, 6).In a single puncture, one plane is decorated with a longitudinal zigzag, the other with a combination of a tick and a longitudinal line (fork). On ceramic tools, ticks, crosses, double oblique short or long lines are more common, and a single zigzag is found (see Figs. 14, 4-7). The ornament was made by cutting or notching and drawing. Patterns do not cover the entire surface of products, but are localized along the edges of the object or in the middle of planes.

Conclusion

Describing the whole range of bone and horn tools of the Koshkinsky settlement Mergen-6, it should be noted the variety of tools used in home production. It is necessary to indicate a small number of items related to hunting and fishing. Judging by the other inventory, the leather industry was put on a high level. When processing hides, bone plows and wide scrapers were used, finer work was done with stone scrapers of medium and small sizes. When cutting hides, knives made of stone were used, and knives made of bone were cut. Sewing involves awls, punctures, and needles. Of course, an important role was played by woodworking, at the first stage of which stone and bone axes and adzes were used. Plows and chisel-shaped tools were used to remove the bark and form the grooves. The division of wooden blanks was carried out with stone saws. At the final stage, we used knives and scrapers. Ceramic production was provided with a variety of bone tools, to which stone drills were periodically added to make holes in vessels.

The selected types of bone and horn tools have broad analogies in time and space. The closest finds are found on multi-layered monuments of the Shigir peat bog, in burials of burial grounds of the Barabinsk forest-steppe [Tolmachev, 1915;Polosmak Chikisheva and Baluyeva, 1989, p. 23-25; Archaeological sites..., 2001; p. 108; Zakh, 2003, p. 128, 136-137; Molodits 2001, p. 12-31;Polosmak Chikisheva and Baluyeva, 1989, p. 23-25; Archaeological sites..., 2001; p. 108; Zakh, 2003, p. 128, 136-137; Molodits 2001, p. 12-31; Varga-2..., 2007, pp. 12-14].

The Koshkinsky complexes of the forest-steppe Prishim region do not extend beyond the fifth millennium BC (Zakh, 2006, p. 23). Nothing is known about the bone industry at this time. Materials of the settlement Mergen-6 allow you to see its characteristic features. If we consider the material complex at the epochal level, then the archaism in the assortment of bone tools was manifested in the presence of such products as rib glosses, punctures made of tubular bird bones, which appeared in the Paleolithic period [Semenov, 1957, p. 210; Bader, 1978, p. 146-164; Paleolithic..., 1982, p. 72, 79, 83, 105 - 107, 162, 209; Gening and Petrin, 1985, pp. 49-58]. Tools related to hunting, fishing, leather production, and woodworking have been ubiquitous and widespread since the Mesolithic period. Rod-shaped (needle-shaped) arrowheads, harpoons, awls, carvers and tooth scrapers, scrapers, plows, and hollows were found on Mesolithic sites of European Russia, the Trans-Urals, and the Baikal region [Okladnikov, 1950, pp. 191-214, 355-364; Torina, 1956, pp. 63-159; Oshibkina, 1997, p. 69-97; Archaeological sites..., 2001, pp. 108-109; Zhilin, 2001, p. 55 - 58, 101 - 103, 131 - 135, 137 - 138, 145 - 146; Serikov, 2000, pp. 130-133].

Items of hunting weapons, including needle-shaped and biconic arrowheads, harpoons, which are widely found on Mesolithic and Early Neolithic sites [Mesolithic and Neolithic cultures..., 2002, p. 58], in the settlement of Mergen-6 are represented by single specimens. Apparently, in the Neolithic, long tips with a biconic head were transformed into short ones.

On the settlement, the most widespread are punctures and awls made of metapods. Most likely, the earliest type of piercing tools is the awl of metapods, which, due to their natural shape, required minimal processing. Punctures have been common since the Paleolithic, becoming most widespread in the Mesolithic-Eneolithic, in the Bronze Age, and they are known at a later time [Zhilin, 2001, pp. 137-138; Danilenko, 1985, p. 44; Seibert, 1993, p. 132; Morgunova, 1995, p. 91; Kiryushin, Maloletko, Tishkin, 2005, pp. 225-226; Papin and Shamshin, 2005, pp. 34-44]. Punctures (perforators) from rodent incisors were found in complexes of the Middle Katunian Late Neolithic culture (Volkov, Kiryushin, and Semibratov, 2006).

In the Meso-Neolithic period, kochedyks were widely used, they were used as auxiliary items in the weaving of mats and other similar products for splitting

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and stretching of plant fibers [Korobkova, 1969, p. 61; Korobkova and Sharovskaya, 2001, p. 95; Zhilin, 2001, p.142-143]. Tools that are characterized by the presence of a hole or annular groove are quite rare finds. Researchers interpret them as needles for knitting nets that existed from the Mesolithic period up to the Early Metal age (Gurina, 1997, p. 101-102; Zhilin, 2001, p. 142).

For the territory of Tobolo-Ishimya in the Neolithic period, the widespread use of tools for weaving and processing clay vessels is an innovation. At the settlement of Mergen-6, a series of tools for clay processing is presented: spatulas, spatulas, spatulas-stacks and ornaments. Their variety indicates a well-developed ceramic production.

Thus, the settlement Mergen-6 presents a unique set of tools, indicating the excellent equipment of the bearers of the Koshkinsky culture in economic and production activities.

List of literature

Chairkina N. M., Savchenko S. N., Serikov Yu. B., Litvyak A. S. Arkheologicheskie pamyatniki Shigirskogo torfyanika [Archaeological sites of the Shigir peat bog]. - Yekaterinburg: Bank of Cultural Information, 2001. -196 p.

Bader O. N. Sungir: Upper Paleolithic site, Moscow: Nauka Publ., 1978, 274 p.

Varga-2: Early Neolithic site in the Middle Trans-Urals (experience of complex analysis) / M. G. Zhilin, T. G. Antipina, N. E. Zaretskaya, L. L. Kosinskaya, P. A. Kosintsev, N. K. Panova, S. N. Savchenko, O. N. Uspenskaya, N. M. Chairkina. - Yekaterinburg: [B. I.], 2007. - 100 p.

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The article was submitted to the Editorial Board on 23.12.08.

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