THE EARLY GOLDEN HORDE COMPLEX OF FINDS FROM THE FLOODPLAIN SETTLEMENTS IN THE LOWER KAMA

The article presents an analysis of archaeological materials from medieval settlements in the floodplain of the Lower Kama in the area of the Kuibyshev reservoir from the mouth of the river Aktai at the village Comintern and up to the urban locality of Alekseyevskoye (Tatarstan). The main attention was paid to the finds from the settlement «Peschany ostrov». It was studied almost entirely under the direction of K.A. Rudenko in 1992 – 1994. According to stratigraphy and artifacts from excavations, for example, fragments of cast-iron cauldrons, the settlement was dated to the early period of the Golden Horde – the end of the XIII – the first half of the XIV century. The author examined the ceramics of this settlement, revealing a number of patterns in the nature of the existence of tableware for various purposes. It was established that on the settlement «Peschanyi ostrov» at the beginning of the its functioning – at the end of the XIII century, clay pottery was used in the shape of small cauldrons or pots made without the use of a potter's wheel, that is by the hand-forming method. Crushed shells of river mollusks were added to the clay from which these vessels were made. This pottery is associated with the Rodanovo archaeological culture ceramics in the Perm Kama region. At the beginning of the XIV century, inhabitants of this settlement began to use dishes made on a potter's wheel. Most often these were large jugs, bowls, hums – large vessels for keeping grain or oil. All of them were brought from cities, most likely from Bolgar. At the same time, vessels in the form of pots or cauldrons with unusual handles were found on the settlement. Most often, such vessels were made with partial use of a potter's wheel. The clay used to make them contains a large amount of sand. Experts consider this ceramics to be made according to samples of vessels from the Perm Kama region and are included in the XVIII group of Bolgar ceramics of the Golden Horde period. These main groups of ceramics from the «Peschany ostrov» settlement can be considered characteristic of the settlements that appeared in the fl oodplain of the Lower Kama region at the beginning of the Golden Horde period. This does not contradict fi ndings from other settlements of that time in this region.