Nadezhda A. Leschinskaya*, Igor Y. Pastushenko*

Institute of the History and Culture of the Cis-Ural Peoples at the Udmurt State University, Izhevsk, Russia

* E-mail: arch@mail.ru

Keywords: Kama-Vyatka interfluve, early Middle Ages, archaeological sites and cultures, import, high-tin bronze alloys, metal bowls.

The paper presents the first-ever analysis of bronze bowls and their derivatives which are rare for medieval sites from the Kama and Vyatka basins. It comprises a catalogue of the artifacts, analytic data on their morphology, dating, site location and how they were used within the material and spiritual culture by the Kama region’s popu­lation. There are X-ray fluorescence results proving that all the vessels were hot-forged from high-tin bronze cast bars. As to the Kama region, the bowls belong to the category of the early medieval long-distance import which is Central Asian by origin. There was a local tradition to make decorations from the bowls. Topography of the bowls’ finds and accompanying complexes indicate their funeral and sacral purpose, the status of using decora­tions from the bowls is less significant.

DOI: 10.31857/S086960630003389-6