Technology of manufacturing copper and bronze tools of the Petrovka Culture of the Southern Trans-Urals and Middle Tobol region

A metallographic analysis of Petrovka Culture tools from the southern Trans-Urals and Middle Tobol region reveals a sophisticated correlation between tool function, raw material, and manufacturing techniques. Tools were primarily crafted from copper contaminated with impurities, sourced from oxide-carbonate ores, while bronze alloys, including tin and tin-arsenic bronzes, were used for more advanced implements like adzes, chisels, and spearheads. Casting defects such as shrinkage cracks were common in copper tools but absent in high-quality bronze castings, which exhibited superior fluidity and surface smoothness. Optimal heat treatment regimes, particularly at 600–800°C or 900–1000°C, significantly enhanced the hardness of forged tools, surpassing that of processed copper by 1.5–2 times. This suggests a technological progression within the Petrovka Culture, possibly influenced by related tribes in the Petropavlovsk Ishim region.

Degtyareva, A. D. (2024). Technology of manufacturing copper and bronze tools of the Petrovka Culture of the Southern Trans-Urals and Middle Tobol region. Vestnik Arheologii, Antropologii I Etnografii, (4(67)), 5–18. https://doi.org/10.20874/2071-0437-2024-67-4-1