A Rock‐Magnetic Quest for Possible Ore Sources for the Ancient Iron‐Smelting Industry in the Olkhon Region (Lake Baikal,Siberia) |
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| Authors: | G. G. Matasova A. Yu. Kazansky N. O. Kozhevnikov S. V. Snpokov A. V. Kharinsky |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia;2. Geological Faculty of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia;3. Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia;4. Irkutsk State University, Irkutsk, Russia;5. National Research Irkutsk State Technical University, Irkutsk, Russia |
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| Abstract: | Rock‐magnetic techniques were used to examine the topsoil layer of Kurma archaeological site (in the Olkhon region, on the north‐western coast of Lake Baikal, Siberia) in an effort to determine the possible sources of iron ores for iron‐smelting centres (at about the bc /ad boundary). Measurements have shown a magnetic enhancement of the topsoil due to magnetite grains resulting from weathering of strongly magnetic crystalline rocks. They have also revealed a preliminary picture of the distribution of strongly magnetic topsoils around the ancient iron‐smelting centres. Perhaps, in addition to traditional sources of raw materials, the ancient metallurgists used black sand talus as an ore deposit. |
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| Keywords: | Ancient Iron Smelting Rock‐Magnetic Study Topsoil Magnetite Kurma Archaeological Site Baikal Siberia |
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