The Transition Period From the Bronze Age to the Iron Age on the Territory of the Ishim River Basin: Results and Problems of Study

The work is aimed at summarizing studies of the transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age on the territory of the Ishim river basin. We address this subject for several reasons. Firstly, this period is characterized by increased migration activity of the population, which is reflected in the multicomponent archaeological material and ambiguity in interpretation. Secondly, in archaeological terms, the Ishim river basin has long remained poorly understood, but recent works have significantly changed this situation. There is a need to summarize all available information on the topic under consideration. Therefore, the data on the study of monuments were collected in chronological order; existing points of view on their origin, chronology, and cultural attribution are systematized. The history of the study on the topic is divided into two stages. The first one covers the 60s -the early 80-s of the XX century. In this period, there were occasional studies of the monuments we are interested in, the first publications of their materials and diagrams of historical and cultural development. The lower chronological limit of the second stage can be considered the beginning of 80-s of the last century. Since that time, the field work has been activated, research has acquired a systematic and focused character, there have been debates on the cultural background of the monuments, their history and origin. These trends are ongoing. The paper points out the key challenges and suggests areas for further research.