Metallic artifacts of arjan-mayemir period from the Altai territory: x-ray fluorescence analysis, cultural and chronological attribution

At present, the Russian archaeologists’ task is a more intensive study of the materials that have been accumulated earlier. Modern methods of natural science are used to achieve this objective. These methods are intended to provide the necessary volume of objective information to verify the earlier conclusions, concepts and assumptions, as well as to reach a new level of research activity. The determining of the chemical composition of metal finds is particularly important in this process. The data acquired from the field where the work has not been carried out at all or it has been accomplished fragmentally are of remarkable value. The author of the article scheduled and sequentially executed the program of study of Arjan-mayemir archaeological finds (end of IX – 2–3 quarters of the VI century BC.) that have been studied with the help of X-ray fluorescence spectrometer SERIESTM ALPHA Alpha-2000 (USA), which is available at the Department of archeology, ethnography and museology of the Altai State University. Published results are based on research, which was based on archaeological finds stored in the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Altai State University (Barnaul). The most representative is the collection obtained during the excavation of the monument Elekmonar-II. Moreover the ancient objects of archaeological sites such as Bijkye, Boytygem-II and Tytkesken-VI were also involved. All of them show different stages of development of Biyken archaeological culture. An incomplete set of elements of horse equipment is used as a comparative material from the museum which reflects another tradition within the designated chronological period. Artifacts from location Gilevsky Bridge also refer to Mayemir (Mayemer) culture.