About “metallurgical furnaces of shaft type” in the Late Bronze Age of Kazakhstan

Abstract

In the Late Bronze Age settlements of Central Kazakhstan, the existence of huge metallurgical shaft-type furnaces with chimneys, up to 2 m in diameter and depth, is assumed. However, from a technological point of view, the use of such furnaces for smelting copper ore is impossible. Experimental use of these "furnaces" has only proved the possibility of burning firewood in them. They do not reflect a processes of ore smelting with charcoal. The analysis of finds from Atasu and Taldysai shows that there is no evidence of smelting carried out in these constructions, but there is some evidence that the upper part of the walls was burned in real wells. The metallurgical residues found in the wells are the result of their backfilling with garbage. A hypothesis about the use of the deep shafts for smelting sulfide ores remained unconfirmed, since the analyzes of ores and slags can exclusively indicate smelting of oxidized minerals. Thus, the structures under consideration are wells which were typical of the Ural-Kazakhstan steppes, to which smaller furnaces were attached making it possible to achieve natural draft from the well to the furnace. Constructions of similar design are reported in the Sintashta Culture and, thus, arose in metallurgy of Trans-Urals in the early 2nd mill. BC and then became widespread elsewhere.