Prospects for Archaeological Research in the Chik River Valley Using the Evidence from the Archaeological Survey of 2024

A special role of the Chik River basin in the ancient economic system of the Novosibirsk Ob region is discussed. This area remained understudied for a long time despite a long history of archaeological research in the region and awareness of scholars that it was promising in terms of archaeological sites. Field research by a team from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences in October 2024, involving field survey, aerial photography with a drone, and test pits, resulted in discovering two new archaeological sites, Chik-1 and Chik-2, on the right-bank floodplain terrace of the river. This article presents analysis and cultural attribution of the surface finds and artifacts from the test pits. Pottery assemblage from the Chik-1 site was represented by fragments with ornamentation of horizontal rows of imprints and pearl-like elements, and was preliminarily attributed to the Odino culture of the Bronze Age (second millennium BC). A shattered vessel decorated with combstamp imprints was discovered at the Chik-2 site, indicating that the site may be attributed to the Odino archaeological stage of the Verkhneobskaya culture (4th – 8th centuries AD). These new sites, together with the previously known Bunkovo-1 site, confirm the fact of active development of the Chik River valley by ancient populations engaged in cattle breeding. In the future, this promising territory can be further investigated using modern methods such as remote sensing and geographic information systems for better understanding the patterns of settlement and economic development of the area in ancient times

Aerial photography · Bronze · Excavation · Floodplain · Pottery · River valley · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Marine and environmental studies · Soil and Environmental Studies