Уникальные чеканы эпохи скифской архаики из Харьковской области (Лесостепь Левобережной Украины)
Unique pick-axes of the Scythian archaic time from Kharkov area (Forest-Steppe of Left-Bank Ukraine)

Summary/Abstract: The article is devoted to publication of two pick-axes − bronze and bimetallic. They are found under casual circumstances in the floodplain of the Udy River, south of Kharkiv (Siversky Donets basin). For territory of Ukraine, however, as well as for the South of Eastern Europe on the whole, these samples of close combat weapon are unique. The cast bronze pickaxe in its general shape and a number of details is very close to those in the Tagar culture of the South Siberia, especially the Khakas-Minusinsk basin. At the same time, it has differences, for example, in the shape of the striker and socket. A socket from above is closed by a flat cap, its surface has cutting tracks, features already characteristic of bimetallic pickaxes of Scythians archaic epoch in Eurasia. It is reasonable to assume some kind of transitional form in this pick-axe from a bronze weapon to bimetallic one, that was an undoubted innovation in the Eurasia. The bronze pick-axe dates back to no earlier than the 1st half of the 7th century BC. The bimetallic pick-axe is no less interesting. Its peculiarity is that its butt is cast from bronze together with the socket. At the same time, this weapon has a number of features that are quite characteristic of all others bimetallic pick-axes: decoration of the upper part of the socket with horizontal ridges, a well-defined cut of the socket, the presence of holes on the butt near the socket, the design of the striker in the form of a dagger or sword blade, decorated with flutes in the center. Apparently, published pick-axe is a result of technological innovation that, undoubtedly took place in transition from bronze to bimetallic pick-axes. The date of the bimetallic pick-axe is no later than the end of the 7th century BC. The finds of these melee combat weapons of an eastern, including Siberian appearance, on the territory of modern Ukraine, in our opinion, indicate episodic penetrations of the nomadic Eurasian population of the Scythian archaic era into the Eastern Europe.

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