The function and meaning of wells in the fortified settlement of Kamenny Ambar, Bronze Age Sintashta culture in the Trans-Urals, Russia

在欧亚大草原的北方边缘，在森林草原向外乌拉尔草原过渡的地方，我们第一次发现了一种定居的生活方式，这种生活方式是有系统的结构和坚固的定居点。到目前为止，已知的这些定居点中有21个与Sintashta-Petrovka文化有关。根据俄罗斯的术语，它们属于青铜器时代中期（大约在公元前2100 - 1,800年的C14数据之后）。在各种挖掘中，最近一次是在2008-2014年德国-俄罗斯合作项目框架内，在Kamennyj安巴尔定居点发现了24口威尔斯井。众多的威尔斯井为设防的定居点提供了一个特殊的特征。由于它们在聚落中的规律性分布，它们是聚落体系中个体房屋大小、位置和方位的明确标志。在Kamennyj安巴尔定居点进行的地磁勘探和挖掘使人们能够详细了解定居点的结构。这些威尔斯井位于房屋的后面，深度达4米，它们总是到达靠近河流的冲积平原的地下水。在24口已发现的威尔斯井中，有18口井已挖好，事先已取芯并运往法兰克福。这些威尔斯井及其湿土保持和考古植物残留物的填充物在重建房屋的建筑历史和解决定居点内的经济活动问题方面发挥着关键作用。它们还为房屋的重建提供了重要信息，例如房屋的一部分没有屋顶，用作法院。考古植物学遗迹和竖井的遗迹，存在于核心样本中以供进一步调查，提供了有关建筑历史的重要信息，因此也是房屋建筑本身的重要信息。因此，回收的18个岩心和140个湿沉积物样品构成了本项目建议书的宝贵档案。众多的喷泉提出了关于其功能的问题。为什么他们曾经挖，虽然定居点通常建在低阶直接到河流。是那些声称总是能得到淡水的人吗？喷泉里的水比河里的水好吗？另一个方面涉及冬季动物供水的问题，当河流结冰时，房屋或院子里的威尔斯的受保护位置将更好地为供水服务。因此，肯定会为人类和动物提供稳定的食物和营养基础，而且根据其他标准，也可以将强化定居点视为经济独立的单位。

On the northern edge of the Eurasian Steppe we find at the transition of the forest-steppe to the steppe in the Trans-Urals for the first time a sedentary lifestyle in systematically structured and forti-fied settlements. So far, 21 of these settlements are known and are associated with the Sintashta-Petrovka culture. They belong according to Russian terminology to the Middle Bronze Age (after C14 data about 2100 - 1,800 BC.). In various excavations, most recently in the framework of our German-Russian cooperation project 2008-2014, 24 wells have been uncovered in the settlement of Kamennyj Ambar. The numerous wells provide a special feature in the fortified settlements. Due to their regular distribution in the settlements, they serve as unmistakable sign for the size, location and position of the indi-vidual houses in the settlement system. Geomagnetic prospection and excavations in the settlement of Kamennyj Ambar allowed detailed insight into the settlement structures. The wells are located in the back of the houses and had a depth of up to four meters, where they always reached the groundwater of the alluvial plain close to the river. From 24 wells which were uncovered, 18 were dug and previously cored and transported to Frankfurt. The wells and their fillings with wet soil conservation and archaeobotanical residues play a key role in the reconstruction of the architectural history of the houses and on the issue of economic activities within the settlement. They also provide important information for the reconstruction of houses like that part of the house were not covered with a roof and served as a court. The archaeobotanical re-mains and the backfilling of the well shafts, which are present in the core samples for further investigations, allow important information on the construction history and therefore for the house construction itself. Thus the recovered 18 cores and 140 samples of wet sediments form an invaluable archive by the present project proposal is to be developed. The numerous fountains raise questions as to their function. Why were they ever dug, although the settlements were usually built on low terraces directly to the rivers. Was it the people who claimed always to have access to fresh water? Was the water from the fountain of better quality than from the river? Another aspect relates to the issue of supply of the animals with water in winter, when the rivers were frozen and the water supply would be better served by the protected location of the wells in the houses or in the yard. Thus, a stable food and nutritional basis for human and animal would certainly be given and the fortified settlements can be considered also in behalf of other criteria as eco-nomically independent units.