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

在欧亚大草原的北部边缘，我们在森林草原向跨乌拉尔大草原的过渡处首次发现了一种定居的生活方式，这种生活方式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个与辛塔什塔-彼得罗夫卡文化有关。根据俄罗斯的术语，它们属于青铜时代中期（在公元前2100 - 1800年的C14数据之后）。在各种挖掘中，最近一次是在2008-2014年的德俄合作项目框架内，在Kamennyj Ambar定居点发现了24口井。众多的井为坚固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分布，它们作为聚落系统中单个房屋的大小、位置和位置的明确标志。在Kamennyj Ambar定居点的地磁勘探和挖掘使人们对定居点的结构有了详细的了解。这些井位于房屋的后面，深达四米，在那里它们总是能到达靠近河流的冲积平原的地下水。在24口未被发现的井中，有18口被挖出，并事先取芯，然后运到法兰克福。这些井及其填满的湿土和考古植物残留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了关键作用。它们还为房屋的重建提供了重要的信息，比如房屋的一部分没有屋顶，而是用作法庭。考古遗迹和井井的回填，存在于进一步调查的核心样本中，为建筑历史提供了重要信息，因此也为房屋建筑本身提供了重要信息。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的宝贵档案。众多的喷泉对它们的功能提出了疑问。为什么要挖呢，尽管定居点通常建在直接通往河流的低梯田上。是那些声称总能获得淡水的人吗？喷泉里的水比河里的水好吗？另一个方面涉及到在冬天为动物提供水的问题，当河流结冰时，在房子里或院子里的水井的保护位置会更好地提供水。因此，肯定会给人和动物提供稳定的食物和营养基础，而且也可以根据其他标准将强化定居点视为经济上独立的单位。

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.