CULTURAL TRADITIONS IN SELECTION OF FEEDSTOCK AND MINERAL ADMIXTURESIN CERAMICS PRODUCTION (ON THE GROUND OF MATERIALS FROM THE MOUNTAINOUS, FOOTHILL, STEPPE AND FOREST-STEPPE AREAS OF ALTAI)

The article is devoted to generalization of results of the technical and technological analysis of the ceramics from settlement and funeral complexes of altai dated from the neolithic era to the Middle ages. cultural traditions in selection of feedstock and preparation of moulding masses, depending on landscape characteristics of territories where monuments are found, are analyzed in the article. it is established that for steppe, forest-steppe and foothill areas the use of ferruginous (iron-rich) flexible clays is characteristic, and as for mountain areas, the use of low ferruginous and medium ferruginous claylike material is typical. differences of cultural traditions and differences in use of mineral admixtures, coinciding with landscape characteristics of areas where monuments are located, are revealed. the addition of chamotte is typical for forest-steppe and steppe altai (69% and 65%), and the addition of gruss - for foothill altai (69%). in Mountain altai production of ceramics without artificially entered mineral admixtures was the main tradition: chamotte and gruss are recorded in 13% and 17% of vessels, respectively, that in total makes 30%. the mixed recipes (gruss + chamotte) prevail in peripheral regions of the foothill zone. such observations allowed drawing a conclusion that in areas with stone outcrop gruss had been added to moulding masses, and chamotte had been added in places with no stone outcrop. the mixed recipes (gruss+ chamotte) reflect not only the merging of cultural traditions, but also the mixing of population from the areas with different landscape characteristics.