Sintashta (Was SV: method of dating RV, III)

[S.Kalyanaraman]

The following link may be of interest: it is an abstract of a lecture on
Simtashta-Arkaim Culture, presented at UCAL, Berkeley, April 1998, by Dr.
Ludmilla Koryakova, Ural State University:

http://www.csen.org/koryakova2/Korya.Sin.Ark.html

"Many interpretations have been suggested in relation to this site - a
military fort,proto-city, or a ceremonial and religious center. The latter
hypothesis appears reasonable, if we bear in mind that the sets of artifacts
excavated were not characteristic of everyday usage. More plausible are the
interpretation put forward by researchers who regard sites such as Arkaim as
combination of administrative and ceremonial centers. Possibly this was a
location where about 1,000 to 2,000 people�aristocracy (and craftsmen)
gathered periodically to
perform rituals". 

I wonder why the term 'rituals' is used (and not, some economic activity? It
will be nice to see further details in archaeological reports on what
artifacts were unearthed and what crafts were practised at Arkaim.

If I may venture a hypothesis: If the assembled craftsmen at
Sintashta-Arkaimian were working with fire, 
may be, they were working with metallic ores? 
(Say, with soma, electrum!)

Regards,
Kalyanaraman

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