Above-Ground Frame Buildings in Western Siberia: Archaeological and Ethnographic Parallels

Abstract

The study examines above-ground frame buildings and their numerous parallels in various cultures. In Western Siberia, these structures occur throughout an area from the forest-steppe to the northern taiga and over a time span from the Chalcolithic to the Middle Ages. They were especially popular during the Bronze to Iron Age transition. On settlements, remains of these buildings usually look like oval or rounded areas raised above the ground and surrounded by shallow pits or grooves and sometimes by low earthen curbs. Recent ethnographic studies among the Selkups of the Upper Taz, Krasnoselkupsky District, Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, demonstrate that natives of the northern taiga have been using such constructions until the present time. These frame dwellings, shaped like truncated pyramids, had no foundation pits and were covered with sand and turf. They were called poy-mat, which means “wooden house” in Selkup. Poy-mat was a seasonal dwelling which, in the 20th century, was used by hunters and poor reindeer herders in winter. Our fi ndings reveal parallels between Selkup and archaeological dwellings and allow us to reconstruct the appearance of ancient buildings, their construction, materials, and usage. We show that this type of buildings had several adaptive advantages, which contributed to its viability over centuries.