The article discusses a new concept of the development of cultures at the turn of the Bronze and Iron Ages in the Trans-Ural and Tobol regions during the period the 10th to 4th (3rd) centuries BC, proposed by V.A. Borzu nov. The concept implies the division of the Itkul Culture into the Itkul and Iset Cultures and defining of the eastern local variant of the Itkul Culture as the Yurtobor Culture. The reasoning for the division of the first two cultures lies in the two types of pottery (I and II), combined in the 1970s by G.V. Bel'tikova within the framework of the Itkul Culture of the Trans-Urals. The eastern local variant of the 8th–6th centuries BC was identified in the Tobol region based on materials from weakly fortified settlements with a circular layout and Itkul pottery of type II. Its dynamics was expressed in the assimilation of incoming Uralic groups, development of a new pottery type (Vak-Kur), and the emergence of fortified settlements with unfortified sections. The article argues that identifying the Iset Culture is currently impossible, since the key characteristics, except for ceramics, including territory, typology of settlement and dwellings, tool assemblage, and main economic activities — remain undetermined. Separation of the Eastern Variant of the Itkul Culture as a distinct Yurtobor Culture, despite its well-defined range of characteristics, is also premature, as the main culture-defining feature — Itkul pottery of type II — connects it to Uralic materials. Renaming the “Eastern Variant of the Itkul Culture” into the “Eastern Variant of the Iset Culture” will become possible once the “Iset Culture” itself is identified based on certain characteristics. This paper also presents new statistical data on the number of sites of the Eastern Variant of the Itkul Culture identified in the Tobol region.

Keywords: Trans-Urals, Tobol region, Transition Period from the Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age, Itkul Culture, Gamayun Culture, Eastern Variant of the Itkul Culture.

 

Funding. The work was carried out within the framework of the state assignment of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (No. FWRZ-2021-0006).

 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Accepted: 02.10.2025

Article is published: 15.12.2025