Ores and Metallurgical Slag from the Settlements of the Elenovka and Ushkatta Archaeological Microdistricts in the Orenburg Oblast

A study of the mineralogy and geochemical features of copper metallurgical slags and ore fragments from the Late Bronze Age settlements of Kuduksay and Ushkatta I in Orenburg oblast is carried out. Settlements located near Elenovskoe and Ushkattinskoe ore sources. In ancient times, the upper horizons of the oxidation zone were subject to exploitation. The final metal was pure copper with a low trace elements content. Metal smelting took place in an oxidizing (rarely weakly reducing) atmosphere without the use of fluxes. The marker of ores mined at Elenovskoe and Ushkattinskoe is an association of tourmaline of the dravite-schorl series, and W-containing rutile and monazite. Some of the ores, judging by the findings at the Bronze Age sites of the Southern Trans-Urals, could have been exported to the north.