TOBOLSK ARCHAEOLOGISTS LOOKING FOR THE MENDELEY GLASS FACTORY

In the village of Verkhniye Aremzyany, the employees of the Tobolsk integrated scientific station of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences completed the first stage of excavation to find a glass factory, which was managed by mother D.I. Mendeleeva Maria Dmitrievna.

Here is what the scientists say about the results of the work: “Preparatory work was carried out on a comprehensive analysis of the available material: historical sources, modern map materials, an analysis of the topographic features of the territory, a survey of the local population on the localization of traces of glass production in various sections of the village. As a result, the territory was determined on the southern outskirts of the village, the most promising for the search for cultural strata and structures associated with the operation of a glass factory.

From written documents it is known that the factory was opposite the church, 50 fathoms from it (about 107 m). The location of the wooden church (the second in a row), built in 1844 at the expense of the Mendeleev family, was not difficult to determine. Locals without difficulty indicate its location: at the southern end of the village, at the edge of the terrace, 15 m east of the monument (bust) of D.I. Mendeleev, installed on the territory of the memorial complex.

Initially, in order to identify the cultural layer of the factory, it was decided to lay several reconnaissance pits in the territory of the prospective zone for searching - near the newly equipped playground (it is in this territory that a significant number of glass fragments are observed). The prospective territory coincided with the borders of the land plot issued by the administration of a rural settlement for a playground. However, at the urgent request of the administration of the rural settlement, punching was carried out away from the intended area: the first pit was laid to the west of the equipped playground, and the second to the south-east of it. "

When leveling the soil for the playground, a huge number of glass fragments were brought to the surface - fragments of products, blanks and other artifacts. Then they made sanding and installed small architectural forms. But glass can still be seen on the surface.

As a result, archaeological excavations in pits did not find cultural strata associated with glass production (there are only displaced artifacts). However, the works of 2019 helped to assess the nature of the cultural layer at the southern end of the village, to identify the places of the largest concentration of finds associated with the Kornilyev glassworks, and to narrow the territory for further searches.

Source: https://tobolsk.info