Pages:  283-295 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.55086/sp246283295

Archaeological studies have identified a complex of locking mechanisms — including locks, keys, and bolts — based on the investigation of Russian sites from the 17th to 19th centuries in the Tara district of the Irtysh basin. The purpose of the work is to systematize these mechanisms in chronological order, characterize their functionality using written sources, identify the craft centers where such products were produced, and trace the routes of their arrival in the region. We will consider the functional purpose and scope of each type of device selected. Russian locks and keys were known in Western Siberia as early as the 15th and 16th centuries, with widespread usage beginning in the following century. Some types of locks and keys have direct analogs in the archaeological materials from medieval Russian cities in Eastern Europe. During this period, new types of locks, such as snitchaty (latch) lock, emerged in various craft centers across Russia. These new designs quickly made their way to Siberia and the Irtysh region. In the 18th century, tumbler locks gradually replaced all other forms of locks, and with some modifications, this type of lock continues to be in use today. The functionality of these locks is diverse. Built-in locks were used for securing homes, large padlocks were purchased for government institutions and military facilities, medium-sized padlocks were used for locking chests, and smaller ones secured caskets and boxes for government papers. Additionally, door hooks and catches served similar purposes and were used based on their size to lock rooms, outbuildings, gates, and furniture.

Keywords: archaeology of Russians, Western Siberia of the 17th—19th centuries, locks, keys, locking mechanisms, typology, purpose, application

Information about authors:

Sergey Tataurov (Omsk, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute of Archeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Karl Marx Ave., 15, Omsk, 644024, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]
ORCID: 0000-0001-6824-7294

Larisa Tataurova (Omsk, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Karl Marx Ave., 15, Omsk, 644024, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]
ORCID: 0000-0003-4829-7619

Philip Tataurov (Omsk, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Omsk State History and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Siberian Antiquity”. Sovetov St., 29, Bolsherechye, 646670, Omsk region, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]
ORCID: 0000-0002-9447-1035