itkul culture

{{coord|56.090000|N|60.300000|E|display=title}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox archaeological culture

| name = Itkul culture

| map =

{{Continental Asia in 500 BCE|center|Location of the Itkul culture and contemporary cultures circa 500 BCE.{{cite book |title=The Golden Deer of Eurasia: Scythian and Sarmatian Treasures from the Russian Steppes : the State Hermitage, Saint Petersburg, and the Archaeological Museum, Ufa |date=2000 |publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art |isbn=978-0-87099-959-8 |page=43, Fig.44 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GWcjhsRCWG4C&pg=PA43 |language=en}}|{{location map~ |Continental Asia |lat=56.090000|N |long=60.300000|E |label=|position=|label_size=|mark=Orange dot (semi-transparent).png|marksize=20}}||none}}

| mapalt =

| altnames =

| horizon =

| region = Eastern Ural

| period = Iron Age

| dates = 6th-4th century BCE

| typesite =

| majorsites =

| extra =

| precededby = Andronovo culture

| followedby = Sarmatian culture

| definedby =

| antiquatedby=

| module =

}}

The Itkul culture (Ru: Иткульская культура, 7th-5th century BCE) is one of these Early Saka culture, based in the eastern foothills of the Urals, it is possible that in addition to the Saks, it was inhabited by the Finno-Ugrians.{{cite journal |last1=Török |first1=Tibor |title=Integrating Linguistic, Archaeological and Genetic Perspectives Unfold the Origin of Ugrians |journal=Genes |date=July 2023 |volume=14 |issue=7 |page=1345 |doi=10.3390/genes14071345 |pmid=37510249 |pmc=10379071 |language=en |issn=2073-4425 |doi-access=free }} The Itkul culture was part of an East to West mouvement of Asiatic Saka tribes towards the Ural regions during the Iron Age (c.1000 BCE and later) period. Other Saka groups, such as the Tasmola culture circa 600 BCE, were also involved in similar mouvements and settled in the southern Urals.

The Itkul culture was a culture of metalworkers. They played a key role in exploited the metallurgical ressources of the Urals, and established fortified settlements to protect them.{{cite journal |last1=Stepanov |first1=Ivan S. |last2=Artemyev |first2=Dmitry A. |last3=Blinov |first3=Ivan A. |last4=Nepomniashchi |first4=Aleksandr V. |last5=Naumov |first5=Anton M. |last6=Ankushev |first6=Maksim N. |title=Copper technology at the Early Iron Age fortified settlements near Lakes Itkul and Irtyash, middle Trans-Urals |journal=Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports |date=1 June 2023 |volume=49 |doi=10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.103964 |bibcode=2023JArSR..49j3964S |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352409X23001396 |issn=2352-409X}} They were probably provided of metal weapons for other tribes of the steppes.

The Itkul culture was eventually assimilited into the Early Sarmatian culture (early Prokhorovka period), and contributed to its varied genetic makeup. As a result of these mouvements, a large-scale integrated union of nomads from Central Asia and the Near East formed in the area in the 5th–4th century BCE, with fairly uniformized cultural practices. This cultural complex, with notable ‘‘foreign elements’’, corresponds to the ‘‘royal’’ burials of the Filippovka kurgans, and define the "Prokhorovka period" of the Early Sarmatians.{{cite journal |last1=Järve |first1=Mari |last2=Saag |first2=Lehti |last3=Scheib |first3=Christiana Lyn |last4=Pathak |first4=Ajai K. |last5=Montinaro |first5=Francesco |last6=Pagani |first6=Luca |last7=Flores |first7=Rodrigo |last8=Guellil |first8=Meriam |last9=Saag |first9=Lauri |last10=Tambets |first10=Kristiina |last11=Kushniarevich |first11=Alena |last12=Solnik |first12=Anu |last13=Varul |first13=Liivi |last14=Zadnikov |first14=Stanislav |last15=Petrauskas |first15=Oleg |last16=Avramenko |first16=Maryana |last17=Magomedov |first17=Boris |last18=Didenko |first18=Serghii |last19=Toshev |first19=Gennadi |last20=Bruyako |first20=Igor |last21=Grechko |first21=Denys |last22=Okatenko |first22=Vitalii |last23=Gorbenko |first23=Kyrylo |last24=Smyrnov |first24=Oleksandr |last25=Heiko |first25=Anatolii |last26=Reida |first26=Roman |last27=Sapiehin |first27=Serheii |last28=Sirotin |first28=Sergey |last29=Tairov |first29=Aleksandr |last30=Beisenov |first30=Arman |last31=Starodubtsev |first31=Maksim |last32=Vasilev |first32=Vitali |last33=Nechvaloda |first33=Alexei |last34=Atabiev |first34=Biyaslan |last35=Litvinov |first35=Sergey |last36=Ekomasova |first36=Natalia |last37=Dzhaubermezov |first37=Murat |last38=Voroniatov |first38=Sergey |last39=Utevska |first39=Olga |last40=Shramko |first40=Irina |last41=Khusnutdinova |first41=Elza |last42=Metspalu |first42=Mait |last43=Savelev |first43=Nikita |last44=Kriiska |first44=Aivar |last45=Kivisild |first45=Toomas |last46=Villems |first46=Richard |title=Shifts in the Genetic Landscape of the Western Eurasian Steppe Associated with the Beginning and End of the Scythian Dominance |journal=Current Biology |date=22 July 2019 |volume=29 |issue=14 |pages=e4–e5 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2019.06.019 |issn=0960-9822|doi-access=free |bibcode=2019CBio...29E2430J }}

File:Itkul culture 1 to 4-Kuganak hoard 5 to 6-Akberdino 3 settlement 7-Elder Shipovo burial ground 8-Kasianov hillfort (1-4 bronze; 5-8 ceramics).png|Itkul culture artifacts: 1 to 4-Kuganak hoard 5 to 6-Akberdino 3 settlement 7-Elder Shipovo burial ground 8-Kasianov hillfort (1-4 bronze; 5-8 ceramics)

File:Itkul housing reconstruction.png|Itkul housing reconstruction