Population genomics of post-glacial western Eurasia.

Western Eurasia witnessed several large-scale human migrations during the Holocene <sup>1-5</sup> . Here, to investigate the cross-continental effects of these migrations, we shotgun-sequenced 317 genomes-mainly from the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods-from across northern and western Eurasia. These were imputed alongside published data to obtain diploid genotypes from more than 1,600 ancient humans. Our analyses revealed a 'great divide' genomic boundary extending from the Black Sea to the Baltic. Mesolithic hunter-gatherers were highly genetically differentiated east and west of this zone, and the effect of the neolithization was equally disparate. Large-scale ancestry shifts occurred in the west as farming was introduced, including near-total replacement of hunter-gatherers in many areas, whereas no substantial ancestry shifts happened east of the zone during the same period. Similarly, relatedness decreased in the west from the Neolithic transition onwards, whereas, east of the Urals, relatedness remained high until around 4,000 BP, consistent with the persistence of localized groups of hunter-gatherers. The boundary dissolved when Yamnaya-related ancestry spread across western Eurasia around 5,000 BP, resulting in a second major turnover that reached most parts of Europe within a 1,000-year span. The genetic origin and fate of the Yamnaya have remained elusive, but we show that hunter-gatherers from the Middle Don region contributed ancestry to them. Yamnaya groups later admixed with individuals associated with the Globular Amphora culture before expanding into Europe. Similar turnovers occurred in western Siberia, where we report new genomic data from a 'Neolithic steppe' cline spanning the Siberian forest steppe to Lake Baikal. These prehistoric migrations had profound and lasting effects on the genetic diversity of Eurasian populations

Natural oases in the Baraba forest steppe as a basis of the life support system

Приведены результаты археологического исследования природных оазисов в Барабинской лесостепи.The Baraba forest-steppe occupies a large territory between the rivers Ob and Irtysh, stretches over 200 km from the taiga zone in the north to the steppes in the south. The northern part of the Baraba region is swampy and forested, in the south, to the contrary, it transforms into the steppe. In different parts of the forest-steppe living conditions of the indigenous people were different. These differences used to determine the specificity of human activities on such area. On the Baraba territory some kinds of oases were formed — the zones, which had the most comfortable conditions for human being. It is now possible to talk about four of these oases. Its territories are characterized by the large water bodies with developed floodplains, which is periodically flooded and turned into the meadows. Like the desert oases, these territories used to be extremely important for the indigenous people. They helped the populations to survive in drought years

Early neolithic ceramics of Western Siberia (thermal analysis results)

The article discusses the results of thermal analysis (DTG) of ceramic vessels samples from archaeological sites of Baraba and the Lower Ob region of the Early Neolithic period. The DTG technique is based on the quantitative determination of mass loss by a sample at the stages of dehydration - mass loss within the temperature interval between 30-350°C (m1) and decomposition of hydroxyls - mass loss within the interval between 350-600°C (m2). The data are visualized by a graph. Attention is focused on comparing the location of the indicators of the samples from the Tartas-1, Ust-Tartas-1, Autodrom-2/1 and 2/2, Amnya-1, Kirip-Vis-Yugan-2 sites. The authors establish the possibility of using the thermal method for fixing - based on determining the quality of firing - ancient ceramic complexes. It is revealed that the items of the studied sites were subjected to short-term low-temperature firing. The ceramics of the Amnya-1, Kirip-Vis-Yugan-2 sites was divided into two groups. One of them demonstrates the isolation of crockery from the northern regions and its gravitation towards a group with ancient Far Eastern ceramics, which may be the result of the convergent development of pottery production. © 2019 Institute of History and Archeology of the Ural Branch of RAS. All rights reserved

MITOCHONDRIAL DNA DIVERSITY IN THE GENE POOL OF THE NEOLITHIC AND EARLY BRONZE AGE CISBAIKALIAN HUMAN POPULATION

Molecular analysis of mitochondrial DNA samples (N = 15) of the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age population from the Cis-Baikal region has been performed. East Eurasian haplogroups (D, G2a С, Z, F1b) were identified in the mitochondrial gene pool. The results of phylogeographical analysis suggest that the development of autochthonous East Eurasian genetic components played a major role in the formation of Baikalian populations. Genetic interactions with populations from neighboring regions of Central Asia also contributed to the gene pool structure of the Cisbaikalian population

Radiocarbon Chronology of Complexes with Seima-Turbino Type Objects (Bronze Age) in Southwestern Siberia

AbstractThis paper discusses the chronology of burial grounds containing specific Seima-Turbino type bronze weaponry (spears, knives, and celts). The “transcultural” Seima-Turbino phenomenon relates to a wide distribution of specific objects found within the sites of different Bronze Age cultures in Eurasia, not immediately related to each other. The majority of the Seima-Turbino objects represent occasional findings, and they are rarely recovered from burial grounds. Here, we present a new set of14C dates from cemeteries in western Siberia, including the key Asian site Rostovka, with the largest number of graves containing Seima-Turbino objects. Currently, the presented database is the most extensive for the Seima-Turbino complexes. The resulting radiocarbon (14C) chronology for the western Siberian sites (22nd–20th centuries cal BC) is older than the existing chronology based on typological analysis (16th–15th centuries BC) and some earlier14C dates for the Seima-Turbino sites in eastern Europe. Another important aspect of this work is14C dating of complexes within specific bronze objects—daggers with figured handles—which some researchers have related to the Seima-Turbino type objects. These items are mostly represented by occasional finds in Central Asia, however, in western Siberia these have been recovered from burials, too. The14C dating attributes these daggers to the end of the 3rd millennium cal BC, suggesting their similar timing to the Seima-Turbino objects. Further research into freshwater reservoir offsets in the region is essential for a more reliable reconstruction of the chronology of the Seima-Turbino phenomenon and the daggers with figured handles.</jats:p

New Holocene refugia of giant deer (Megaloceros giganteus Blum.) in Siberia: updated extinction patterns

We obtained new data on the existence of giant deer (Megaloceros giganteus Blum.) in Siberia during the Holocene. Bones and antler of giant deer from new localities in western (Baraba forest steppe) and eastern (Angara River basin) Siberia are dated by radiocarbon, ranging 7900e10,300 BP (ca 8800 e12,200 cal BP). Based on these data, we can extend the ‘Siberian’ Early Holocene habitat of giant deer at least 2400 km to the east compared to previous works. The final extinction of giant deer turned out to be more complex than it was previously thought, with perhaps relatively large refugium in Western Siberia at 7900e7000 BP (ca 8800e7900 cal BP) which was reduced to the Trans-Urals region at 7000e6800 BP (ca 7900e7600 cal BP)

New Holocene refugia of giant deer (Megaloceros giganteus Blum.) in Siberia: updated extinction patterns

We obtained new data on the existence of giant deer (Megaloceros giganteus Blum.) in Siberia during the Holocene. Bones and antler of giant deer from new localities in western (Baraba forest steppe) and eastern (Angara River basin) Siberia are dated by radiocarbon, ranging 7900e10,300 BP (ca 8800 e12,200 cal BP). Based on these data, we can extend the ‘Siberian’ Early Holocene habitat of giant deer at least 2400 km to the east compared to previous works. The final extinction of giant deer turned out to be more complex than it was previously thought, with perhaps relatively large refugium in Western Siberia at 7900e7000 BP (ca 8800e7900 cal BP) which was reduced to the Trans-Urals region at 7000e6800 BP (ca 7900e7600 cal BP)