Periodization and Chronology of the Eneolithic in the Upper and Middle Kama Regions

The territory of the Upper and Middle Kama regions is important for study on account of the Turbino sites that have been open there. Artifacts of this type have also been found in Finland. Subsequently, there have been several topics of discussion. Some archaeologists considered the Garino cultural complexes to be from an earlier period, while others supposed that they had appeared simultaneously with the Bor cultural type. The single radiocarbon dates were only obtained for the Garino culture. Therefore, the periodization and chronology of the Eneolithic in the Kama region have not been developed. In recent years, new archaeological sites have been excavated and a series of radiocarbon dates have been obtained for both types of cultures. This allowed us to work out the periodization and chronology of the Eneolithic of the Upper and Middle Kama regions in more detail. The chronological framework of the Garino culture was determined from 4500 BP to 3500 BP (ca. 3500-1600 calBC). The sites of the Bor cultural type were occupied from 4200 BP to 3900 BP (ca. 3000-2200 calBC). Thus, the chronological priority of the Garino culture is established. According to the typological and chronological framework, two stages in the development of the Garino culture were elaborated. The coexistence of the Garino and Bor complexes had a place at the end of the early stage of the Garino culture

Ionospheric Effects of a Solar Eclipse of March 20, 2015 on Oblique Sounding Paths in the Eurasian Longitudinal Sector

© 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York.The results of measuring HF signals on oblique chirp sounding paths in the Eurasian region during a solar eclipse of March 20, 2015 and the neighboring days are presented. The solar eclipse took place against the background of a strong magnetic storm. It was established that during the solar eclipse on oblique sounding paths of different length and orientation the decrease in the maximum observable frequency for the F mode (MOF-F) and the lowest observable frequency for the F mode (LOF-F) was 8–14% and 22–33%, respectively. During the eclipse, the signal amplitude increased by 3–5 dB. On the Lovozero—Nizhny Novgorod path in the maximum phase of the solar eclipse, the electron density decrease in the ionospheric E and F2 layers at the midpoint of the path reached 37% and 22%, respectively. According to the MOF and LOF variation measurements for various modes, the group delay time of radio signals, and the results of spectral analysis, it was found that in the eclipse there were wave disturbances with a period of 25 to 50 min. However, quasi-periodic variations of MOF-F and LOF-F having a a period of 50 to 80 min but which started before the eclipse were detected on some paths. Probably, in these cases, the variations were a result of the superposition of disturbances from two sources, namely, the magnetic storm and the solar eclipse

Impact of heliogeophysical disturbances on ionospheric HF channels

© 2017 COSPAR. The article presents the results of the observation of a strong magnetic storm and two X-ray flares during the summer solstice in 2015, and their impact on the HF signals characteristics in ionospheric oblique sounding. It was found that the negative phase of the magnetic storm led to a strong degradation of the ionospheric channel, ultimately causing a long blackout on paths adjacent to subauroral latitudes. On mid-latitude paths, the decrease in 1FMOF reached ∼50% relative to the average values for the quiet ionosphere. It is shown that the propagation conditions via the sporadic Es layer during the magnetic storm on a subauroral path are substantially better than those for F-mode propagation via the upper ionosphere. The delay of the sharp decrease in 1FMOF during the main phase of the magnetic storm allowed us to determine the propagation velocity of the negative phase disturbances (∼100. m/s) from subauroral to mid-latitude ionosphere along two paths: Lovozero - Yoshkar-Ola and Cyprus - Nizhny Novgorod. It is shown that both the LOF and the signal/noise ratio averaged over the frequency band corresponding to the propagation mode via the sporadic Es layer correlate well with the auroral AE index. Using an over-the-horizon chirp radar with a bistatic configuration on the Cyprus - Rostov-on-Don path, we located small-scale scattering irregularities responsible for abnormal signals in the region of the equatorial boundary of the auroral oval

Impact of a Strong Magnetic Storm and Two X-Ray Flares on the Ionospheric HF Channel in the Summer Solstice of 2015 According to Oblique Sounding in the Eurasian Region

© 2017 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC We present the results of observations of the impact a strong magnetic storm and two X-ray flares in the summer solstice of 2015 on the HF signal characteristics during oblique sounding of the ionosphere in the Eurasian region. It was found that the negative phase of the magnetic storm led to a strong degradation of the ionospheric channel, up to a long blackout on the paths adjacent to the subauroral latitudes. On the midlatitude paths, a decrease in the maximum observable frequency of the F layer reached 50% with respect to the average values for an undisturbed ionosphere. The propagation velocity of the negative phase of a disturbance from the subauroral to the midlatitude ionosphere is determined (it is equal to about 100 m/s). It is shown that during a magnetic storm the least observable frequency and the average signal-to-noise ratio for the propagation mode via the sporadic E s layer correlate well with the auroral AE index. Anomalous signals were detected in the main phase of the magnetic storm on the Cyprus—Rostov-on-Don path when a chirp ionosonde–radio direction finder was operated in the over-the-horizon HF radar mode. On the basis of modeling and comparison with experimental data, it is shown that the anomalous signals are due to scattering of radio waves by small-scale irregularities located in the subauroral ionospheric F region

Impact of a Strong Magnetic Storm and Two X-Ray Flares on the Ionospheric HF Channel in the Summer Solstice of 2015 According to Oblique Sounding in the Eurasian Region

© 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC. We present the results of observations of the impact a strong magnetic storm and two X-ray flares in the summer solstice of 2015 on the HF signal characteristics during oblique sounding of the ionosphere in the Eurasian region. It was found that the negative phase of the magnetic storm led to a strong degradation of the ionospheric channel, up to a long blackout on the paths adjacent to the subauroral latitudes. On the midlatitude paths, a decrease in the maximum observable frequency of the F layer reached 50% with respect to the average values for an undisturbed ionosphere. The propagation velocity of the negative phase of a disturbance from the subauroral to the midlatitude ionosphere is determined (it is equal to about 100 m/s). It is shown that during a magnetic storm the least observable frequency and the average signal-to-noise ratio for the propagation mode via the sporadic E s layer correlate well with the auroral AE index. Anomalous signals were detected in the main phase of the magnetic storm on the Cyprus—Rostov-on-Don path when a chirp ionosonde–radio direction finder was operated in the over-the-horizon HF radar mode. On the basis of modeling and comparison with experimental data, it is shown that the anomalous signals are due to scattering of radio waves by small-scale irregularities located in the subauroral ionospheric F region

The origins and spread of domestic horses from the Western Eurasian steppes

This is the final version. Available on open access from Nature Research via the DOI in this recordData availability: All collapsed and paired-end sequence data for samples sequenced in this study are available in compressed fastq format through the European Nucleotide Archive under accession number PRJEB44430, together with rescaled and trimmed bam sequence alignments against both the nuclear and mitochondrial horse reference genomes. Previously published ancient data used in this study are available under accession numbers PRJEB7537, PRJEB10098, PRJEB10854, PRJEB22390 and PRJEB31613, and detailed in Supplementary Table 1. The genomes of ten modern horses, publicly available, were also accessed as indicated in their corresponding original publications57,61,85-87.NOTE: see the published version available via the DOI in this record for the full list of authorsDomestication of horses fundamentally transformed long-range mobility and warfare. However, modern domesticated breeds do not descend from the earliest domestic horse lineage associated with archaeological evidence of bridling, milking and corralling at Botai, Central Asia around 3500 BC. Other longstanding candidate regions for horse domestication, such as Iberia and Anatolia, have also recently been challenged. Thus, the genetic, geographic and temporal origins of modern domestic horses have remained unknown. Here we pinpoint the Western Eurasian steppes, especially the lower Volga-Don region, as the homeland of modern domestic horses. Furthermore, we map the population changes accompanying domestication from 273 ancient horse genomes. This reveals that modern domestic horses ultimately replaced almost all other local populations as they expanded rapidly across Eurasia from about 2000 BC, synchronously with equestrian material culture, including Sintashta spoke-wheeled chariots. We find that equestrianism involved strong selection for critical locomotor and behavioural adaptations at the GSDMC and ZFPM1 genes. Our results reject the commonly held association between horseback riding and the massive expansion of Yamnaya steppe pastoralists into Europe around 3000 BC driving the spread of Indo-European languages. This contrasts with the scenario in Asia where Indo-Iranian languages, chariots and horses spread together, following the early second millennium BC Sintashta culture

Ancient DNA reveals prehistoric gene-flow from Siberia in the complex human population history of north east Europe

North East Europe harbors a high diversity of cultures and languages, suggesting a complex genetic history. Archaeological, anthropological, and genetic research has revealed a series of influences from Western and Eastern Eurasia in the past. While genetic data from modern-day populations is commonly used to make inferences about their origins and past migrations, ancient DNA provides a powerful test of such hypotheses by giving a snapshot of the past genetic diversity. In order to better understand the dynamics that have shaped the gene pool of North East Europeans, we generated and analyzed 34 mitochondrial genotypes from the skeletal remains of three archaeological sites in northwest Russia. These sites were dated to the Mesolithic and the Early Metal Age (7,500 and 3,500 uncalibrated years Before Present). We applied a suite of population genetic analyses (principal component analysis, genetic distance mapping, haplotype sharing analyses) and compared past demographic models through coalescent simulations using Bayesian Serial SimCoal and Approximate Bayesian Computation. Comparisons of genetic data from ancient and modern-day populations revealed significant changes in the mitochondrial makeup of North East Europeans through time. Mesolithic foragers showed high frequencies and diversity of haplogroups U (U2e, U4, U5a), a pattern observed previously in European hunter-gatherers from Iberia to Scandinavia. In contrast, the presence of mitochondrial DNA haplogroups C, D, and Z in Early Metal Age individuals suggested discontinuity with Mesolithic hunter-gatherers and genetic influx from central/eastern Siberia. We identified remarkable genetic dissimilarities between prehistoric and modern-day North East Europeans/Saami, which suggests an important role of post-Mesolithic migrations from Western Europe and subsequent population replacement/extinctions. This work demonstrates how ancient DNA can improve our understanding of human population movements across Eurasia. It contributes to the description of the spatio-temporal distribution of mitochondrial diversity and will be of significance for future reconstructions of the history of Europeans.Clio Der Sarkissian, Oleg Balanovsky, Guido Brandt, Valery Khartanovich, Alexandra Buzhilova, Sergey Koshel, Valery Zaporozhchenko, Detlef Gronenborn, Vyacheslav Moiseyev, Eugen Kolpakov, Vladimir Shumkin, Kurt W. Alt, Elena Balanovska, Alan Cooper, Wolfgang Haak, the Genographic Consortiu

The Origins and Spread of Domestic Horses from the Western Eurasian Steppes

Domestication of horses fundamentally transformed long-range mobility and warfare1. However, modern domesticated breeds do not descend from the earliest domestic horse lineage associated with archaeological evidence of bridling, milking and corralling2–4 at Botai, Central Asia around 3500 bc3. Other longstanding candidate regions for horse domestication, such as Iberia5 and Anatolia6, have also recently been challenged. Thus, the genetic, geographic and temporal origins of modern domestic horses have remained unknown. Here we pinpoint the Western Eurasian steppes, especially the lower Volga-Don region, as the homeland of modern domestic horses. Furthermore, we map the population changes accompanying domestication from 273 ancient horse genomes. This reveals that modern domestic horses ultimately replaced almost all other local populations as they expanded rapidly across Eurasia from about 2000 bc, synchronously with equestrian material culture, including Sintashta spoke-wheeled chariots. We find that equestrianism involved strong selection for critical locomotor and behavioural adaptations at the GSDMC and ZFPM1 genes. Our results reject the commonly held association7 between horseback riding and the massive expansion of Yamnaya steppe pastoralists into Europe around 3000 bc8,9 driving the spread of Indo-European languages10. This contrasts with the scenario in Asia where Indo-Iranian languages, chariots and horses spread together, following the early second millennium bc Sintashta culture11,12. © 2021, The Author(s).We thank all members of the AGES group at CAGT. We are grateful for the Museum of the Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology (UB RAS, Ekaterinburg) for providing specimens. The work by G. Boeskorov is done on state assignment of DPMGI SB RAS. This project was supported by the University Paul Sabatier IDEX Chaire d’Excellence (OURASI); Villum Funden miGENEPI research programme; the CNRS ‘Programme de Recherche Conjoint’ (PRC); the CNRS International Research Project (IRP AMADEUS); the France Génomique Appel à Grand Projet (ANR-10-INBS-09-08, BUCEPHALE project); IB10131 and IB18060, both funded by Junta de Extremadura (Spain) and European Regional Development Fund; Czech Academy of Sciences (RVO:67985912); the Zoological Institute ZIN RAS (АААА-А19-119032590102-7); and King Saud University Researchers Supporting Project (NSRSP–2020/2). The research was carried out with the financial support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (19-59-15001 and 20-04-00213), the Russian Science Foundation (16-18-10265, 20-78-10151, and 21-18-00457), the Government of the Russian Federation (FENU-2020-0021), the Estonian Research Council (PRG29), the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research (PRG1209), the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (Project NF 104792), the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Momentum Mobility Research Project of the Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities); and the Polish National Science Centre (2013/11/B/HS3/03822). This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie (grant agreement 797449). This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreements 681605, 716732 and 834616)

The Multifractal Structure of Small-Scale Artificial Ionospheric Turbulence

We present the results of investigation of a multifractal structure of the artificial ionospheric turbulence when the midlatitude ionosphere is affected by high-power radio waves. The experimental studies were performed on the basis of the SURA heating facility with the help of radio sounding of the disturbed region of ionospheric plasma by signals from the Earth’s orbital satellities. In the case of vertical radio sounding of the disturbed ionosphere region, the measured multipower and generalized multifractal spectra of turbulence coincide well with similar multifractal characteristics of the ionosperic turbulence under the natural conditions. In the case of oblique sounding of the disturbance region at small angles between the line of sight to the satellite and the direction of the Earth’s magnetic field, a nonuniform structure of the small-scale turbulence with a relatively narrow multipower spectrum and small variations in the generalized multifractal spectrum of the electron density was detected

Continued decay in the cyclotron line energy in Hercules X-1

The centroid energy Ecyc of the cyclotron line in the spectrum of the binary X-ray pulsar Her X-