Mobility of nomads in Central Asia: Chronology and 87Sr/86Sr isotope evidence from the Pazyryk barrows of Northern Altai, Russia

In this study we report thefirst87Sr/86Sr isotopic data and mobility analyses of the Pazyryk culture in CentralAsia. Throughout prehistory the Altai Mountains represent a unique cultural frontier characterised by a per-petual state of transition, resulting from highly mobile nomadic inhabitants. We analysed human skeletal re-mains from barrows in the Manzherok region of the Altai Republic, Russian Federation. The analysis was basedon 160 measurements of87Sr/86Sr from Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (TIMS), in tandem with environmental samples and comparativeanimal material.The combined dating evidence and strontium isotopic values indicate that after the 5th century BC, re-sidential mobility amongst Altaic nomads is rising, especially long-distance female mobility, leading to contactacquisition with extrinsic territories of Central Asia. The87Sr/86Sr isotopic evidence from Manzherok suggeststhat members of the Altaic population might have been buried in Scythian tombs located in Tuva and Khakassia,most notably in the Arzhan barrows

The food culture of the Iron Age nomadic elite from the ‘Valley of the Kings’ in Tuva : radiocarbon dating, stable carbon and nitrogen analysis of the Chinge Tey barrows (Turan-Uyuk Basin, Russia)

Strategie przetrwania eurazjatyckich populacji koczowniczych były szeroko badane w literaturze archeologicznej. 'Dolina Królów' w Tuwie (Rosja) zauroczyła archeologów obecnością wielu dużych kurhanów, zawierających bogato wyposażone grobowce elitarne koczowników, wodzów wojennych i arystokracji. Te monumentalne grobowce świadczą o powiązaniach między zmarłymi przywódcami, podkreślając sojusze między prehistorycznymi koczownikami Azji Centralnej. W niniejszej pracy badawczej prezentujemy kompleksowe datowanie radiowęglowe oraz dane izotopowe δ13C/δ15N z kurhanów Chinge Tey, które reprezentują miejsca pochówku 12 wysoko postawionych jednostek. Chronologiczna zgodność zarówno zabytków cmentarzyska Chinge Tey, jak i odniesienia do znalezisk w kurhanach Arzhan 1 i Arzhan 2, rzuca światło na ich kontekst historyczny. W przedstawionych badaniach zgłębiane są skomplikowane aspekty adaptacyjności ekologicznej, praktyk żywieniowych hodowców, hierarchii społecznych oraz rytuałów pogrzebowych koczowników. Analiza stabilnych izotopów węgla i azotu wskazuje na potencjalne związki między kurhanami w 'Dolinie Królów' a różnorodnymi kulturami koczowniczymi, sugerując, że nawyki żywieniowe wśród pobliskich populacji mogły wykazywać znaczącą zmienność.Subsistence strategies of Eurasian pastoral populations have been broadly studied in the archaeological literature. The 'Valley of the Kings' in Tuva, Russia, has captivated archaeologists with its remarkable collection of large burial mounds, containing lavishly equipped tombs of nomadic kings, warlords, and aristocracy. These barrows bear witness to the ancestral connections between the deceased leaders, highlighting the alliances among prehistoric nomads in Central Asia. In this research, we present comprehensive radiocarbon dating and δ13C/δ15N isotopic data from the Chinge Tey barrows, which represent the burial sites of 12 high-ranking individuals. The chronological alignment of both Chinge Tey monuments with the Arzhan 1 and Arzhan 2 reference frames sheds light on their historical context. This study delves into intricate aspects of ecological adaptability, pastoral food practices, social hierarchies, and nomadic mortuary rituals. Analysis of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes indicates potential connections between the barrows in the 'Valley of the Kings' and diverse nomadic cultures, suggesting that dietary habits among neighboring populations may have exhibited significant variation.Die Subsistenzstrategien eurasischer pastoraler Populationen wurden umfassend in der archäologischen Literatur untersucht. Das 'Tal der Könige' in Tuwa, Russland, hat Archäologen mit seiner bemerkenswerten Sammlung großer Grabhügel fasziniert, die aufwändig ausgestattete Gräber von nomadischen Königen, Kriegsherren und der Aristokratie enthalten. Diese Hügelgräber zeugen von den ancestralischen Verbindungen zwischen den verstorbenen Anführern und betonen die Allianzen unter prähistorischen Nomaden in Zentralasien. In dieser Forschungsarbeit präsentieren wir umfassende Radiokarbondatierungen und δ13C/δ15N-Isotopendaten von den Chinge Tey Hügelgräbern, die die Begräbnisstätten von 12 hochrangigen Einzelpersonen repräsentieren. Die chronologische Übereinstimmung sowohl der Chinge Tey Monumente mit den Referenzrahmen von Arzhan 1 und Arzhan 2 wirft Licht auf ihren historischen Kontext. Diese Studie geht auf komplexe Aspekte der ökologischen Anpassungsfähigkeit, pastoralen Ernährungspraktiken, sozialen Hierarchien und nomadischen Bestattungsritualen ein. Die Analyse der stabilen Kohlenstoff- und Stickstoffisotope deutet auf mögliche Verbindungen zwischen den Grabhügeln im 'Tal der Könige' und verschiedenen nomadischen Kulturen hin und legt nahe, dass Ernährungsgewohnheiten unter benachbarten Populationen signifikante Variationen aufwiesen könnten

Early divergent strains of Yersinia pestis in Eurasia 5,000 years ago.

The bacteria Yersinia pestis is the etiological agent of plague and has caused human pandemics with millions of deaths in historic times. How and when it originated remains contentious. Here, we report the oldest direct evidence of Yersinia pestis identified by ancient DNA in human teeth from Asia and Europe dating from 2,800 to 5,000 years ago. By sequencing the genomes, we find that these ancient plague strains are basal to all known Yersinia pestis. We find the origins of the Yersinia pestis lineage to be at least two times older than previous estimates. We also identify a temporal sequence of genetic changes that lead to increased virulence and the emergence of the bubonic plague. Our results show that plague infection was endemic in the human populations of Eurasia at least 3,000 years before any historical recordings of pandemics

Food, Economy and Social Complexity in the Bronze Age World : A Cross-Cultural Study

Despite the fact that the greater part of ingredients, such as dairy products or alcoholic drinks, was known already in the Neolithic, food technology of the Bronze Age changed significantly. This paper aims to investigate prehistoric dietary habits and comment on the stable isotope values (13C/15N) of human/faunal remains from several large Bronze Age cemeteries in Europe and beyond. The human skeletal material derives from Early Bronze Age Iberia (2300–2000 BC), mainland Greece (Late Helladic Period III), Bronze Age Transcaucasia (the Kura-Araxes culture 3400–2000 BC), steppes of Kazakhstan (1800 BC), and Early Bronze Age China in Shang period (1523–1046 BC). The aim of this study is to determine distinctive features of food practice in the Bronze Age with an overview of the economy and consumer behaviors in relation to religion and state formation processes

Population Dynamics, Diet and Migrations of the Únetice Culture in Poland

Únětice kulturens roll när det kommer till formandet av bronsåldern i Europa kan inte överskattas. Uppkomsten och existensen av denna originella, utvidgande och dynamiska population markerar en av de mest intressanta tidpunkterna i europeisk förhistoria, tidpunkten då en era avslutas och en ny tar vid. Avhandlingen är den monografi som behandlar Úněticekulturen i Polen, med särskilt fokus på områdena i nedre Silesia (SV Polen), med hjälp av bioarkeologiska och paleodemografiska metoder. Studien presenterar Úněticekulturen ur ett demografiskat perspektivoch baseras på resultaten av isotopiska analyser av mänskliga ben som daterats till tidig bronsålder (2200-1600 f kr). Avhandlingen består av åtta kapitel som behandlar alla Úněticekulturens problemområden i Polen och Centraleuropa ur ett arkeologiskt perspektiv: begravningsritualer, gravfält, distribution, kvalitet och kvantitet av skelettdelar från människa. Det presenteras ett flertal fyndplatser i Silesiaregionen både geografiskt och kronologiskt samt en ingående metodbeskrivning av isotopanalyser med specifikt fokus på kol-, kväve- och strontiumisotoper. Andra kapitel fokuserar på den tidiga bronsålderns livsstil, medicinska kunnande, sjukdomar, sysselsättningar och utvalda undergrupper i det förhistoriska Silesiska samhället såsom adel, barn och gamla. Studien ger information om diet och dietens innehåll, förflyttningar, mänsklig migration och territoriell rörelse i det förhistoriska Centraleuropa, liksom hur dessa har inverkat på det Úněticeiska samhället gällande den metallurgiska utvecklingen och handel samt typer av styrande och den kollektiva identiteten

Some remarks on new directions in social archaeology of early nomads

The article discusses the interpretational issues of the so-called actor-network theory (ANT) in relation to the archeology of nomadic societies. Based on selected examples, in particular the analysis of clan symbols, the so-called tamga and military organization units (so-called troops), the authors present potential new interpretations of known cultural phenomena in the archeology of the Great Steppe

The Unetice Culture Group in palaeosociological perspective

Based on the current state of knowledge in research on the Unetice culture in Poland, the article discusses several key issues for the reconstruction of palaeosocial prehistoric societies. Departing from the classical definition of archaeological culture, and basing on the results of e.g. bioarchaeological analyzes, the authors discuss the problems of individual and collective identity in the Early Bronze Age (the so-called opera model), and related issues of territoriality, linguistic community and customs. The article presents, among others, the Unietyce funeral rites as well as the typology and evolution of mounds (the so-called prince burials)