Asta de corzo como materia prima en el Período Huno-Sármata en el norte de Altái

Antler of Cervidae was an important part of the raw material base in traditional manufacturing in Northern Altai during the Hunno-Sarmatian period (the first half of the 1st millennium CE). Several seasonal migration routes of the roe deer cross this territory. The processing of roe deer antler during the Hunno-Sarmatian period is well documented at several archaeological sites in the inter-mountain valley of the lower Katun River. The assortment of antler products is composed inter alia of tools, composite bow elements, arrowheads and horse harnesses. The natural occurrence and high quantity of the specific antler material affects differences in the technology of manufacture. Generally, the assortment of antler items of the Hunno-Sarmatian period from the Northern Altai is typical of the broader region of Southern Siberia, Central Asia and the forest steppes of Eastern Europe.  El asta de cérvido ocupó un importante lugar como materia prima dentro del proceso de manufatura tradicional en la zona norte de Altái durante el Período Huno-Sármata (primera mitad del I milenio DC). Diversas rutas migratorias estacionales de corzos atraviesan este territorio. El procesamiento del asta de corzo durante el Período Huno- Sármata está bien documentado en varios yacimientos arqueológicos en el valle del curso bajo del Katun. El surtido de productos está compuesto, entre otros, por herramientas, elementos compuestos para arco, puntas de fleche y harneses de caballo. Laoccurrencia natural y gran cantidad de material específico de asta afecta a diferencias en la tecnología empleada para la manufactura. Generlmente, el conjunto de elementos de asta del Período Huno-Sármata del norte de Altái es típica de una región más amplia que abarca parte del sur de Siberia, Asia Central y las estepas boscosas del Este de Europa

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

Identifying seasonal settlement sites and land use continuity in the prehistoric southern Siberian steppe – Zhelvak 5 (Tuva)

The identification of camp sites of Iron Age cultures on the Eurasian steppes has long been a problem as the traces of seasonal settlements are faint and often destroyed by agricultural activities. Recent research has found increasing evidence for less mobility and a larger role farming played in the mixed and locally adapted economies of peoples on the steppes. Here we present the results of the investigation of a settlement from the Uyuk Valley and contextualize it with data for seasonal camp sites and settlements in Iron Age South Siberia. Contrary to the long-held beliefs that Iron Age herding societies were truly nomadic and did not establish permanent settlements, archaeological research in South Siberia is gradually starting to reveal a different picture. Remote sensing and on-ground surveys uncovered six Scythian-period settlement sites in Tuva occupying southern hill slopes in sheltered topographic settings. Excavations at Zhelvak 5 revealed a stratified site with materials from the Bronze Age to the Late Iron Age and beyond. The archaeological material speaks towards continuity of economic exploitation of this landscape and the establishment of seasonal camp sites in the same place over a prolonged period of time

The magnetic survey of the early Scythian burial site and settlements in the Turan-Uyuk valley in Tuva

In 2019, Polish archaeologists took part in an expedition of the Hermitage Museum, led by K.V. Chugunov, in Chinge-Tey cemetery, Tuva (Russian Federation). This paper presents the result of magnetic surveys carried out within the so-called western chain of barrows and the around the princely barrow of Chinge-Tey I. This method of non-invasive research is very well suited to the landscape and has produced a significant body of information. Among others, the survey of the western chain identified a stone mantle in barrow 8, which makes it different from other barrows from this group, whose mounds were built of earth. Another important result is the identification of a stone circle surrounding a cult feature (certainly associated with eschatological rituals) known as the northern complex. The presence of the circle came as a surprise for the investigators of the site, as it does not manifest itself at all on the surface of the site. On the other hand, it is worth noting one negative result, which nevertheless allows for some conclusions, namely the lack of detectable anomalies connected with one of the tombs in the vicinity of Chinge-Tey I (barrow 15). Despite being clearly discernible in the landscape, and even more evident in LIDAR images, the barrow is invisible on images produced with a magnetometer. This means that one cannot rule out a possibility that other structures undetectable by magnetic surveys may be present within the investigated part of the cemetery. Nevertheless, one cannot but arrive at the conclusion that the results generated by the magnetic research provide significant information concerning the spatial arrangement of the cemetery and are helpful in planning archaeological excavation

The Origin of Culturally Diversified Individuals Buried in the Early Iron Age Barrow Cemetery at Chultukov Log-1 (Upper Altai) in Light of the Analysis of Stable Oxygen Isotopes

Chultukov Log-1 is a large barrow cemetery, located in the valley of Lower Katun river (Northern Altai, Russia), in which various cultural traditions of the Scythian era are represented (Pazyryk, Karakoba, Bystrianka). The main goal of this study was to determine whether the individuals buried in the cemetery and representing different cultural traditions are uniform in terms of their geographical origin. In order to reconstruction of origin of individuals an analysis of the isotopic composition of oxygen was performed within bone apatite phosphates from well preserved samples. To verify the state of preservation of human and animal osseous remains, diagenetic indices were calculated based on Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer spectra (FTIR). One of the most important conclusions is the identification in the cemetery of individuals probably originating from the north. The most probable scenario is population movements of the Bystrianka culture people from the steppe and piedmont zones to the south, to the mountainous valley of Lower Katun river in the Northern Altai, where they assimilated with the North Pazyryk communities. In the opposite, the contact of the inhabitansts of the Norhern Altai with the south was not connected with the people\u27s movements, but rather with the trade and the common genesis of the North Pazyryk groups and the Pazyryk culture from Central and South-Eastern Altai. Some people of local origin had different eschatological beliefs and accordingly buried their dead in stone boxes (Karakoba type)

Skalps, mummies, tattoos... : the culture of the Scythian rulers of the Great Steppe

W artykule przedstawiono najważniejsze zagadnienia związane z historią i kulturą Scytów, koczowniczych mieszkańców stepów Eurazji we wczesnej epoce żelaza. Praca dotyczy zarówno europejskiej, jak i azjatyckiej części Wielkiego Stepu, z uwzględnieniem najciekawszych znalezisk południowosyberyjskich z terenu Chakasji, Ałtaju i Tuwy