The Kazakh farmstead of the ethnographic settlement of Kozykosh

The issue of study of the settled culture of nomads in recent decades has been actively developed by various archaeological teams in Kazakhstan. This new field known as paleo-ethnographicgot a scientific formalization in the 70s of the XX century. In 2021, excavation soft helater-medieval settlement of Kozykosh of the late XIX – early XX centuries began in Akmola Ishim region. The purpose of this article is to define the planning and compositional structure of the ethnographic settlement of the Kazakhs, to describe the housing and utility complexes, architecture, construction business based on the records of the excavated dwelling No.3, to demonstrate the changes ofspatial layout and planning conceptof the settlementsdue to the social and political changes of the early XX century in Kazakhstan. The research materials are based on the archaeological excavations of the housing and utility complex of the farmstead No. 3 of the settlement of Kozykosh; the remote, geophysical, historical and ethnographic methods of study were used for the research. The significance of the excavations of the settlement of Kozykosh lies in the first large-scale experience of obtaining the materials, which confirm and describe the ethnographic information concerning the Kazakh wintering areas

Between Denisovans and Neanderthals: Strashnaya Cave in the Altai Mountains

peer reviewedNew data from Strashnaya Cave have revealed previously unknown complexity in hominin occupation of the Altai Mountains, including the first regional evidence for the presence of anatomically modern human

Neanderthal bone tools from inside, at Jonzac, Quina level, France

editorial reviewe

[Re]Integrating a dispersed agenda: advancing archaeological research in Central Eurasia

Peer reviewe

[Re]Integrating a dispersed agenda: advancing archaeological research in Central Eurasia

Amid resurgent geopolitical fissures and in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a growing awareness in the sector of the need for, and concern about, national and international collaboration in archaeological projects. This article reflects on present-day challenges for international collaboration in central Eurasian archaeology and furthers a much-needed discussion about (re)integrating local narratives with inter-regional trends in future research. Responsible and practical proposals for bridging collaborator differences in institutional or publishing obligations, language capacities and access to resources are discussed

Organic and Elemental Composition of Fire Residue in Surungur Archaeological Site with Assessment Fuel Type Used

Современные археологические исследования проводятся с использованием большого спектра методов естественнонаучных дисциплин. При изучении кострищ хорошо себя зарекомендовали физико-химические методы анализа, которые позволяют выйти на уровень реконструкции использовавшихся типов топлива. В данной работе приводятся результаты апробирования новой комплексной методологии изучения кострищ периода голоцена с памятника Сурунгур (Южный Кыргызстан, Ферганская долина) методами газовой хромато-масс-спектрометрии (ГХ/МС) и рентгенофлуоресцентного анализа (РФА). Установлено, что посредством ГХ/МС в пепловых прослоях сохраняются биомаркеры недогоревших остатков органического топлива (алканы, алканолы). Элементный анализ методом РФА позволяет определить распределение элементов, имеющих зольное происхождение, что также используется для оценки типа топлива. Применение нового алгоритма исследований позволило скорректировать полученные ранее результаты и установить, что в период обживания стоянки Сурунгур в качестве топлива использовалось преимущественно дерево и травыModern archaeological research is carried out using a wide range of natural science methods. When studying fires, physicochemical methods of analysis have proven themselves well, which allow us to reach the level of reconstruction of the fuel types used. This paper presents the results of approbation a new comprehensive methodology for studying Holocene fires from the Surungursite (southern Kyrgyzstan, Ferghana Valley) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and X‑ray fluorescence analysis (XFA). It is established that by means of GC/MS biomarkers of unburned organic fuel residues (alkanes, alkanols) are preserved in the ash layers. Elemental analysis by the XFA method allows determining the distribution of elements having ash origin, which is also used to assess the type of fuel. The use of a new research algorithm allowed us to correct the previously obtained results and establish that during the Surungursite occupation, wood and grass were mainly used as fue

Neanderthal subsistence at Chez-Pinaud Jonzac (Charente-Maritime, France): A kill site dominated by reindeer remains, but with a horse-laden diet?

During the MIS 4 in Southwestern France, Quina Neanderthal from the north of the Aquitaine was characterized by a hunting specialization on the reindeer and the lack of diversity in their diet. They developed task-specific locations dedicated to the capture, the butchery, and the consumption of reindeer, and the whole society seems, in this region, to be dependent on this food resource. In this context, the site of Chez-Pinaud at Jonzac (France) occupies a specific place. First, interpreted as a reindeer kill and butchery site, the recent recovery of the site underlines the importance of the large ungulate (horse and bison) to the faunal spectrum (30% of the NISP). Considering the quantity of meat and grease that these species can provide to hunters, the new zooarchaeological analyses suggest that at least the horse may have played a major role in the diet of the Neanderthal population. Since Jonzac is one of the largest sites for this period, these results relativize the importance of reindeer specialization of the Quina population and the lack of diversityl in their diet

Author Correction: Early Pastoral Economies and Herding Transitions in Eastern Eurasia (Scientific Reports, (2020), 10, 1, (1001), 10.1038/s41598-020-57735-y)

This Article contains a typographical error in the Introduction section under subheading ‘Understanding Early Horse Domestication and Transport’ where, “Historical records refer to horse-mounted warriors in western Asia by the 8th century BCE, while archaeological finds from localities like Arzhan 2 in southern Tuva show specialized horse equipment (bronze snaffle bits) and equine vertebral pathologies linked with mounted riding in Central Asia by the late 9th century BCE31.” should read: “Historical records refer to horse-mounted warriors in western Asia by the 8th century BCE, while archaeological finds from localities like Arzhan in southern Tuva show specialized horse equipment (bronze snaffle bits) and equine vertebral pathologies linked with mounted riding in Central Asia by the late 9th century BCE31.”

Early Pastoral Economies and Herding Transitions in Eastern Eurasia

While classic models for the emergence of pastoral groups in Inner Asia describe mounted, horse-borne herders sweeping across the Eurasian Steppes during the Early or Middle Bronze Age (ca. 3000–1500 BCE), the actual economic basis of many early pastoral societies in the region is poorly characterized. In this paper, we use collagen mass fingerprinting and ancient DNA analysis of some of the first stratified and directly dated archaeofaunal assemblages from Mongolia’s early pastoral cultures to undertake species identifications of this rare and highly fragmented material. Our results provide evidence for livestock-based, herding subsistence in Mongolia during the late 3rd and early 2nd millennia BCE. We observe no evidence for dietary exploitation of horses prior to the late Bronze Age, ca. 1200 BCE – at which point horses come to dominate ritual assemblages, play a key role in pastoral diets, and greatly influence pastoral mobility. In combination with the broader archaeofaunal record of Inner Asia, our analysis supports models for widespread changes in herding ecology linked to the innovation of horseback riding in Central Asia in the final 2nd millennium BCE. Such a framework can explain key broad-scale patterns in the movement of people, ideas, and material culture in Eurasian prehistory

Early Pastoral Economies and Herding Transitions in Eastern Eurasia

While classic models for the emergence of pastoral groups in Inner Asia describe mounted, horse-borne herders sweeping across the Eurasian Steppes during the Early or Middle Bronze Age (ca. 3000-1500 BCE), the actual economic basis of many early pastoral societies in the region is poorly characterized. In this paper, we use collagen mass fingerprinting and ancient DNA analysis of some of the first stratified and directly dated archaeofaunal assemblages from Mongolia's early pastoral cultures to undertake species identifications of this rare and highly fragmented material. Our results provide evidence for livestock-based, herding subsistence in Mongolia during the late 3rd and early 2nd millennia BCE. We observe no evidence for dietary exploitation of horses prior to the late Bronze Age, ca. 1200 BCE - at which point horses come to dominate ritual assemblages, play a key role in pastoral diets, and greatly influence pastoral mobility. In combination with the broader archaeofaunal record of Inner Asia, our analysis supports models for widespread changes in herding ecology linked to the innovation of horseback riding in Central Asia in the final 2nd millennium BCE. Such a framework can explain key broad-scale patterns in the movement of people, ideas, and material culture in Eurasian prehistory