Moscow University
Anthropology
Bulletin
Anthropology
Bulletin
Institute of Archaeology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
Dobrovolskaya Maria, e-mail: mk_pa@mail.ru.
Study of the lifestyle of the most ancient of pastoralists from skeletal evidence is the important direction in anthropology. Isotopic and elemental studies allow reconstructing the landscape and climatic characteristics of human environment. Importantly, these analyzes allow the options to obtain individual characteristics describing the living space of human or animal specific past, and in certain cases - even during their lifetime. The stable isotope ratio 13/12C and 15/13N of bone tissue collagen of humans and animals is used to determine the main components of everyday diet. 87/86Sr (strontium) in biological objects reflects the local geological rocks and is used to identify indigenous and immigrant individuals. Values of the standard deviations for isotopic parameters for the twelve groups of buried mounds from the Northern Caucasus area were calculated. Minimum values were determined for a group of sedentary population of the Early Bronze Age burials of Velikent (0.23). Maximum values were obtained (1.3 - 1.4) for the Early Catacomb groups of burials (Peschany, Temrta). Thus, the statistical analysis suggests that during the arid periods the population could take over large areas. Obviously, in the more arid pastures biological productivity was low, and pastoralism provoked large-scale seasonal migrations. So isotopic indicators show regions of considerable stability in seasonal nomadic populations associated with the culture of the Early - Early Middle Bronze Age, as well as the significant impact of climate change on the expansion of pastureland. The study was supported by RFBR, grant # 13-06-00792.
Bronze Age, South Russia steppes, mobile population, paleodiets, stable isotopes, strontium isotopes
Цит.: Dobrovolskaya Maria SOTOPIC AND ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS DATA FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE MOBILITY OF THE BRONZE AGE STEPPE SOCIETIES // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2014; 3/2014; с. 96-96
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