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5. TO THE BIOARCHAEOLOGY OF CHILDREN’S BURIALS FROM GONUR-DEPE BRONZE AGE SITE, TURKMENISTAN

TO THE BIOARCHAEOLOGY OF CHILDREN’S BURIALS FROM GONUR-DEPE BRONZE AGE SITE, TURKMENISTAN

Kufterin Vladimir

M. Akmullah Bashkir State Pedagogical University, Ufa, Russia

Kufterin Vladimir, e-mail: vladimirkufterin@mail.ru.

Abstract

The aim of this communication is to discuss the results of bioarchaeological investigations of the remains from Gonur-depe tombs, where sub-adult human beings were buried. Gonur-depe is a well-known Bactria-Margiana archaeological complex site (Southern Turkmenistan, III–II mill. BC). The skeletal remains of 37 individuals received from 36 tombs in 2009–2010 excavation are analyzed. The sample has such an age structure: 8.3% belongs to the fetus and newborns, 30.6% - to children less than 1 year, 30.6% - to 1–3 year-olds, 8.3% - to 4–6 year-olds, 11.1% - to 7–9 year-olds, 8.3% - to 10–12 year-olds and 2.8% - to 12–15 year-olds. Cribra orbitalia was the most common stress marker. Distribution of this indicator shows significant differences between the infantilis I and infantilis II age subgroups. Variability of the long bones was considered separately for each age interval. Deviations from the M. Maresh standards were calculated by dividing the individual values of the parameter to the age standard ones. Individual deviations from the age standards vary in the range of 0.73–1.02 (average value – 0.90). Proximal segments of the extremities reveal a greater delay in growth rather than the distal ones. The infants aged 0.2–2 years demonstrate the smallest “lag” from age standards of longitudinal growth rates. Primary distal growth in the sub-adult sample is connected with the dolicho- and mesomorphic types of body proportions (relatively elongated forearm and calf). Overall, the results of bioarchaeological research of the sub-adult burials from Gonur-depe confirm once more the thesis about good adaptation of this ancient group to the local environmental conditions and show that main body proportions of the adaptive types according to Tatyana Alexeeva (in this case – the Arid one) are formed in the early childhood. The investigations are supported by the Russian Fund for Basic Research (project 13-06-00233а).

Keywords

bioarchaeology, children’s burials, Arid adaptive type, Turkmenistan, Bronze Age

Цит.: Kufterin Vladimir TO THE BIOARCHAEOLOGY OF CHILDREN’S BURIALS FROM GONUR-DEPE BRONZE AGE SITE, TURKMENISTAN // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2014; 3/2014; с. 98-98