Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia @journal-aeae-en
Journal articles - Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia
All articles: 584
Scientific article
Data on the distribution of folklore and mythological motifs in the New World are analyzed. Their areas agree with the idea that early migrants moved along the Pacific coast of North America. The Columbian Plateau with the adjacent part of the coast could have been a hub whence people dispersed to the south, southeast, and east. The transfer of cultural elements along the Mackenzie Corridor is supported neither by the distribution of mythological episodes and images nor by archaeological evidence (the latter suggests an oppositely directed migration in the Terminal Pleistocene—from the main territory of the U.S. to Alaska). North American and South American narrative episodes and mythological motifs are separated by a huge geographic gap: Many migrant populations seem to have rapidly reached South America, leaving certain groups behind. While in America distribution areas of motifs follow recognizable patterns, in the Old World the same motifs are scattered from Europe to the Pacific, which may attest to the heterogeneity of the Beringian population immediately before the migration to the New World. Besides the main (early) episode of peopling, data on the areal distribution of motifs reveal three or four later episodes.
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Scientific article
This study addresses the structure of cemeteries and types of tombstones in the funerary tradition of the Russian Priestless Old Believers (known as Bespopovtsy) living in the Ust-Tsilma District of the Komi Republic. For the first time, a description of their graveyards, known as “mogilniki”, or “mogily”, is provided, and their history and preservation are outlined. Traditional beliefs concerning cemeteries and their arrangement are cited. The symbolism of the forms of tomb structures, reproducing not only canonical prescriptions and requirements, but also certain pre-Christian beliefs, is analyzed in detail. Folk terms relating to the dead and the afterlife are included. The degree and nature of post-revolutionary transformations, profoundly affecting the foundations of the Old Believers’culture, are explored. Despite the attempts to preserve traditions, modern lifestyles took root in the 1960s and 1970s. Elements of local specificity in funerary rites have nonetheless survived and can be seen in the symbolism of tombstones, synthesizing Christian and pre-Christian traditions. Findings of ethnographic, linguistic, and archival studies are presented.
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The Origin of Anatomically Modern Humans in China
Scientific article
Genetic, skeletal, and archaeological studies alike demonstrate that anatomically modern humans originated ~200–150 ka BP in Africa, and this finding cannot be questioned. Over the last 4–5 decades, however, human fossils with undoubtedly modern skeletal markers, dating to 120–40 ka BP, have been discovered in China and Southeast Asia, suggesting that those territories, too, may have been part of the region where H. s. sapiens arose convergently on the basis of H. erectus. An important fact supporting this hypothesis is that a new taxon, Denisovan (informally H. s. denisovan), was established on the basis of the genetic analysis of a bone sample from a phalanx of the fifth finger of a 9–12-year-old girl from Denisova Cave. Also, genetic studies show that all three taxa, African anatomically modern humans, European Neanderthals, and Central Asian Denisovans, had interbred and produced fertile offspring, implying that all these taxa formed an open genetic system with processes such as admixture and assimilation, suggestive of a single species. Based on this conclusion, the following scenario of the origin of H. sapiens sapiens can be proposed: 80–60 ka BP anatomically modern migrants engaged in such processes with H. s. neanderthalensis in Europe, Denisovans in Central Asia, and early anatomically modern descendants of H. erectus (informally H. s. orientalensis) in East and Southeast Asia. The key role in the origin of H. s. sapiens, then, was played by migrants from Africa (informally H. s. africanensis), who were engaged in interbreeding and assimilation with H. s. neanderthalensis, H. s. orientalensis, and H. s. denisovan.
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Scientific article
Archaeological fi ndings suggest that the Pazyryk burial chambers made from larch logs replicated dwellings, being a key symbol of culture. Log structures were built on both winter and summer pastures. Parts of them were placed in graves as substitutes for entire houses. Their inner structure corresponded to that of the house. All artifacts in the graves had been used in everyday life, being intrinsically related to the owners’ earthly existence. Felt artifacts functioned in the same way in elite burials and in those of the ordinary community members, although their quality was different. Felt carpets decorating the walls of the Pazyryk leaders’ houses were true works of art, while those found in ordinary burials were simple and rather crude. The typical form of the late 7th–3rd century BC wooden burial chambers in the Altai-Sayan was pyramidal. In the Southern Altai, this form survived until the 1800s–early 1900s in Telengit aboveground burial structures.
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The Peopling of Mongolia by Homo sapiens denisovan
Scientific article
The article continues a series of publications in this journal, addressing the peopling of Iran, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan by H. s. denisovan. Around 400 ka BP, two large populations branched off from the ancestral taxon H. heidelbergensis in the Levant. One of them migrated to Europe, where its hybridization with natives gave rise to a new taxon H. s. neanderthalensis 200–150 ka BP. The other, having passed through the Iranian Highland, settled in Central Asia, where its mixture with local Central Asiatic H. erectus, natural and sexual selection, and adaptation to various environments in the vast Central Asiatic region 200–150 ka BP resulted in the emergence of a morphologically and genetically distinct taxon, whose informal name is H. s. denisovan.
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The Peopling of Tajikistan by Homo sapiens Denisovan
Scientific article
The study published in the previous issue of this journal addressed the dispersal and early morphological and genetic evolution of H. s. denisovan in Iran, following the split of the ancestral taxon H. heidelbergensis into two taxa, Neanderthals and Denisovans, in the Levant ~400 ka BP. The latter taxon was first described owing to the sequencing of DNA extracted from the fragment of the fifth finger phalanx from layer 11.2 of Denisova Cave, Altai. Having left the Levant 400–350 ka BP, Denisovans began to spread via Iran to Central Asia and eventually to the Altai. Humans appeared in Denisova Cave ~300 ka BP, having crossed vast territories of Central Asia different in terms of environment, climate, landscape, flora and fauna, and partly populated by aborigines—the late populations of H. erectus. Adapting to changing environments, assimilating native humans, and undergoing natural selection, H. s. denisovan evolved both genetically and morphologically. Here, the spread of Denisovans in Tajikistan will be discussed.
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The Peopling of Uzbekistan by Homo sapiens Denisovan
Scientific article
This study continues a series of articles published in two last issues of this journal, exploring the split of the ancestral species H. heidelbergensis ~400 ka BP in the Levant and the subsequent origin of two filial species, Neanderthals and Denisovans. Certain members of H. heidelbergensis had moved to Europe, where a new taxon, H. s. neanderthalensis, emerged 200–150 ka BP. Others had migrated to Central Asia via Iran ~400–350 ka BP. Their assimilation of native populations of H. erectus, adaptation to changing environments, and natural selection led to the emergence of H. s. denisovan. In Uzbekistan, no Early Paleolithic sites are known. Based on archaeological evidence, one can presume that this territory was first peopled by Denisovans, who had migrated there from Tajikistan during MIS 6. At the final stage of the Karatau culture in Tajikistan, associated with pedocomplex 4 (MIS 11), new elements appeared in primary lithic reduction, types of stone tools, and the ways they were fashioned. In Uzbekistan, excavations of two key sites, Kulbulak and Obi-Rakhmat, have been ongoing for over five decades. Owing to long stratigraphic sequences, the evolution of the Middle Paleolithic industry of Denisovans has been traced over a long period spanning MIS 7–3. The only cave site excavated in Central Asia to-date, is Teshik-Tash in Uzbekistan, where Neanderthal fossils were found together with a Mousterian industry.
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Scientific article
The petroglyphs at Pisany Kamen on the right bank of the Angara, near Klimino, Kezhemsky District, Krasnoyarsk Territory, fi rst described by D.G. Messerschmidt in 1725, have been examined by many specialists. Most previous studies, however, were superfi cial, and the information they provided was unreliable and contradictory. To specify the site's location and to study the petroglyphs in more detail, using more advanced methods, the archaeological team from Krasnoyarsk Pedagogical University visited Pisany Kamen in 1999–2000. A topographic survey was carried out, and the petroglyphs were photographed and copied. Both previously known and new petroglyphs were recorded, showing animals, anthropomorphic fi gures in masks, and a separate mask. Results were compared with those recorded by Messerschmidt. The estimated dates of the site fall within a broad interval from the Early Bronze Age to the Late Iron Age (2nd millennium BC to 1st millennium AD). The pe troglyphs are relevant to various aspects of the ideology and material culture of the ancient popula tion of the region. Their further study will hopefully disclose the semantics of many images and assess their cultural and chronological attribution, relevant to the history of several modern groups of Siberia.
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The Relationship Between Archaic Construction Methods in Pottery and Architecture in Central Asia
Scientific article
This study explores the connection between archaic construction methods in pottery in Central Asian, mostly that of tandoors (tonurs), and present-day building technologies associated with the use of unbaked clay (“pakhsa”, “kuloh”, “adobe bricks”). Ethnographic fi eldwork was done in several areas of Central Asia, including the Sughd Region of Tajikistan, the Turkestan Region of Kazakhstan, the Fergana and Samarkand regions of Uzbekistan, and the Batkent Region of Kyrgyzstan. Traditions of constructing tandoors were examined; materials relating to various building technologies using clay were collected and systematized. Two main methods of pakhsa construction were identified—lining up undried clay lumps in layers, or backfilling clay into a mold (“packed techniques”). The first was developed in construction technology using kuloh—dried lumps of clay joined with mortar. The technique of building tandoors from two layers of slabs, with subsequent transformation into a band, and coils connected pairwise during drying, resembles that of pakhsa construction by placing clay lumps in several rows across the width of the wall in strips (“kurses”) laid along the entire length of it. This confirms the common origin of the most archaic construction methods in pottery and construction from clay in architecture.
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The Russian Archaeological Project in South America: Principal Findings and Prospects
Scientific article
This study outlines the findings of field and laboratory studies by the first Russian archaeological expedition to South America in 2014–2015 and 2017–2018 in collaboration with colleagues from Ecuador and Japan. The project focused on sites of the Archaic (10.8–6.6 ka BP) and Early Formative period (5.5–3.5 ka BP) in the coastal zone of Santa Elena Province, Ecuador. Excavations at Real Alto (Valdivia culture) and Loma Alto (Las Vegas culture) yielded representative archaeological, anthropological, and faunal samples and a large series of AMS dates, providing a basis for a number of novel proposals regarding the chronology and periodization of cultures, their origin, and early pottery-production in South America. Specifically, we have demonstrated that at the very beginning of the Formative period, two early ceramic traditions coexisted—Valdivia and “San Pedro”. We have demonstrated the peculiarity of the “Tropical package” in the stone toolkit, and traced the previously unknown features of the funerary rites of the Las Vegas and Valdivia cultures. Radiocarbon analysis helped to correct the chronology of the late stage of the pre-ceramic Las Vegas culture (8.0–4.8 ka BP) and to estimate the tentative date of the earliest pottery manufacture at 4.8–4.7 ka BP. In conclusion, we outline the top priorities and prospects of Russian archaeological studies on the Pacific coast of South America, underscoring the importance of international cooperation.
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The Russian pioneers' winter camp on Karachinsky island, the Lower Tobol river, Western Siberia
Scientific article
In 2014, an expeditionfrom Tyumen State University excavated an underground dwelling on Karachinslqt Island, in the floodplain of the Tbbol, to check the chronicle data saying that Yermqk qnd his Cossacks had spent q winter at that place during their Siberian campaign. The log structure, measuring I0 m by 5 m by 2 m, consisted of two rooms. Three or four bottom tiers of logs have been preserved. Remains of a cellar were found in the central part east of the oven. The building existed for a short time because the area around it was sterile. Lenses of calcination and charcoal, and traces of fire on the logs of the structure suggest that it had burnt down. Then it was repaired, but the amount of garbage and kitchen waste is small. All household effects were carried out before the dwellers left. Finds include pottery, a grindstone, a potter s scraper, and pieces of slag and metal. An AMS date of the wood, generated at Arizona University, falls within the 17th century. The chemical analysis of background and old soils indicates intense use of the islandfor pqsture and manufacture. In sum, our survey provides no evidence of Yermak's stay on the island during his campaign. According to R.G. Skrynnikov, the Cossacks marchedfrom the Stroganov forts to the Siberian Khanate capital without wintering, which was tactically correct, since the Thtar forces were weak and fragmented because of Mametkul's foray into the Ural towns.
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The Siungkap-Ungkapon Ritual in the Batak Toba Community: Archaeological and Agricultural Aspects
Scientific article
In Indonesia, agricultural rituals are consistently performed before, after, and even during specific periods, with variations in form across regions and ethnicities. We outline the results of our study of the siungkapungkapon ritual and its role in agricultural practices of the Batak Toba community. We examine the ecological context and archaeological data relevant to rice farming. Our study includes interviews with community members and observation of rites involving the siungkap-ungkapon stone. We discuss intertwined aspects of the rite—religious, social, ecological, and technological. The rite itself has been practiced at least since the Late Neolithic with a view to receive the ancestors’ blessings and instructions as to which rice variety should be cultivated during a specific season. The ritual reveals the peasants’ knowledge of agricultural practices, rice types, and the environment, all of which, taken together, ensure the highest yield. How the choice of the rice variety depends on the presence of ants under the stone is not immediately apparent. We conclude that the siungkap-ungkapon ritual, which involves practical knowledge, strengthens social unity and is supposed to optimize agricultural labor.
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Scientific article
This article discusses difficulties in the use of Japanese archaeological terminology, especially with regard to the Jōmon period. The history of the notions of “style”, “type”, and “form” is outlined, which are the most adequate concepts for the interpretation, classification, and description of new styles of the Jōmon pottery. The evolution of the terms is traced using the works by Yamanouchi Sugao and Kobayashi Tatsuo. Their basic views on the typology of Jōmon artifacts and the notions behind the key terms are described.
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The Tamga signs of the Turkic nomads in the Altai and Semirechye: comparisons and identifications
Review article
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The Ukok Plateau, an Archaeological Gem of the Altai: 35 Years Later
Scientific article
The article brings together the most important results of work carried out by archaeologists from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography SB RAS on the Ukok Plateau in the southwestern part of the Altai Republic, Russia, over the past thirty years since the fi rst excavations by Natalia Polosmak. Over this period, a series of fundamental discoveries was made on the plateau, and the fi ndings were published in a number of monographs and articles. Regrettably, these publications have received little attention from experts and lay public amenable to scientifi c boom and to myths spread by hedge journalists, by the public craving for brouhaha, and sometimes even by professional archaeologists. This study highlights major excavation fi ndings, their scholarly interpretation and museumization of the Early Iron Age Pazyryk mounds, including rare ones with permafrost. These were interpreted with regard to the specifi c area of Central Asia, and to the entire timespan from its initial peopling in the Late Pleistocene to the recent centuries. The archaeologists’ role in the detection and description of over 400 sites on the plateau is assessed. Rock art galleries, especially the key site at Kalgutinsky Rudnik with the earliest petroglyphs among those known in the Russian and Mongolian Altai, are described. Protective measures regarding cultural legacy of the Ukok Plateau, its coverage by the media, and prevention of ecological harm by tourists are proposed to municipal authorities in the Republic of Altai.
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The Umrevinsky hoard of silver wire kopecks from the reign of Peter I
Scientific article
The Umrevinsky hoard, comprising 107 silver wire kopecks, was found in 2008 outside the walls of Fort (Ostrog) Umrevinsky, founded in 1703 on the right bank of the Ob River, 100 km north of Novosibirsk. This is the fi rst time such a hoard has been discovered in the Novosibirsk stretch of the Ob. Its composition is assessed with reference to archaeological fi ndings relating to Fort Umrevinsky. The chronology of the coins and of their deposition is evaluated. The location is near a dwelling within a manor, in an ash-layer. The coins are relatively poorly preserved. We were able to identify the minting-years of 34 coins. All specimens with legible stamp-impressions were minted between 1696 and 1717. On the basis of the results, it is concluded that this was a hoard of coin-silver. Firstly, most kopecks bear no discernible images that would guarantee specifi c weight and silver content; secondly, the hoard was deposited no earlier than 1735, i.e., 20 years after the coins had gone out of use. This conclusion is supported by the fact that some coins were apparently used as ornaments that were sewn on clothes by the natives. All these fi ndings enrich our knowledge of the history of Fort Umrevinsky.
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