The role of migrations in the cultural genesis of the Western Siberian population in the Middle Ages (forest-steppe and sub-taiga zones)

The paper examines anthropological and socio-economic concepts in the study of migration, focusing on the regional level. Approximately 400 archeological objects were sources of the work, including settlements, cemeteries, places of cults, places of finds, dating from the 4th to the 13th centuries AD in the forest-steppe and sub-taiga zones of the Tobol-Irtysh basins, as well as data on the anthropological composition of the population. The authors highlight the significant contribution of ethnic and cultural diversity, as well as migration, to the historical and cultural processes of Western Siberia during the Great Migration epoch, Early Middle Ages, and during the period from the 10th to the 13th centuries. While the Great Migration epoch was dominated by meridian invasions in the forest-steppe, the main role in shaping the cultural and anthropological composition was played by migrants from the taiga Karym culture. The historical and cultural dynamics of the Tobol and Ishim basins and Irtysh region differed, as the autochthonous population dominated in the Trans-Urals, while northern migrants were the dominant group in the Irtysh basin. They created autonomous cultural formations, such as the Bakalskaya and Potchevash cultures. Intrazonal latitudinal movement to the West was clearly manifested up to the outflow of the population in the Pereyma type sites. This process was likely driven by the expansion of Kipchaks and Pechenegs. The involvement of Western Siberia into global economy also contributed to the migration of small groups, who brought technological innovations and established trade routes. In the 10th - 13th centuries, there was a persistent difference in the proportions of sub-stratum and super-stratum groups in the Trans-Urals and Irtysh region. The significant expansion of the Ugrian people from the Lower Ob region towards the Southwest led to the emergence of a new cultural environment, known as the Yudino formation. This, along with the revival of autochthonous principles and the influx of small groups of nomads from the East (Ust'-Ishim culture), contributed to the Turkization of the Ugric world.