BULLETIN OF ARCHAEOLOGY, ANTHROPOLOGY AND ETHNOGRAPHY  ¹ 5  (2005)

Palaeoecology

Matveeva N. P., Larina N. S., Zakharova L. A., Vill K. V.

Certain Aspects of  Palaeoecological Investogation with respect to Population of West Siberian Firest Steppe in the Early Iron Age (basing on results of chemical analysis of bone tissue)

The article considers testing results regarding heavy metals content in the bone tissue of 98 individuals obtained from the Sargatka culture burial grounds of West Siberian forest steppe. Those were selected as indicators of physiological adaptation and human diet in the Early Iron Age. The authors showed dependence of the bone tissue mineral status upon sex, age, and social characteristics of the individuals, as well as geochemical conditions of their environment. The testing points to general deficiency of potassium, iron, copper and manganese. The paper sets up a hypothesis of ecological determinism as to pathological skeleton states among the groups dwelling on flood plain soils, salines, and pine forest sands. The authors conclude on systematic undernourishment in the majority of communities, as well on strict regulation and patriarchal nature of food distribution. 

 

Chikunova I. Yu.

On the Diet of the Sargatka Population

By combining analysis of different kinds of material fragments represented in collections of the Sargatka archaeological sites (paleozoological materials, tools, paleocological environment), the author concludes on the diet, peculiarities, adequacy or deficiency of nutrition among the Sargatka tribes, basing on example of the Rafailovo archaeological complex. The author determines a hypothetical food composition, as well possible ways of cooking and having dishes. 

 

Poklontsev A. S.

Ethnoarchaeological Investigation of the Kazakh Cattle Breeding

The paper is devoted to ethnoarchaeological investigation of cattle breeding among the Kazakh population. It presents results of ethnographic investigation regarding peculiarities of cattle breeding, as well as its faunistic composition. Certain work has been done to reveal distributional character of zoological remains through the Kazakh dwelling territory. Besides, the author determines several details regarding the diet of the Kazakh population. The obtained materials could be used to define calculation error of cattle stock composition.