Anthropology  

Dobrovolskaya M.V., Strokov A.A., Smirnov A.L., Nelyubov S.A.

Strontium isotopic composition in human skeletal remains as a reflection of migration and mobility: variety of research formats and limitations

The article presents a brief overview of the research into strontium isotopic composition of bioarchaeological materials and variations of bioavailable strontium, as well as several large generalizing database resources (Isotòpia, IsoArcH, CIMA), which provide published open access individual data accompanied by context characteristics and geographical coordinates. The datasets allow not only discussion of migration activity, but also observation of the dynamics of trade routes of materials of biological origin. The insufficient and uneven study of strontium isotopic composition in the environment and archaeological sites of the regions of the European part of Russia, nevertheless, allows assessing the existence of major geographical trends. We have described the directional dynamics of the increase in the proportion of radiogenic strontium isotope in its bioavailable forms and bioarchaeological materials from the south to the northwest, which is probably related to the spread of Late Pleistocene moraine and glacial sediments in general. The experience of such a dataset is useful in the study of populations of mixed origin (battlefields, communities of Medieval towns, etc.). The study of individual variability in the isotopic composition of tooth enamel marks human mobility during childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. The analysis of these dynamics is important for the characterization of migration activity and is based on the assessment of intra-group variability in strontium isotopic composition. As such, those research formats that can be successfully implemented in the context of limited and unevenly studied background dynamics of bioavailable strontium are characterized.

Keywords: bioarchaeological materials, isotopic composition of bioavailable strontium, databases, European part of Russia.

Movsesian A.A.

Finno-Ugric and Turkic peoples of the Volga-Ural region according to craniophenetic data

A craniophenetic analysis of the genetic relationships among the Finno-Ugric and Turkic populations of the Volga region has been carried out within the broader context of populations from Northwestern Europe, Southern and Western Siberia. The examined craniological series include those pertaining to the Mordva-Erzya, Mari, Udmurts, Komi, and the Turkic-speaking peoples of the Volga region — the Chuvash and Bashkirs. The comparative materials comprised data from Finns, Karelians, Estonians, Khanty, Mansi, Tuvans, Telengits, Khakas, and Russians from central and northwestern Russia. Phenetic distances between the populations were calculated using Smith's Mean Measure of Divergence. The results of multidimensional scaling of the phenetic distances reveal that the Finno-Ugric populations of the Volga region, together with the neighboring Turkic-speaking peoples, formed a distinct grouping that also included the northwestern Finno-Ugric populations. Thus, the analysis has demonstrated the genetic affinity and connections among Finno-Ugric peoples of the Volga-Ural region, their Turkic-speaking neighbors, and northwestern Finno-Ugric populations. These findings are corroborated by genetic data indicating the presence of a common genetic substrate among most Finno-Ugric populations. The phenetic and genetic diversity observed among Finno-Ugric ethnic groups appears to be attributable to the complex history of their gene pool formation, involving both shared origins, and migration processes and genetic contacts with neighboring ethnic groups.

Keywords: Finno-Ugrics, non-metric traits, Volga-Ural region, paleophenetics, Smith's Mean Measure of Divergence (MMD).

Shirobokov I.G.

A selective approach to human age estimation: a case study of cranial suture closure methods

Age estimation of skeletal remains is often biased due to differences between the age structure of the target sample and that of the reference population on which a particular method is based. This study analyzes a documented series of 130 skulls using the Meindl-Lovejoy method to compare of several age estimation algorithms trained on reference samples with varying demographic profiles. The results demonstrate that the estimated mean age of the test series systematically depends on the mean age of individuals in the reference group. A new algorithm is proposed that incorporates multiple regression models, each trained on a reference group with a specific age distribution. The algorithm selects the most appropriate model for each case based on a preliminary age estimate of the skeleton; however, this estimate is not used as an explicit predictor in the final model. The proposed method shows relatively high accuracy compared to both the phase-based Meindl-Lovejoy approach and several modern techniques. Estimates generated by the algorithm from primary data collected by different researchers also show a good level of interobserver agreement.

Keywords: age estimation, paleodemography, suture obliteration, regression analysis, reference group.