Congratulations to Dr. Andrzej Weber on the recent publication of his article in Archaeological Research in Asia!
Title: Middle Holocene hunter–gatherers of Cis-Baikal, Eastern Siberia: Combined impacts of the boreal forest, bow-and-arrow, and fishing
Author: Andrzej W. Weber
Abstract: Middle Holocene hunter–gatherers (HG) of the Cis-Baikal region, Eastern Siberia, display substantial spatio-temporal variation in adaptive strategies highlighted by several cultural transitions. These transitions are examined focusing on the role of the following factors: (1) Changes in the distribution of the boreal forest; (2) Technological innovations; (3) Intensification of fishing; and (4) their combined impacts on subsistence and social structure. The expansion and retreat of boreal forest was important because it directly affected the distribution and abundance of large and medium terrestrial game, the core of subsistence for all Middle Holocene HGs in the region. All other things being equal, expanding forests meant less game while shrinking forest meant more game and more living space for HGs. The bow was crucial not only due to its technological superiority over the spear and atlatl as a game hunting weapon but also because its flexibility allowed it to work equally well for groups of any size and in any environment—forest or steppe. The much higher return rates associated with bow hunting freed enough labour to be allocated to other activities such as the intensification of fishing. Fishing and fisheries were important because they worked as a differentiating force: the more intensive the fishing, the more limited its spatial distribution and the greater the micro-regional differences between cultural patterns. Intensive fishing and game hunting pulled the adaptive strategies in two opposing directions: fishing towards differences and hunting towards similarities between groups and micro-regions. Social relations were important because they fine-tuned the social fabric to optimize the general strategy. Together, these factors account for all cultural transitions and variation documented for the Middle Holocene HGs of Cis-Baikal: Transition 1—Formation of the Late Mesolithic cultural pattern with incipient formal cemeteries ~8630 cal. BP; Transition 2—Replacement of the Late Mesolithic system on the Angara and in Southwest Baikal, but not in the Little Sea or on the Upper Lena, by the Early Neolithic Kitoi pattern with its very large cemeteries ~7560 cal. BP; Transition 3—Collapse of the Kitoi by ~6660 cal. BP followed by the formation of the Middle Neolithic pattern with no cemeteries; Transition 4—Re-appearance of cemeteries ~6060 cal. BP and the establishment of the Late Neolithic pattern; Transition 5—Formation of the Early Bronze Age system ~4970 cal. BP; and lastly, Transition 6—The end of the Early Bronze Age socio-economic pattern by ~3470 cal. BP.
Archaeological Research in Asia, Volume 24, December 2020, 100222
Congratulations to Andrzej!