Journal Articles - Page 6 of 6 - Baikal Archaeology Project

Shifting weaning practices in Early Neolithic Cis‐Baikal, Siberia: New insights from stable isotope analysis of molar micro‐samples

Reconstructing individual dietary histories at Shamanka II, an Early Neolithic (7000–5700 cal. BP) Kitoi hunter‐gatherer cemetery in Cis‐Baikal, Siberia, revealed surprising intrapopulation variability in childhood diets. Stable isotope analytical data produced by micro‐sampled first molars identified changes in both the timing and rate of weaning for different individuals. Further, examination within the framework of a high‐resolution radiocarbon chronology identified shifting practices between two phases of cemetery use, and additional links with mortuary treatment that indicates differences relating to group [...]

pderas2020-06-30T11:00:20-06:00Categories: Journal Articles, Publications|Tags: Scharlotta, Bazaliiskii, Goude, Weber|

“Mind the gap”—Assessing methods for aligning age determination and growth rate in multi‐molar sequences of dietary isotopic data

Creating multi‐tooth sequences of micro‐sampled stable isotope (SI) analytical data can help track 20+ years of individual dietary history. Inferences about individual and population level behavioral patterns require cross‐calibration of the timing of dietary changes recorded by each tooth. Dentin sections from contemporaneous tissues (eg, in M1 and M2) reflect dietary signature for the time of growth. Contemporary sections should produce similar values, allowing alignment of temporally overlapping portions of teeth into multi‐tooth sequences. Published methods for determining [...]

pderas2020-06-30T11:01:08-06:00Categories: Publications, Journal Articles|Tags: Scharlotta, Bazaliiskii, Goude, Weber|

Evaluating sodium hydroxide usage for stable isotope analysis of prehistoric human tooth dentine

Analyzing carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) in serial samples of human tooth dentine can aid in reconstructing life history events such as weaning and diet. As dentine does not remodel after formation, it retains the isotopic signatures of the foods ingested during a tooth's development, allowing investigation of the diet consumed during this time. Microsampling human archaeological tissues is becoming increasingly popular but no consensus has been reached on the best method to remove soil humates from such small [...]

pderas2019-12-03T12:18:05-07:00Categories: Publications, Journal Articles|Tags: van der Haas, Bazaliiskii, Weber|

Ancient human parvovirus B19 in Eurasia reveals its long-term association with humans

Human parvovirus B19 (B19V) is a ubiquitous human pathogen associated with a number of conditions, such as fifth disease in children and arthritis and arthralgias in adults. B19V is thought to evolve exceptionally rapidly among DNA viruses, with substitution rates previously estimated to be closer to those typical of RNA viruses. On the basis of genetic sequences up to ∼70 years of age, the most recent common ancestor of all B19V has been dated to the early 1800s, [...]

pderas2020-06-30T11:02:15-06:00Categories: Publications, Journal Articles|Tags: Willerslev, Weber, Bazaliiskii|

The first horse herders and the impact of early Bronze Age steppe expansions into Asia

The Yamnaya expansions from the western steppe into Europe and Asia during the Early Bronze Age (~3000 BCE) are believed to have brought with them Indo-European languages and possibly horse husbandry. We analyzed 74 ancient whole-genome sequences from across Inner Asia and Anatolia and show that the Botai people associated with the earliest horse husbandry derived from a hunter-gatherer population deeply diverged from the Yamnaya. Our results also suggest distinct migrations bringing West Eurasian ancestry into South Asia [...]

pderas2020-06-30T11:03:25-06:00Categories: Publications, Journal Articles|Tags: Willerslev, Bazaliiskii, Goriunova, Weber|

137 ancient human genomes from across the Eurasian steppes

For thousands of years the Eurasian steppes have been a centre of human migrations and cultural change. Here we sequence the genomes of 137 ancient humans (about 1× average coverage), covering a period of 4,000 years, to understand the population history of the Eurasian steppes after the Bronze Age migrations. We find that the genetics of the Scythian groups that dominated the Eurasian steppes throughout the Iron Age were highly structured, with diverse origins comprising Late Bronze Age [...]

pderas2020-06-30T11:04:41-06:00Categories: Journal Articles, Publications|Tags: Bazaliiskii, Weber, Willerslev|

Differentiating mobility and migration in middle Holocene Cis-Baikal, Siberia

The development of analytical techniques associated with individual life history approaches to reconstructing prehistoric patterns of diet and mobility has produced significant changes in the potential information contained within a single skeleton. In the context of Early Bronze Age hunter-gatherer groups in Cis-Baikal, Siberia, a comparison of bulk versus micro-sampling strategies has altered understanding of the level of mobility and interaction. Detailed surveys of biogeochemical variation in the landscape combined with improved resolution translate into an ability to examine the provenance and track the movements of an individual [...]

Erin2020-06-30T11:09:08-06:00Categories: Publications, Journal Articles|Tags: Scharlotta|

Flexible approaches: Adapting analytical techniques and research designs to suit variable landscapes and cultural structures

Humanity is highly adaptable based on evidence from regional culture histories, dominant climatic patterns, ecosystem availability, and subsistence practices. Astounding resourcefulness in solving short- and long-term challenges is routinely demonstrated by cultural groups pursuing variants of agro-pastoralism, hunting, fishing, gathering, and horticulture. Pursuing specific economic strategies often leads cultural groups to exhibit similar patterns of social organization and material culture. Observation of this trend has led anthropologists to note, and archaeologists to infer, that describing a population based [...]

Erin2020-06-30T11:09:30-06:00Categories: Publications, Journal Articles|Tags: Scharlotta|