NEWS | Baikal Archaeology Project

Lethal plague outbreaks in Lake Baikal hunter–gatherers 5,500 years ago

Plague is among the most devastating diseases in human history. However, early strains of the plague-causing bacterium Yersinia pestis lacked virulence factors that are required for the bubonic form until around 3,800 years ago. Consequently, the morbidity and mortality of early plague strains remain unclear. Here we describe early plague strains that are associated with two phases of outbreaks among mid-Holocene hunter-gatherers near Lake Baikal in southeast Siberia, beginning from about 5,500 years ago. These outbreaks occur across [...]

Andrea Hiob2026-06-18T13:41:53-06:00Categories: Journal Articles, Publications|Tags: Jessup, Macleod, Willerslev, Weber, Lieverse, Goriunova, Ramsey, Bazaliiskii, Schulting|

Recent article from Dr. Ruairidh Macleod published in Nature!

Big congratulations to Dr. Ruairidh Macleod and all co-authors on the recent publication of their article in Nature! Title: Lethal plague outbreaks in Lake Baikal hunter-gatherers 5,500 years ago Authors: Ruairidh Macleod, Frederik V. Seersholm, Bianca De Sanctis, Angela Lieverse, Adrian Timpson, Rick Schulting, Jesper T. Stenderup, Charleen Gaunitz, Lasse Vinner, Olga Ivanovna Goriunova, Vladimir Ivanovich Bazaliiskii, Sergei V. Vasilyev, Erin Jessup, Yucheng Wang, Christopher Bronk Ramsey, Mark G. Thomas, Russell Corbett-Detig, Astrid K. N. Iversen, Andrzej W. [...]

Andrea Hiob2026-06-18T12:38:49-06:00Categories: News, Media & Public Outreach|Tags: Goriunova, Ramsey, Bazaliiskii, Schulting, Lieverse, Jessup, Macleod, Willerslev, Weber|

Drs. Alexei G. Novikov, Olga I. Goriunova and Andrzej W. Weber Tuakhane 9 monograph published!

Congratulations to Drs. Alexei Novikov, Olga Goriunova and Andrzej Weber on the recent publication of their monograph by Irkutsk State University Press! А. Г. НОВИКОВ, О. И. ГОРЮНОВА, А. В. ВЕБЕР: Могильник Туаханэ IX на побережье Байкала: неолит – бронзовый век. Иркутск: ИГУ. 2025. 320 сс. A.G. Novikov, O.I. Goriunova, A.W. Weber: The Tuakhane IX cemetery on the coast of Baikal: Neolithic – Bronze Age. Irkutsk: IGU. 2025. 320 p. SUMMARY This monograph is dedicated to culture-historical analysis [...]

Andrea Hiob2025-12-09T10:31:51-07:00Categories: News|Tags: Weber, Novikov, Goriunova|

The Tuakhane IX cemetery on the coast of Baikal: Neolithic – Bronze Age [in Russian]

This monograph is dedicated to culture-historical analysis of the mortuary assemblages documented at Tuakhane IX – one of the large and completely excavated prehistoric cemeteries of the Cis-Baikal region. Tuakhane IX is located on the cape of the same name on the northwestern coast of the Mukhor Bay of the Little Sea part of Lake Baikal. Comprehensive excavations of this necropolis were carried out in 2019–2022 by the Russian–Canadian archaeological expedition (a joint project between the Research Center [...]

Andrea Hiob2026-02-03T10:27:52-07:00Categories: Books & Monographs, Publications|Tags: Weber, Novikov, Goriunova|

BAP second monograph on EN Shamanka II cemetery is published and accessible in digital format!

Great news! Our second (condensed) monograph on the EN Shamanka II cemetery has been published and is accessible in digital format via our website Details below: Irkutsk State University 2025 Mortuary Variation at the Early Neolithic Hunter-Gatherer Cemetery Shamanka II on Lake Baikal Weber AW, Bazaliiskii VI, Jessup E (Eds.) In this version of the monograph on the Shamanka II cemetery the focus is on chronology, dietary patterns, and variation in Kitoi mortuary practices. Chapter 1 gives background [...]

Andrea Hiob2025-02-20T10:44:11-07:00Categories: News|Tags: Losey, Jessup, Weber, Bazaliiskii, Schulting|

Mortuary Variation at the Early Neolithic Hunter-Gatherer Cemetery Shamanka II on Lake Baikal

In this version of the monograph on the Shamanka II cemetery the focus is on chronology, dietary patterns, and variation in Kitoi mortuary practices. Chapter 1 gives background archaeological information relevant to the analytical chapters, reviews the history of fieldwork at Shamanka II, and presents excavation methods. Chapter 2 explores cemetery chronology, its history of use, and dietary patterns based on extensive radiocarbon and stable isotope data. Chapter 3 presents the approach to the examination of variation in [...]

Erin2025-06-03T10:09:12-06:00Categories: Books & Monographs, Publications|Tags: Jessup, Weber, Bazaliiskii, Schulting|

BAP article published in Radiocarbon!

Great News! Congratulations to BAP team members Rick Schulting, Ian Scharlotta, Angela Lieverse, Erin Jessup, Christopher Bronk Ramsey, Vladimir Bazaliiskii and Andrzej Weber on the recent publication of their article in Radiocarbon! Radiocarbon (January 2025), pp 1-13. Title: A 350 14C yr discrepancy between bone and tooth dates from the same grave at the Early Neolithic cemetery of Shamanka II, Lake Baikal, southern Siberia: reservoir effects or a misplaced mandible? Authors: Schulting RJ, Scharlotta I, Lieverse A, Jessup [...]

Andrea Hiob2025-01-22T14:11:55-07:00Categories: News|Tags: Jessup, Weber, Lieverse, Ramsey, Bazaliiskii, Schulting, Scharlotta|

A 350 14C yr discrepancy between bone and tooth dates from the same grave at the Early Neolithic cemetery of Shamanka II, Lake Baikal, southern Siberia: reservoir effects or a misplaced mandible?

A 350 14C yr discrepancy was found between dates on postcranial remains and mandibular teeth on what was thought to be the same individual from the Early Neolithic cemetery of Shamanka II, Lake Baikal. Stable nitrogen isotope results suggested a major shift in diet between childhood (when the teeth formed) and adulthood (represented by the postcrania), which could have resulted in different 14C ages through a freshwater reservoir effect. Subsequent additional dating on the mandible and postcranial elements, however, indicated [...]

Erin2025-01-20T10:33:31-07:00Categories: Journal Articles, Publications|Tags: Weber, Lieverse, Ramsey, Bazaliiskii, Schulting, Scharlotta, Jessup|

Andrzej Weber, Erin Jessup and Robert Losey present their research at BAP monthly online research seminar (BAP MORS)

Our sixth and final BAP MORS of 2024! These seminars are a great way to learn and connect with our international team on a regular basis. December 17, 2024: Andrzej Weber, Erin Jessup, Robert Losey (University of Alberta). “Huge sturgeon, furry sable, toothy animals, and beaky birds: Variation in Shamanka II grave goods, Part 3” Thank you to the gang above for presenting their interesting research!

Andrea Hiob2025-01-14T11:59:31-07:00Categories: News|Tags: Losey, Jessup, Weber|

Lauren Michelman BAP thesis published in International Journal of Osteoarchaeology!

Congratulations to Lauren Michelman, former Master's student supervised by Dr. Angela Lieverse, University of Saskatachewan, on the recent publication of her BAP thesis in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology! Title: Reading between the lines: A study of Harris lines in Middle Holocene foragers of the Cis-Baikal Authors: Michelman LM, Bazaliiskii VI, Weber AW, Lieverse AR. Abstract: With the increase in global wildfire activity in response to global climate warming, the reconstruction of long-term fire histories and their links to environmental and anthropogenic factors [...]

Andrea Hiob2024-09-05T13:37:33-06:00Categories: News|Tags: Michelman, Weber, Lieverse, Bazaliiskii|