No abstract

No abstract

A small sample of paleoanthropological materials from the burial grounds Buchta Nakhodka 2 and Yumadoto 1 in the Yamal Peninsula (Yamal district of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug of Tyumen Region) has been studied in order to specify the nature of intra-group and inter-population variability. The morphological features of the skulls indicate their belonging to the eastern Mongoloid anthropological formation, but in terms of the nasal bridge structure, they at the same time tend to the western Caucasoid population. According to the results of multidimensional statistics, despite a high individual variability typical of the modern species of Homo sapiens, the range of variability observed in the materials from the burial grounds Buchta Nakhodka 2 and Yumadoto 1 is not beyond the scope of the inter-group variability typical of the Northern Samodians. A more representative sample of this ethnic group has been formed on this basis, which is taxonomically included in the Yamalo-Enisey group of populations of the West Siberian anthropological formation.Authors' contribution: A.N. Bagashev and S.M. Slepchenko have made measurements of skulls, analyzed the obtained data and have written the paper; O.V. Kardash has carried out archaeological excavations of the burial ground Bukhta Nakhodka 2 and has co-written the paper.

An osteological collection of dogs from an aboriginal population settlement (Nadym Gorodok) in Western Siberia is described in this work. There were numerous bones (more than 1600) well preserved in the permafrost cultural layer, including almost complete skeletons of dogs of various ages. Craniological characteristics and reconstructions of the size and functions of the aboriginal dog were studied. The analysis of the finds showed that there was a large number of dogs in Nadym Gorodok in the 14–18th centuries AD. Dogs were bred on site in the settlement. During the 4 centuries, middle‐size dogs of the same build were kept in Nadym Gorodok. In size and general skull shape, the dogs were similar to the modern laika breed. The dogs were used mainly for hunting. During a hunt, dogs stalked prey and pulled sledges as a draft animal. There were no herding dogs.

This study addresses the occurrence of damage to the anatomical structure (frost rings, light rings, and fluctuations of the wood density) and missing tree rings in wood samples from Fort Nadym—a medieval fort in the subarctic zone of Western Siberia. The chronology of extreme climatic events was reconstructed for the 1170–1505 period. We used multiple criteria such as severity of events; coincidence of structural pathologies and missing annual rings across all species; coincidence of structural anomalies with missing rings in specifi c years and years of minimum growth in chronologies. These criteria have allowed us to identify eight signifi cant climatic events for the study area. The comparison of information on those events with that relating to other regions has shown that the 1259 event, evidenced by various sources, was likely global. Two other events, 1342 and 1466, are registered in northwestern Siberia and North America, and are therefore inter-regional. The 1347 and 1440 events concerned only northwestern Siberia. These years coincide with those of documented volcanic eruptions, peaks of acidity and aerosol development in polar ice cores, as well as the historical accounts of severe cold, crop failure, etc. All these events had a strong impact on socio-economic processes in Western Siberia.