The transitions from foraging to farming and later to pastoralism in Stone Age Eurasia (c. 11-3 thousand years before present, BP) represent some of the most dramatic lifestyle changes in human evolution. We sequenced 317 genomes of primarily Mesolithic and Neolithic individuals from across Eurasia combined with radiocarbon dates, stable isotope data, and pollen records. Genome imputation and co-analysis with previously published shotgun sequencing data resulted in >1600 complete ancient genome sequences offering fine-grained resolution into the Stone Age populations. We observe that: 1) Hunter-gatherer groups were more genetically diverse than previously known, and deeply divergent between western and eastern Eurasia. 2) We identify hitherto genetically undescribed hunter-gatherers from the Middle Don region that contributed ancestry to the later Yamnaya steppe pastoralists; 3) The genetic impact of the Neolithic transition was highly distinct, east and west of a boundary zone extending from the Black Sea to the Baltic. Large-scale shifts in genetic ancestry occurred to the west of this "Great Divide", including an almost complete replacement of hunter-gatherers in Denmark, while no substantial ancestry shifts took place during the same period to the east. This difference is also reflected in genetic relatedness within the populations, decreasing substantially in the west but not in the east where it remained high until c. 4,000 BP; 4) The second major genetic transformation around 5,000 BP happened at a much faster pace with Steppe-related ancestry reaching most parts of Europe within 1,000-years. Local Neolithic farmers admixed with incoming pastoralists in eastern, western, and southern Europe whereas Scandinavia experienced another near-complete population replacement. Similar dramatic turnover-patterns are evident in western Siberia; 5) Extensive regional differences in the ancestry components involved in these early events remain visible to this day, even within countries. Neolithic farmer ancestry is highest in southern and eastern England while Steppe-related ancestry is highest in the Celtic populations of Scotland, Wales, and Cornwall (this research has been conducted using the UK Biobank resource); 6) Shifts in diet, lifestyle and environment introduced new selection pressures involving at least 21 genomic regions. Most such variants were not universally selected across populations but were only advantageous in particular ancestral backgrounds. Contrary to previous claims, we find that selection on the FADS regions, associated with fatty acid metabolism, began before the Neolithisation of Europe. Similarly, the lactase persistence allele started increasing in frequency before the expansion of Steppe-related groups into Europe and has continued to increase up to the present. Along the genetic cline separating Mesolithic hunter-gatherers from Neolithic farmers, we find significant correlations with trait associations related to skin disorders, diet and lifestyle and mental health status, suggesting marked phenotypic differences between these groups with very different lifestyles. This work provides new insights into major transformations in recent human evolution, elucidating the complex interplay between selection and admixture that shaped patterns of genetic variation in modern populations.

No abstract

The first generalizing work on waterfowl images in Neolithic art was presented by N.N. Gurina in 1972. Based on numerous findings the author defines their chronology and distribution area, characterizes the features of images and offers reconstruction of the overall picture of the world. At the same time Ural is the easternmost distribution area of waterfowl images marked by only a few finds. Nowadays the situation presented by N.N. Gurina has changed a lot. On the territory of Ural dozens of Neolithic and Eneolithic sculptural images of waterfowls made of stone, clay, bone, horn and wood were discovered. Even more known are the engraved images of birds on ceramic vessels. Practically all those vessels belong to the Eneolithic time. According to the Ural archeologists the image of the bird appeared in different symbolic meanings: the bird was considered to be the main character in the creation of the world; it could have been demiurge, ancestor and progenitor of the genus; the bird is associated with the development of craft cult; it could reflect the calendar symbols. The assumption of N.N. Gurina that the area of distribution of waterfowl images coincides with the area of residence of the population of the Finno-Ugric language group is confirmed.

The present article describes materials from the ritual site of Shaitanskoye Ozero II, Sverdlovsk Oblast. Few excavations carried out at the site measuring less than 240 sq. m in size, yielded more than 160 bronze artifacts: utensils, weapons, rolled copper ornaments, and abundant smelting and casting waste. Apart from Seima-Turbino (celts and laminar knives) and Eurasian types (daggers with cast hilts, truncated knives with guards, fluted bracelets and rings), several metal artifacts were revealed manufactured in the style of the Samus-Kizhirovo tradition. Bronze artifacts, stone knives and scrapers, and numerous arrowheads are accompanied by ceramics of the Koptyaki type. Metals use mainly a copper-tin alloy. This assemblage is shown to be relevant to the local tradition of metalworking, which, in this particular region, was comparatively ancient having been left uninterrupted by the rapid migrations of the Seima-Turbino people. In addition, the assemblage indicates the sources from which post-Seima artifacts reached the Alakul people. These artifacts may also have been linked with a large metalworking center located in the Middle Urals. RESUMEN

Главный редактор член-корреспондент АН РТ, доктор исторических наук А.Г. Ситдиков Заместители главного редактора: член-корреспондент АН РТ, доктор исторических наук Ф.Ш. Хузин доктор исторических наук Ю.А. Зеленеев Ответственный секретарь-кандидат ветеринарных наук Г.Ш. Асылгараева Редакционный совет: Р.С. Хакимов-вице-президент АН РТ (Казань, Россия) (председатель) Х.А. Амирханов-член-корреспондент РАН, доктор исторических наук, профессор (Москва, Россия) И. Бальдауф-доктор наук, профессор (Берлин, Германия) С.Г. Бочаров-кандидат исторических наук (Казань, Россия) П. Георгиев-доктор наук, доцент (Шумен, Болгария) Е.П. Казаков-доктор исторических наук (Казань, Россия) Н.Н. Крадин-член-корреспондент РАН, доктор исторических наук, профессор (Владивосток, Россия) А. Тюрк-PhD (Будапешт, Венгрия) И. Фодор-доктор исторических наук, профессор (Будапешт, Венгрия) В.Л. Янин-академик РАН, доктор исторических наук профессор (Москва, Россия) Редакционная коллегия: А.А. Выборнов-доктор исторических наук, профессор (Самара, Россия) М.Ш. Галимова-кандидат исторических наук (Казань, Россия) Р.Д. Голдина-доктор исторических наук, профессор (Ижевск, Россия) И.Л. Измайлов-доктор исторических наук (Казань, Россия) С.В. Кузьминых-кандидат исторических наук (Москва, Россия) А.Е. Леонтьев-доктор исторических наук (Москва, Россия) Т.Б. Никитина-доктор исторических наук (Йошкар-Ола, Россия) Ответственные за выпуск: Ю.А. Зеленеевдоктор исторических наук (Йошкар-Ола, Россия) Т.Б. Никитина-доктор исторических наук (Йошкар-Ола, Россия)