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«BULLETIN OF THE IRKUTSK STATE UNIVERSITY. GEOARCHAEOLOGY, ETHNOLOGY, AND ANTHROPOLOGY SERIES»
ISSN 2227-2380 (Print)

List of issues > «Geoarchaeology, Ethnology, and Anthropology Series». 2022. Vol 39

Bioarchaeological Analysis of Human Remains from the Destroyed Early Neolithic Cemetery of Moty – Novaia Shamanka (Cis-Baikal)

Full text (english)
Author(s)
R. L. Bourgeois, A. W. Weber, V. I. Bazaliiskii, H. G. McKenzie, A. R. Lieverse
Abstract
Moty – Novaia Shamanka (MNS) is an Early Neolithic (7560–6660 HPD cal BP) destroyed Kitoi cemetery, located on the lower Irkut River in Siberia. In 2014–2015, small rescue excavations were conducted by archaeologists from Irkutsk State University. MNS dates to the period between the two phases of use identified at the nearby Shamanka II Kitoi cemetery (Southwest Baikal). This paper presents the results of a bioarchaeological study of the human skeletal remains from MNS and discusses these findings in relation to hunter-gatherer life-history at this site and in the Cis-Baikal region. The human skeletal materials from MNS show life history markers, including isotopic signatures, consistent with the other Early Neolithic Kitoi samples. However, one individual shows anomalous isotopic signatures similar to those found, to date, only in one other Kitoi burial. Lastly and surprisingly, radiocarbon dating identified one Early Bronze Age individual (4970–3470 cal BP).
About the Authors

Bourgeois Rebecca L., Ph.D. Student, Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta; 13-15 Tory Building, University of Alberta Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H4, e-mail: rbourgeo@ualberta.ca

Weber Andrzej W., Ph.D., Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta; 14-20 Tory Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H4, Scientific Research Centre “Baikal Region”, Irkutsk State University; 1, K. Marx st., Irkutsk, 664003, Russian Federation, e-mail: andrzej.weber@ualberta.ca

Bazaliiskii Vladimir I., Researcher, Scientific Research Centre “Baikal Region”, Irkutsk State University; 1, K. Marx st., Irkutsk, 664003, Russian Federation, e-mail: bazalirk@yandex.ru

McKenzie Hugh G., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Economics and Political Science, MacEwan University; 7-367D, City Centre Campus, 10700-104 Avenue, Edmonton, AB, T5H 0S5, e-mail: mckenzieh2@macewan.ca

Lieverse Angela R., Ph.D., Professor, Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Saskatchewan; 55, Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B1, e-mail: angela.lieverse@usask.ca

For citation
Bourgeois R. L., Weber A. W., Bazaliiskii V. I., McKenzie H. G., Lieverse A. R. Bioarchaeological Analysis of Human Remains from the Destroyed Early Neolithic Cemetery of Moty – Novaia Shamanka (Cis-Baikal). Bulletin of the Irkutsk State University. Geoarchaeology, Ethnology, and Anthropology Series. 2022, Vol. 39, pp. 14–32. https://doi.org/10.26516/2227-2380.2022.39.14
Keywords
Cis-Baikal, Early Neolithic, Kitoi culture, human skeletal remains, paleopathology, nonmetric traits, radiocarbon chronology, stable isotopes.
UDC
903.5(571.53)"6343"
DOI
https://doi.org/10.26516/2227-2380.2022.39.14
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