Oriental Studies (Dec 2022)
Age-Sex Structure of the Catacomb Population from the Sarpa Lowland: Materials of Kalmykia’s Archaeological Excavations Analyzed
Abstract
Introduction. The article introduces anthropological materials instrumental in tracing processes inherent to Middle Bronze Age Kalmykia’s population referred to as Catacomb culture. Goals. The work attempts an analysis of the age-sex structure in the Catacomb population to have inhabited the Sarpa Lowland. Materials and methods. The age-sex characteristics of the buried individuals have been identified via a comprehensive anthropological program involving traditional anthropology research techniques, documentation of stress markers revealed and physiological properties of skeletons, injuries and traumas. The study examines human skeletal remains from Catacomb burials nowadays primarily stored at the Osteological Materials Repository of Kalmyk Scientific Center (RAS). Data on missing anthropological materials have been reconstructed with the aid of photographs contained in corresponding field reports. Results. The undertaken research efforts aim at characterizing the archaeological sites to have yielded the anthropological materials; outlining age-sex properties of the buried individuals; identifying and describing some pathologies, physiological stress markers and traumas; comparing the paleopopulation to that of Middle Bronze Age Dagestan (neighboring region) for similarities and differences on certain demographic parameters. The insights into the newly introduced materials make it possible to trace processes of population formation across the Volga-Manych steppe in the Middle Bronze Age. The study is the first to use anthropological materials from Kalmykia’s excavations stored at Kalmyk Scientific Center (RAS) as object of paleodemographic research, and introduces new data into scientific discourse.
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