Geo&Bio (Dec 2020)
Valentyna Bibikova (Zubareva) and her role in the development of archaeozoology
Abstract
The stusy is devoted to the biography and scientific heritage of the outstanding scholar — archaeozoologist Valentyna Bibikova (Zubareva) (1913–1993). She was born on 1 July 1913 in Halturyne village of Viatka district (now Orlov town) of Russia. Her parents, Ivan Zubarev (1884–1921) and Maria Zubareva (1884–1954), were teachers. During 1932–1936, Valentyna Zubareva studied in the Faculty of Biology of Lomonosov State University of Moscow. Her scientific advisor was archaeozoologist Veniamin Tsalkin (1903–1970). After graduating from the university in 1937, Valentyna Zubareva was directed to Kyiv to work in the Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Sciences of the UkrSSR (now Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology). Almost all her professional activity was connected with the work in the Institute of Zoology and in the National Museum of Natural History. Her interest was focused on the neolithization process, animal domestication, and climatic reconstructions. The most important records of Valentyna Bibikova were the discovery of two new species of birds of the Pliocene, the description of differences between postcranial bones of the bison (Bison bonasus) and wild ox (Bos primigenius), the interpretation of “Mizyn type” Paleolithic decoration and the discovery of lion bones from eneolithic archaeological sites of Ukraine. She worked with materials from a number of important archaeological sites such as Myrne, Ihren-8, Anetivka II, Tovsta Mohyla, Laspi-7, and others. Based on the result of these studies, Valentyna Bibikova made a reconstruction of the steppe and forest steppe zones in the early Holocene of Ukraine. She also refined the distribution range of the wild ox (Bos primigenius), saiga (Saiga tatarica), wild horse (Equus ferus) and wild boar (Sus scrofa). She paid attention to the different kinds of manufacturing traces and taphonomy features of bones. The results of this investigation allowed making palaeoeconomic reconstructions. As a museologist, she actively participated in the creation of the exhibition of the paleontological department of the Natural Museum of Natural History. The work with the archaeozoological material helped to enrich the museum’s collection with osteological material from important archaeological sites. Most of the ideas of Valentyna Bibikova remains important in current studies.
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