Echoes of the Steppes in Zooarchaeological Materials of Medieval Tver (Russia)

Abstract

Zooarchaeological data that may indicate the penetration of steppe landscapes into the territory of the present Tver region in the Middle Ages are presented in the article. The reasons for the penetration are analyzed using zooarchaeological, chronicle and faunistic studies. It was established that a number of forest steppe and steppe species penetrated into the territory of the present Tver region in the XIV–XV centuries. This penetration was caused, on the one hand, bу climate changes (transgression of the steppes to the north), and, on the other hand, by human activities (expansion of agricultural lands).

Keywords

• zooarchaeology
• steppe
• forest steppe
• tver
• climate
• transgression