Syrovatko A.S., Andreeva T.V., Kunizheva S.S., Soshkina A.D., Malyarchuk A.B., Adrianova I.Yu., Guseva V.P., Slepchenko S.M., Rogaev E.I.

Individual from the kurgan burial of the XII century in the Middle Oka — experience of complex archaeological and genetic research

For the first time, this paper presents a complex study of the burial of the ancient Russian woman from the classic “Vyatich” mound from the Kremenyie burial site (Moscow region). The mounds and synchronized ground cremation burials are combined at this unique 12th-century burial site. The aim of this research is to examine the historical details of the person from the mound using conventional archaeological, anthropological, and archaeoparasitology methodologies along with modern paleogenetics methods. The burial site is characterized by a general “archaic” rite, manifested in the late preservation of the cremation rite along with the burial. According to anthropological data, an elderly woman, over forty, was buried there. She was identified as a member of the local population by radiogenic strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) study. Rich grave content and the fact that the body was buried in the middle of the mound indicate the woman's high social standing in the community. According to archaeoparasitological data, the eating habits of the woman appear to be characterized by the consumption of uncooked or insufficiently thermally prepared freshwater fish. The complete mtDNA sequence reconstruction indicates that it belongs to haplogroup V1a1, one of the Western Eurasian haplogroup V branches. To date, this represents the first case of the V1a1 mitogroup being found in the Russian Plain during ancient times. A representative of the Danish Viking clan from the Oxford burial site of the XI century was the closest of the ancient samples to the mtDNA of the studied woman, which indicates a genetic relationship on the maternal lineage with the medieval Northwestern European population. Single nucleotide substitution A7299G in the mitogenome of the woman clusters her with present-day Russians from the Belgorod and Pskov regions and shows the continuity of the modern Russian population with the Ancient Russians. Thus, the results of our study demonstrate the private details of the individual as common historical features, which include the ceremonial side of burial and belonging to the maternal genetic lineage preserved in the modern gene pool of the Russian population.

Keywords: Kremenye, palaeogenetics, аrchaeoparasitology, mitochondrial genome, phylogenetic analysis, “Vyatich” mound, V1a1 mtDNA haplogroup, palaeogelminthes.

Kolyasnikova A.S.

Sex and age distribution of the Hyperostosis frontalis interna (based on skulls analysis of traditional societies in Eurasia)

Hyperostosis frontalis interna is an overgrowth on the inner surface of the frontal bone [Hershkovitz et al., 1999]. HFI is accompanied by hormonal and metabolic disorders usually [Hershkovitz et al., 1999]. The rate of HFI in historical groups is low (1–4 %) compared to the modern population, where the incidence of HFI can reach 70 % [Kolyasnikova, Buzhilova, 2023; Barber et al., 1997]. In the modern population, HFI is more common for women, predominantly elderly, which, at first glance, is explained by the general increase in women's life expectancy and the accumulation of various chronic pathologies in old age, including those related to metabolism. To examine the distribution of the HFI trait by sex and age, craniological material from representatives of traditional societies of farmers, hunters, nomadic and seminomadic pastoralists living in different climatic zones was studied. Craniological series were divided into three main groups: inhabitants of the Arctic and subarctic, temperate and continental climatic zones. A total of 1912 skulls were studied from the funds of the Research Institute and the Museum of Anthropology of Moscow State University [Alexeeva et al., 1986]. As a result, using the example of 4 traditional groups from three climatic zones, it was shown that the sign of frontal internal hyperostosis is equally pronounced in both women and men, regardless of ethnic origin, place of residence and type of activity. The age-related increase in the frequency of hyperostosis, taking into account gender, does not give a clear trend in all groups obtained from the analysis of combined samples, which can be explained by the relatively small number of HFI observations in individual subgroups. The pattern of distribution of the trait of frontal internal hyperostosis in the modern population, where the trait is more common in older women, does not correlate with the distribution of HFI in the population adapted to environmental conditions. The results obtained suggest that in traditional societies that have been selected for factors of conditions and lifestyle, regardless of their origin, the distribution of the trait of frontal internal hyperostosis will demonstrate a natural profile that is most adequate to their lifestyle and diet.

Keywords: Hyperostosis frontalis interna, HFI, sex and age variability, adaptation, palaeopathology, metabolic diseases.

Movsesian A.A.

Variations in the anatomical structure of the pterion among populations from various global regions

Anatomical variations in the structure of the pterion were examined in various craniological series representing modern populations from Australia, Melanesia, Southeast Asia, North Asia, America, and Europe, encompassing 2035 adult crania. The comparison of populations based on the frequency of nonmetric traits revealed significant diversity across regions. Notably, the sphenoparietal connection is most frequent in European and South Asian populations, as well as among Native Americans, while it is least common among African groups. The frontotemporal connection predominates among Australian Aborigines and Melanesians and is also common in African populations but is almost non-existent in Europeans. The X-shaped pterion is most frequently observed in the Eskimos of Chukotka and the Chukchi, as well as among Somali and Tanzanian populations. A high frequency of epipteric bones is particularly characteristic of Southern Indians, Burmese, Australians, and Melanesians. Pairwise comparisons of populations were conducted using Smith's Mean Measure of Divergence (MMD). To visualize the data from individual regions, the method of Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) was applied to the matrices of biological distances. The MDS plot for the North Asian region revealed distinct clusters of the Arctic, Baikal, Central Asian, and Ural groups, aligning with G.F. Debetz's classification based on morphological similarities among populations. In the MDS plot for the South and Southeast Asian, American, and African populations, Australians and Melanesians formed a separate cluster; Pueblo Indians were closely aligned with Peruvians, South Indians with Burmese, Malays merged with Papuans, and African populations were positioned relatively close to each other. In Europe, Caucasian groups formed a distinct cluster. On the combined graph, the populations were clearly divided by regions. The results obtained indicate that the spatial arrangement of populations on the graphs approximately mirrors their genetic connections and shared origins. This suggests that nonmetric variations in the pterion area are more likely determined by genetic rather than ecological factors and can be considered taxonomically valuable traits at the regional level. Investigating the structure of the pterion in an evolutionary context may shed light on broader questions concerning the evolution of the skull and the mechanisms influencing its formation.

Keywords: craniology, non-metric traits, pterion structure, multidimensional scaling, mean measure of divergence.