Andreeva T.V., Zhilin M.G., Malyarchuk A.B., Engovatova A.V., Soshkina A.D., Dobrovolskaya M.V., Buzhilova A.P., Rogaev E.I.

Archaeogenomics of humans from the layer of the Upper Volga Culture revealed their greatest genetic similarity with Eastern European hunter-gatherers and ancient representatives of Mesolithic/Neolithic Europe

The genetic structure of the population of Northern Europe of the Mesolithic-Neolithic period currently remains poorly investigated due to the small number of materials available for research. For the first time, the complete genome of an individual from the multilayer Meso-Neolithic site Ivanovskoe VII, located in the Upper Volga region in Yaroslavl Oblast, was studied. According to stratigraphic data, an isolated skull of an adult male without a lower jaw was found in layer II containing ceramics of the Upper Volga Early Neolithic Culture. AMS date obtained from the scull bone. The calibrated age of the collagen sample was determined with a probability of 1σ (68 %) in the interval 6588–6498 cal.y.b. (UGAMS-67431 OxCal v4.4), wich corresponds to the Late Mesolithic. The dates of the peat containing layer II of the culture lie between 6000 and 7000 radiocarbon years ago. The main aim of the study is to elucidate the position of this individual in the context of the genomic landscape of Mesolithic and Neolithic Europe. It is shown that the genetic profile of the studied individual (DM5) fully coincides with the genetic diversity profile of the Eastern Hunter-Gatherers (EHG). Haplogroups of mitochondrial DNA (U5a2+16294) and Y-chromosome (R1b1a1) testify to its genetic connection with ancient Mesolithic populations of Europe. The DM5 sample has an additional substitution at position 54 of mtDNA in common with the most ancient samples of this mitochondrial haplogroup from the territory of Western Europe (England and France), which suggests the existence of a probable ancestor belonging to an even earlier period (Late Paleolithic), possibly on the territory of Western Europe. Specimen DM5 is clustered together with several ancient territorially and chronologically separated groups. First, with representatives of Mesolithic hunter-gatherers of northern Eastern Europe (South Oleniy Island, Karelia; Minino I and II, Vologda region; Peschanitsa, and Popovo, Arkhangelsk region). Second, DM5 is similar to Early Mesolithic materials from the Middle Volga region — the oldest representative of Mesolithic hunter-gatherers
from Sidelkino and an Eneolithic specimen from Lebyazhinka, Samara region. Third, in the cluster of individuals close to DM5 there are representatives of later groups — from the Early Neolithic Yazykovo I, Tver region, Middle Neolithic Karavaikha, Vologda region and Eneolithic layers of the Murzikhinsky II burial ground, which is located near the village of Alekseevskoye (Tatarstan) in the mouth of the Kama River. The data we obtained do not exclude that the Early Eneolithic Upper Volga Culture has local Mesolithic roots, which indicates the long-term preservation of the oldest gene pool of Europe in the central part of the Russian Plain.

Keywords: archaeogenomics, Eastern Europe, Upper Volga Culture, genome of eastern hunter-gatherers, Late Mesolithic, Early Neolithic.

Fedorchuk O.A., Chirkova A.Kh., Ladynin I.A., Berezina N.Ya.

A craniometric study of the Medieval sample from Deraheib (Northern Sudan)

The history of North Africa has been always tightly connected to events occurring in Eurasia. Human migrations in both directions are well-documented in written sources and archaeological records. To gain a comprehensive understanding of historical processes, it is essential to study the remains of individuals who inhabited this region during various time periods. A lack of cranial metric data on the Medieval population of North Africa impedes thorough investigation of the population history of the region. This paper presents a craniometric study of the sample from the Southern necropolis at Deraheib. This study contributes to filling the existing void in the understanding of the Medieval population of North Africa. According to written sources, the site was a center of gold mining, known as the city of al-Allaki, dated to the 9th to 15th centuries AD. The city attracted a diverse population seeking economic opportunities. Besides this, Al-Allaki served as an important point on the caravan route which was utilized by merchants and pilgrims traversing the Nubian Desert on their way to Jeddah. The study analyzes cranial metrics of a total of 23 individuals (14 male and 9 female) skulls recovered from the southern necropolis Deraheib sample and employs 55 linear dimensions, following Martin's/Howells craniometric protocol as well as some additional measurements. Statistical analyses were performed using the R language packages and the Multican software. Our results revealed heterogeneity of the sample in male and female parts of the sample at the intragroup level: an observation aligning with existing archaeological and historical evidence. The limited size of the sample warns against any firm conclusions regarding affinities of the Deraheib population. Our intergroup comparison has shown that the cranial sample from the Southern Necropolis of the Deraheib site displays morphological features that are more similar to neighboring Caucasoid populations rather than equatorial groups from East Africa.

Key words: biological anthropology, paleoanthropology, craniology, Africa, North Sudan, Middle Ages.

Gorbacheva A.K., Kalyuzniy E.A., Fedotova T.K.

On some methodical aspects of estimation of intergroup morphological variability in growth studies

The significance of growth activity peak in screening studies of children and adolescents as biomarker of chronobiological status of the population is the focus of present research. The broad spectrum of samples (N = 43), including different ethnoterritorial groups of Russia and former USSR, examined throughout a wide historical period of second half of 20th — beginning of 21st century, was included in the analysis. The material source was data from literature and authors’ own databases. The following indicators of growth activity peak were calculated for each group: age (in years) of the maximal velocity of growth changes of the average level of height through the adolescence, estimated by empiric rows of annual changes of mean height with further smoothing by the least squares method — separately for boys and girls; its absolute value (cm) and chronological age (years). Intragroup sexual differences of these characteristics were considered as well. The subsequent statistical analysis (Statistica 10 package was used) revealed, that intergroup distribution of age at peak height velocity was not Gaussian and gravitated towards bimodality for both sexes. Herewith the least urbanized groups (rural Abkhazians and urban Mongolians) were excluded from analysis due to the specificity of the dynamic lines of height gains. The factor analysis established autonomy of pubertal growth acceleration of male and female teenagers — the first factor describes growth activity for males, the second one — for females. The analysis of intergeneration dynamics of age at peak height velocity, on the example of Moscow boys and girls, established, that the used parameter might indicate occasional changes of quality of life of a population (for example, introduction of free school lunches during the NEP period), as well as more global changes (intensified urbanization throughout the 20th century). The results of the study suggest that the variability of the growth activity peak parameters indicate significant social/anthropogenic base of chronobiological status of the population and independent growth strategies of males and females, which allows considering it as valid and promising biomarker in population growth studies.

Keywords: anthropological variability, environmental influences, growth activity peak, chronobiological status of the population, independent growth strategies of male and female sexes.