For the first time, we report data from isotopic study concerning lifetime mobility of the Early Iron Age inhabitants of the Minusinsk Basin, Southern Siberia. Using the mass-spectrometry method, we analysed the 87Sr/86Sr ratio in 22 samples of permanent teeth enamel from six burial sites of the Tagar and Tes’ archeological cultures (Tagarski Ostrov, Bainovsky and Podgornovsky stages; Beya 1, Podgornovsky stage; Samokhval, Kyzyl-Kul, Saragashensky stage; Arshanovo 30, early Tes’ Culture tomb; Podsukhanikha, Tes’ Culture ground graves). Analysis of the samples of nomadic or semi-nomadic population allows obtaining an average value reflecting human seasonal mobility around a vast area during the first ten years of individuals’ life. The ethnographic data suggests stable patterns of seasonal routes. All studied sites are located close to each other, with a maximum distance of 100 kilometers. Yet, the analysis demonstrates a variety of isotopic signals. The lowest 87Sr/86Sr values were found in samples from the Tagarsky Ostrov, Samokhval and Podsukhanikha burials (0.708311–0.708873), reflecting cattle and sheep grazing on loess soils widely present in the coastal zone of the Yenisei River. Different values were received for the samples from burial sites of Beya 1 (0.709002–0.709187) and Kyzyl-Kul (0.709117–0.709193), and the highest values were found in materials of the Arshanovo 30 mound (0,709284–0,70946). In the context of pilot study, it cannot be ruled out that people with elevated isotope signals could represent firstgeneration migrants.

Keywords: Southern Siberia, Tagar Сulture, Tes’ Сulture, strontium isotopes, human dental enamel.

 

Funding. The study was carried out with the support of the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 25-18-00424, https://rscf.ru/project/25-18-00424 “Migrations in the Central Asian region at the end of the 1st millennium BC — the first half of the AD according to comprehensive bioarchaeological study”.

 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Accepted: 02.10.2025

Article is published: 15.12.2025