Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


Print Feedback Export to File
6626288 
Journal Article 
Stable isotope analyses of mammal skeletal remains of Holocene age from European Russia: A way to trace dietary and environmental changes 
Iacumin, P; Nikolaev, V; Genoni, L; Ramigni, M; Ryskov, YG; Longinelli, A 
2004 
Yes 
Geobios
ISSN: 0016-6995 
Elsevier Masson SAS 
37 
1 
37-47 
English; French 
WOS:000189262500004 
Fifty-five samples of human and animal fossil skeletal remains (sheep, cattle, horse and deer) collected at six different sites in European Russia were measured for the oxygen isotopic composition of bone phosphate (δ18Op) and for the carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopic composition of bone collagen. The age of these samples ranges from 10 500 to 200 BP covering a time period of about 10 000 years. The samples come from the steppe area of southern European Russia, from the northern Black Sea coast and from an area near Moscow. From the results obtained it can be suggested that the steppe tribes were nomads, at least after 4000 BP, and that they probably moved from east to west and vice-versa (i.e. from the Volga area to the Black Sea coast). C4 plants were present in the steppe area since 5000 BP. On the contrary, in the area near Moscow and on the Black Sea coast no C4 species are documented at least until 5000 and 6000 BP respectively. Arid environmental conditions dominate the steppe area even though the N isotope values suggest a climatic improvement-taking place from 5000 BP towards present in terms of more humid conditions. As regards diet, it seems that the subsistence of the steppe populations was based mainly on terrestrial food and in particular on sheep with a minor contribution of fish. The populations from the Moscow area probably had a permanent economy mainly based on fishing. © 2003 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved. 
European Russia; Holocene; palaeoenvironmental and palaeodietary reconstruction; stable isotopes; human skeletal remains