Cranial characteristics of the Cis-Olkhon Bronze Age male population (preliminary analysis results)

The article discusses the origins and differentiation of the Cis-Baikal populations based on new cranial materials from the Early Bronze Age burials in the Cis-Olkhon area, exami­ned in the broader context of Neolithic and Early Bronze Age populations of Northern Asia. The material consists of eight male skulls from burials at Tuakhane IX and Kurma XI, studied using a conventional cranial metric protocol. Statistical analysis including Mahalanobis distance estimation and canonical variate analysis was performed in Statistica 10. Results suggest that the male series is characterized by relatively large dimensions of the mesocranial neurocranium, a medium-broad, medium-high mesognathic face, noticeably flattened in horizontal projection, and weak nasal protrusion. While the Cis-Olkhon sample shares its facial characteristics with the Early Neolithic populations of the Upper Lena, its neurocranial features are similar to those of the Early Bronze Age groups from Selenga and Upper Lena River. Statistical analysis reveals that the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age populations of the Cis-Baikal region differ in origin. Morphological features of several Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age groups of the Upper Lena, as well as most Early Bronze Age popu­- lations of the Selenga region share morphological affinities with the Far Eastern groups associated with the Boisman culture of Primorye. While there is a certain degree of population discontinuity bet­ween these groups and the Early Neolithic populations of the Cis-Baikal, other groups from the Upper Lena and Cis-Olkhon areas, on the contrary, demonstrate close affinities with the Late and Early Neolithic populations of the region as well as some Neolithic populations of Western Siberia

Age groups · Bronze · Bronze Age · Crania · Population · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology