Articles

Introduction. We analyzed the distribution of caries, linear enamel hypoplasia, dental trauma and ante-mortem tooth loss in groups of different age and sex from one of the largest Mesolithic necropolises in North-West Europe – the Yuzhny Oleniy Ostrov cemetery. The main objectives of the study were: reconstruction of the model of socioeconomic differentiation based on paleodietary markers characterizing the level of nutritional stress in the population; testing the previously put forward hypothesis based on archaeological materials suggesting the complex structure of the society, which left the burial ground and the differences in position of individuals related to a particular age and sex groups they belong; assessing the extent to which the climate crisis of 8200 BP affected the level of biological stress of the Mesolithic population.

Materials and methods. All adult males and females in the series were divided into four age cohorts: juvenilis, adultus, maturus, senilis. For each sex and for each age group within it, dental pathologies frequencies were calculated and the differences were tested for reliability using the Pearson χ2 criterion with Yates's correction.

Results and discussion. The results of the analysis showed the absence of significant differences between males and females based on frequencies of caries, linear enamel hypoplasia, dental calculus and ante-mortem trauma. This indicates that the life support system of the people from Yuzhny Oleniy Ostrov was egalitarian in nature, which did not imply food discrimination of the adults based on sex. The absence of significant differences between different age categories for most of pathologies, with the exception of enamel fractures, also showed that their strategy for providing the necessary food resources was highly adaptive and allowed them to maintain the same level of stress throughout the lives of at least three generations of people buried in the cemetery. This is confirmed by the very low frequency of enamel hypoplasia observed in the series despite serious climatic fluctuations.

Conclusions. In general, the intra-group distribution of the dental pathologies frequencies corresponds to an equal access to food resources for any member of the community and the absence of the economical differentiation based on sex or age.

Acknowledgements. The work was carried out within the framework research and development plan of the MAE RAS "Centers of ethno- and cultural genesis and contact zones in Eurasia and America at the end of the Pleistocene and Holocene (according to physical anthropology, archeology and ethnology)"

Introduction. The study presents an osteometric analysis of the postcranial skeleton from the Medieval population of Deraheib (Sudan, 9th-11th centuries CE), identified with the gold-mining and trading center of Al-Allaqi. The research aims to integrate morphological characteristics of the series into existing datasets and contextualize Deraheib's population against earlier and contemporaneous groups from North/South Africa and Southern Europe.

Materials and methods. The study examined skeletal remains of 23 adults (14 males, 9 females) from Muslim burials at the Southern Necropolis. A standard osteometric protocol (74 measurements) focused on limb proportions. Comparative analysis included 15 series from North/South Africa and Southern Europe using multivariate statistics (canonical discriminant analysis, decision trees).

Results and discussion. The Deraheib series occupies an intermediate morphological position among Northeast African groups. Lower limb proportions show affinities with Egyptian series and one Lower Nubian group (Sayala), featuring relatively elongated tibiae. Upper limb characteristics align with Upper Nubian (Kerma) and Egyptian (Deir el-Banat) groups, displaying developed distal segments. Females particularly resemble the Sayala series in maximal tibiofemoral indices. Multivariate analysis indicates closest similarity with Deir el-Banat.

Conclusion. The research reveals complex biological diversity in the region, demonstrating both geographical patterning (distinct Nubian, Sudanese, Egyptian clusters) and population-specific traits. Observed morphological variation likely resulted from local ecological adaptation, ethnic cultural practices, and intensive migration at this trade route crossroads.

Funding. This work was done with the support of MSU Program of Development, Project No 23-SCH02-22 (agreement number 004179) NOSH MSU Preservation of world cultural and historical heritage “History, anthropology and ethnology of Northeast Africa in the context of environmental changes over the last 13 thousand years (experience of interdisciplinary research)”.

Acknowledgements. The authors would like to express their gratitude to the director of the Research Institute and the Museum of Anthropology of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Dr. A.P. Buzhilova, as well as to the Paleoethnology Research Center, and personally to the deputy director for science of the Paleoethnology Research Center, Ph.D. D.V. Pezhemsky for their help in organizing the expedition and for valuable recommendations and comments.

Introduction. This study characterizes a set of facial morphological traits in the indigenous Russian population of the Volga-Oka region to identify anthropological distinctiveness and reveal traces of Slavic-Finnic interaction. Based on the studies of the autosomal and Y-chromosomal gene pools, we hypothesize to reveal traces of Pre-Slavic population in anthropological appearance Russians of Volga-Oka region.

Materials and Methods. A cephaloscopic analysis of 146 anthropological photographs of males of Kadomsky, Kasimovsky, Shilovsky districts of Ryazan Oblast was conducted; for comparative analysis, anthropological data on the Erzya and Moksha populations of Mordovia were also included. For all individuals, ethnicity was traced to a depth of three generations (both paternal and maternal lines). Fourteen descriptive traits were evaluated. The analysis employed statistical methods (Kruskal-Wallis, χ²; distance analysis) and the generalized portrait method.

Results and discussion. Generalized anthropological portraits of the Russians from the northeastern part of Ryazan Oblast were created for the first time, and frequencies and mean scores of several descriptive facial morphological traits were analyzed. Differences were revealed among the Russian populations of the three districts of Ryazan Oblast. Against the background of other districts, the Russian population of Kasimovsky district stands out (visually characterized by overall gracility, stronger facial profiling, a higher nasal bridge, etc.). A hypothesis is proposed that their distinctiveness arises from a greater manifestation of traces of pre-Slavic populations (Meshchera, Muroma tribes) in their facial morphology.

Conclusion. The anthropological distinctiveness of the Russians in Kasimovsky district may indicate the preservation of a pre-Slavic substrate. The identified anthropological uniqueness of the Russian population of the Volga-Oka region confirms the need for further study of Slavic-Finnic interaction.

Funding. The study has been supported by the Russian Science Foundation (RSF), project No. 25-28-01594.

Introduction. The accumulation of regional data on the expression of secular trends in growth contributes to a better understanding of this phenomenon. The present study focuses on the height of the population of Perm, a large industrial, administrative, and cultural center in the Urals. This work aimed to systematize data on changes in height and growth processes in children and young adults of Perm from 1878 to 2024.

Materials and methods. The analysis includes data on the height of school-age children collected by different authors during 8 cross-sectional surveys, conducted between 1884 and 2024. Data for 2018 and 2024 were collected by the authors. Additionally, we used data on the height of young (20-25 years old) adults from 1878 to 2003.

We examined the differences in height between coevals in different datasets and tracked the manifestations of growth spurt in these datasets. The annual increase in height was estimated from differences in height between successive age groups within and between datasets.

Results and Discussion. In the period from 1963 to 1981, children aged 8, 11, 14, and 16 years had the highest average annual rate of height increment. In 1993 and 2018, a decreasing trend was observed in this rate. This growth deceleration also manifested in the smaller height increase of women born in 1984-86 as compared to those born earlier.

The prepubertal growth spurt is only noticeable in the 1878 dataset in boys 10-11 and girls 10 years old. Apparently, the biological age of “first childhood” occurred later in the 19th century than it is today. The pubertal peak of height gain in 1963-2018 varied in boys at 13-14 and in girls at 11-13 years of age, but in 1878 it was shown later in girls at the age of 14.

Conclusion. In the period from 1963 to 1981, children aged 8, 11, 14, and 16 years had the highest average annual rate of height increment. In 1993 and 2018, a decreasing trend was observed in this rate. This growth deceleration also manifested in the smaller height of women born in 1984-86 as compared to those born earlier.

Acknowledgements. The study was conducted under the state assignment of Lomonosov Moscow State University (Kozlov A.I., Vershubskaya G.G.), within the framework of the Basic Research Program at HSE University, and the State assignment of Research Center for Medical Genetics.

Introduction. Scientific and medical communities are looking for various markers indicating the individual risk of gaining excess body fat due to the high prevalence of excess body weight. One of such markers is presumably the ratio of leg length to body height (leg-to-height ratio). There is evidence that leg length reflects the influence of environmental factors on the development of individuals. Due to conflicting data on the relationship between the leg-to-height ratio and percentage body fat, the aim of this work is to study the associations of leg length and fat deposition indicators using a sample of Chuvash people from the villages of the Yadrinsky District of the Chuvashia Republic as an example.

Materials and methods. The work analyzes the materials of an anthropometric survey of 226 Chuvash people - residents of the villages of the Yadrinsky District of Chuvashia (113 men and 113 women) aged 21-85 years. Standard anthropometric indicators were measured, and lengths of the leg, thigh and shin, percentage body fat and leg-to-height ratio were calculated. Pearson correlation coefficients between the studied features and indices were also calculated.

Results and discussion. In the male and female groups, the proportion of body fat mass is much more closely related to waist circumference (r = 0.80 for men and r = 0.90 for women) than to leg-to-height ratio (r = 0.04 for men and r = 0.05 for women). Sexual dimorphism in the relationship between the lengths of lower limb segments and the proportion of body fat mass was found. Leg length in the male group is related to the proportion of body fat mass by the coefficient r = -0.30 (in women r = -0.09). In our work, we examined a group of individuals homogeneous in ethno-territorial affiliation, but we do not have data on the economic well-being of the subjects and the factors influencing their pre- and postnatal development.

Conclusion. The negative relationship between leg-to-height ratio and percentage body fat found by other authors was not confirmed in our study. However, in men, a moderate negative association was found between the proportion of body fat and leg length and leg segment lengths.

Acknowledgements. The study was conducted under the state assignment of Lomonosov Moscow State University. The materials "Database on morphological features in the adult Chuvash population of the Yadrinsky district of Chuvashia (group 102)" were transferred to the author by Doctor of Biology V.A. Batsevich in 2023 to carry out this study. Currently, these materials are part of the archival fund of Dr. V.A. Batsevich. The author expresses his deep gratitude to the Doctor of Historical Sciences, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences A.P. Buzhilova for the idea of the study, valuable comments and editing of the text of the manual.

Introduction. Time dynamics of sex somatic dimorphism through the youth period is discussed as the marker of secular trends.

Material and methods. The study embraces historic period from 1920^s till now. The main source of data – books on physical development of children and adolescents from cities and rural regions of Russia and the USSR. One-year age groups of 17-year-old young people are under discussion. The quantitative estimation of sex somatic dimorphism value was held using Kullback divergence, an analogue of Makhalanobis distance. The estimation of the vector and level of associations of sex dimorphism of anthropometric traits and secular factor was held using correlation analysis. The analysis of local patterns of secular sex dimorphism dynamics of separate dimensions was held using samples of Moscow youth, as well as Novosibirsk, Leningrad and Ekaterinburg youth through several decades.

Results. Meta-analysis based on the total data base fix significant secular increase of sex dimorphism of weight. The local Moscow sample shows the increase of sex dimorphism of height through the historic interval 1920^s–1970^s, and further stabilization up to 2018 at the level of 2 standard deviations. Ekaterinburg sample shows a decrease of height-weight sex dimorphism through the historic interval 1971–2019. Novosibirsk sample shows an increase of height-weight sex dimorphism through the time interval 1958–1989, the most intensive dynamics takes place in the 1970^s.

Discussion. Sex somatic dimorphism through the youth period is a valid marker of secular somatic dynamics and has local specificity. Summarizing of local trends may smooth this specificity, which is fixed in meta-analysis. Sex dimorphism of weight increase in time apart with the increase of the level of anthropogenic stress and global obesity epidemic, which reflects the evolutionary-based sexual difference sensitivity of adipose tissue to the influence of «obesogenic» factors of environment. Comparison of the secular dynamics of the levels of sex dimorphism through the range of consequent periods of ascending ontogeny witness, that significant markers of secular trends and quality of environment as a whole are sex dimorphism values in the periods of the most revolutionary, thus most ecosensitive, morpho-functional processes in the organism – infant and adolescent.

Conclusion. The significance of the sex somatic dimorphism as the criterion of secular dynamics for the 17-year-old young people is confirmed. Local differences in the ecological niche of the population, among them the degree of urbanization and the historic period of study, contribute to the intensity and vector of the secular sex dimorphism dynamics. Secular macrosomization of one sex compared to the other is not the exclusive prerogative of the male sex. Quantitative sex dimorphism level is the informative instrument of population monitoring of growth processes and the indicator of the quality of the ecological niche of the population.

Acknowledgements. The study was conducted under the state assignment of Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Introduction. The purpose of the study is to characterize and to compare the indicators of morphofunctional characteristics in groups of adult population of the Republic of Mongolia in various ecological zones.

Materials and methods. The material for this study was collected in the extensive survey of the adult Mongolian population (1941 individuals; 1047 males, 894 females) born and permanently residing in Ulaanbaatar and various ecological zones of rural regions of the country. In accordance with the objectives of the study, total body dimensions, as well as functional parameters (including the hand grip strength, respiratory and hemodynamic systems’ characteristics) were analyzed.

Results and discussion. Similarly, as it was recorded earlier for children, the maximum average values of total body dimensions were noted for individuals of both sexes living in the city and the mountain taiga zone, the minimum - for residents of the steppes. The statistical reliability of the differences obtained, however, was confirmed only in the male groups, which does not contradict the results of other studies. Intergroup differences in the values of functional indicators clearly manifest themselves for the grip strength of both hands in men: representatives of the steppe zone have the maximum values of the grip strength of the right hand compared to the residents of other areas. In the groups of women, urban dwellers have significantly lower values blood pressure (compared to the residents of steppe regions with maximum values of the indicator). It may be interpreted as a conclusion that high–altitude hypoxia does not have a decisive effect on blood pressure, or as a reflection of some specific adaptation patterns of the surveyed population.

Conclusion. In case of male groups, morphological characteristics turned out to be the least tolerant to climatic influences; in the case of female groups, greater stability of somatic status was revealed with a slight shift in blood pressure. The results obtained may reflect the specifics of Mongolian groups, on the one hand, living in extreme climatic and geographical conditions, on the other, being exposed to a range of socio-economic changes that have a cumulative effect on the somatic status of the population, which manifests itself specifically in different age groups.

Acknowledgements. The study was conducted under the state assignment of Lomonosov Moscow State University. Research was carried out under partial support of MSU Shared Research Equipment Center “Technologies for obtaining new nanostructured materials and their complex study”, National Project "Science" and MSU Program of Development. The authors express their gratitude to the staff of the Department of Sports Rehabilitation and Medicine at the Mongolian National Institute of Physical Education, as well as to all the examined individuals. 

Introduction. This article continues the series of articles devoted to the study of the collection of photographic images of representatives of the peoples of the Kuban region, collected by E.D. Felitsyn for the Anthropological Exhibition of 1879 and stored in the collections of the D.N. Anuchin Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology of Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Materials and methods. The research was based on archival photographic images of the Abadzekhs, which were presented at an Anthropological exhibition in Moscow in 1879, and then became part of the general collection of photographic images of representatives of the peoples of the Kuban region, collected by E.D. Felitsyn.

Results. A description of the collection is given, which includes 7 photographic images of Abadzekhs who lived during the preparation and holding of the Anthropological Exhibition in Moscow in 1879 in the Maikop district of the Kuban region, in the villages of Khadzhimukovsky and Blechepsin. The photographs are pasted on branded photographic letterheads and belong to photographer A. Starzhevsky. The size of the photo is 11 x 16 cm, the size of the cardboard is 18 x 22 cm. On the front and back sides there are inscriptions containing information about the name of the county, tribe, village, the name of the person depicted, their age and height. The photos show 3 men and 4 women aged 8, 18, 30, 33 and 60 years.

Discussion. The article analyzes the literary information devoted to the problems of studying the origin, ethnic history, socio-cultural traditions of the Abadzekh, as well as data on the study of their anthropological features.

Conclusion. For the first time, photographic images of the Abadzekhs were published, which are part of the collection provided by E.D. Felitsyn for the Anthropological Exhibition of 1879. Their scientific and documentary value and significance allows us to introduce into scientific circulation information about the details of the material and spiritual culture of the Abadzekh ethnic group. Digitized and studied photographs can be used as an independent source of research, the advantage of which over written sources is its clarity and visual way of preserving information over time. © 2025. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. This article reviews the scientific legacy of the eminent Russian anthropologist
Y.Y. Roginsky. His research had a significant impact on the subsequent development of the theoretical underpinnings of Russian anthropology. This work aims to identify the central tenets of Y.Y. Roginsky's concepts regarding the origin, evolution and differentiation of humanity, and to assess their significance for modern science. It examines his views on the initial stages of hominin formation and the role of Neanderthals in human evolution, as well as the factors that led to the success of modern humans. The hypothesis of «broad
monocentrism», which explains the origin of human races, is also discussed briefly. Particular attention is paid to the scientist's ideas about the psychological and social differences between Neanderthals and early modern humans, including intragroup aggression, and the significance of art as an indicator of Homo sapiens' cognitive uniqueness.

Materials and methods. This study is based on Y.Y. Roginsky's writings, recollections of him, personal diaries and contemporary publications on topics related to his work. Using the historical method and a comparative approach, the theoretical constructions of Y. Y. Roginsky could be compared with contemporary concepts.

Results. Y.Y. Roginsky's interdisciplinary scientific approach is based on the comprehensive application of data from morphology, paleoanthropology, archaeology, ethology and psychology. Y.Y. Roginsky's theoretical concepts are united by one central theme: the study of patterns in the formation of modern humans and how they differ from other ancient human species. His works address issues such as the earliest origins of humans, the reality of the «Neanderthal phase» in human evolution, mono- and polycentrism in the differentiation of Homo sapiens into separate races, the reconstruction of potential differences between modern humans and their ancestors, the Upper Paleolithic art, and the uniqueness of the human personality.

Conclusion. The structure, content and interdisciplinary nature of modern anthropology, as well as the broad range and depth of issues studied, are largely based on the scientific concepts and methodological approaches of one of the most notable anthropologists of 20th century, Yakov Yakovlevich Roginsky. © 2025. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. The paper presents craniometric data for a sample from the Mordovian Levzha cemetery, discovered in 2020 during the construction of a highway in the village of Ruzaevka in the Republic of Mordovia. The research conducted by archaeologists and ethnographers has revealed the presence of groups of burials presumably having different ethnocultural origins. These groups have been identified and characterized as Mordovian subethnoses of Erzya and Moksha. In the northern part of the cemetery, the heads of the buried individuals were oriented to the south (supposedly Moksha), and in the south part — to the north (supposedly Erzya).The hypothesis tested in the study is that the individuals buried according to different funeral traditions are also morphologically different.

Material and methods. A total of 286 crania (137 male and 149 female) were analyzed. They were measured according to the standard craniometric protocol. The measurement program included 35 linear traits, 10 angles, 16 indices, and 6 descriptive characteristics. The variability of the sample was also tested for asymmetry and kurtosis. At the final stage, the principal component analysis was used to visualize the data, study the structure of intra-group variability, and identify the most significant features influencing variation.

Results and discussion. An analysis of the morphological characteristics of male and female samples allows us to identify a single morphological complex with several common characteristics for both groups. Both male and female crania are characterized by mesocranial cranial vault and narrow and high facial skeleton. The most notable differences between the two groups are found in the facial morphology. Female crania are characterized by a combination of orthognathism with a tendency towards prognathism in the alveolar region, while male crania have a moderate protrusion of the facial skeleton and less pronounced protrusion in the alveolar region. Overall, the skulls from the Levzha cemetery are of the mesomorphic type of the European ancestry without specific craniometric features.

Analysis of the craniometric characteristics of individuals with different head position did not reveal any statistically significant differences between the groups. This is supported by the results of the Fisher's exact test and the Student's t-test. © 2025. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. The following review concerns the research of Eurasian climate history during the last 1500 years.

Materials and methods. The results of paleoclimatological studies published during the last 15 years are examined and compared, including the brief outline of the methods of the reconstruction of past climates employing various proxies, including pollen, tree rings and ice cores.

Results and discussion. The recent reconstructions of the climate of the Europe and Eastern Asia during the most important climatic events of the past millennium – the Medieval Warm Period (10^th–13^th cc.) and the Little Ice Age (15^th–19^th cc.) are described. The influence of the climatic conditions of these time periods on the lives and economic activities of the human populations in Europe and China.

Conclusion. The comparison of the reconstructions originating from the various regions of Eurasia demonstrates the global extent of the warm and cold periods and the existence of the connections between perennial meteorological events in Europe and Asia. © 2025. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. This article presents a comparative analysis of the bone remains from two parts of the necropolis at the Church of Corpus Christi in Nesvizh, Belarus. The remains were extracted from the crypt of the church (17th centuries) and the adjacent cemetery (18th centuries) between 2017 and 2019.

Materials and methods. Two series - 1) of material from the cemetery (skeletons of various configurations and individual bones) and 2) material from the crypt (scattered bones) were subjected to comparative analysis. The minimum number of individuals is determined by the largest number of bones of the same type: cemetery n=65; crypt n=98. The measurements were taken using the standard osteometric method. The reliability of the differences between the two groups was checked using the Student's t-test and visualized using a petal diagram. Additionally, there were signs of fractures and weapon damage on the bones. The percentage of damage was calculated as the percentage of total bones of the same type with damage.

Results and discussion. The size of most of the male bones from the crypt was significantly larger than that of the bones from the cemetery, as evidenced by the size of the hilt of the sternum, collarbones, shoulder blades and the proximal epiphysis of the humerus. This set of features indicates a large shoulder width in the skeletal remains from the crypt. This may be due to the high functional load on the bones of the upper extremities. The longitudinal dimensions of the proximal sections of the humerus and femur in the series from the crypt are also larger. This may indicate that the individuals buried in the crypt were taller.

Most of the transverse dimensions of the upper limb bones in the series from the crypt are larger than in the series from the cemetery, while the femoral bones in the series from the cemetery are larger. This may indicate different functional requirements for these parts of the skeleton. The number of traumatic injuries on the bones from the crypt is significantly lower than in the series from the cemetery.

Conclusion. According to the results of the study, representatives of different population groups are buried in two parts of the necropolis at the Church of the Body of God in Nesvizh. It is possible that representatives of the clergy from the Jesuit Order were reburied in the crypt, while representatives of the nobility from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth were mostly buried in the cemetery. This is confirmed by historical documents and archaeological finds. On the other hand, differences in physical development and the frequency of traumatic injuries can be explained by changes in knight's armor in the 16th and 17th centuries, which requires further study. © 2025. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. Studying ancient pathologies is a significant direction in modern scientific discourse, requiring the application of differential diagnostic methods for accurate data interpretation. Despite the complexity of such analyses, the data obtained enable us to gather reliable historical information about both past populations and individuals. This study presents an analysis of pathologies in an individual from the Vologda necropolis.

Objective of the Study: Conduct a differential diagnosis of disease in an 11–12-year-old adolescent from the Vologda necropolis of the second half of the 15th to the first half of the 16th centuries.

Materials and Methods. The individual studied was found during excavations in Vologda (Leningradskaya St., No. 12). The remains belonged to an adolescent aged 11-12 years. The study included a macroscopic assessment comprising visual inspection, determination of skeletal preservation and completeness, photographic documentation of the remains, and radiographic analysis of the affected bones.

Results. The remains exhibited lesions in the iliac and ischial bones, ribs, vertebrae, skull bones, and scapulae. Manifestations were observed in bones with a significant proportion of cancellous tissue. Pathological changes were characterized by a combination of proliferative and destructive alterations. Radiographic analysis of the skull revealed a decrease in bone X-ray density, manifested as increased porosity. An area with decreased X-ray density resembling a 'cold abscess' was also identified in the iliac bones. However, distinct boundaries, which are a key feature of this pathological condition, are absent.

Discussion. Among the most likely alternative diagnoses are brucellosis, tuberculosis infection, and malignant processes. These diseases are integrated into the differential diagnosis due to the combination of proliferative and destructive changes observed in the bone tissue.

Conclusion. The analysis of diagnostic criteria and radiographic data suggests the presence of an oncological process. However, signs of periostitis on the ribs and evidence of meningitis on the endocranial surface may indicate chronic inflammation caused by infection. © 2025. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. Hyperostosis frontalis interna (HFI) is a thickening of the frontal bone associated with metabolic and hormonal disorders. While prevalent among elderly women in modern populations, archaeological studies have documented male-dominated HFI cases in certain groups. This study examines the frequency of HFI in Mesolithic/Neolithic craniological series fr om the Dnieper region.

Materials and methods. Eight craniological series (107 skulls) from the collections of the Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, were analyzed. The overall prevalence of HFI and its developmental stages (4-point scale) were assessed.

Results and discussion. A high HFI frequency (20.6%) was identified in Mesolithic/Neolithic groups of the Dnieper region, suggesting a link to chronic metabolic stress during transitional periods. Notably, HFI types A, B, and C were equally represented (1:1:1 ratio), contrasting with typical patterns wh ere type A dominates. Elevated frequencies of types B and C likely indicate metabolic/hormonal imbalances. Although no statistically significant sex or age differences were observed, a trend of increased HFI prevalence in older individuals aligns with prior research. Associations with periodontitis, trauma, and cribra orbitalia point to environmental stress influences.

Conclusion. The identified HFI cases represent the earliest known instances in prehistoric Eastern Europe. Results underscore HFI’s role as a stress marker in transitional historical periods. © 2025. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. The study of the population living on both banks of the Kuban river in the period before the invasion of the Golden Horde and after its retreat has a long tradition. Knowing from historical sources about the existence of such tribal formations as the Zikhs, Kasogs, Adyghes, etc., who inhabited the territory of the Northern Black Sea region and the Ciscaucasia in the Middle Ages, modern researchers still cannot separate the representatives of these tribes either by the features of their funeral rites or by their morphological appearance. Studied in 2024 the burial ground “Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka Vostochnoye” gave us the extensive archaeological and paleoanthropic data that shed light on the economy of the North-Eastern Black Sea region in the 11^th–13^th centuries. The main goal of this study was to describe the paleodemographic indicators of medieval Circassians who were buried at the burial ground of “Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka Vostochnoye”, located near the city of Novorossiysk in the Krasnodar Region.

Materials and Methods. During the initial processing of the collection, we determined the sex and age of 71 buried individuals, which were used as the materials for this study. We used classical methods of modern paleoanthropology to study the skeletons. The analysis of paleodemographic indicators was carried out using the method recently suggested by D.V. Pezhemsky.

Results and discussion. The analysis revealed an almost complete absence of children under 1-year-old and a violation of the sex ratio. In the studied sample, there were 1.5 times more men than women. Most men died at the age of 45–55, while the majority of women died in their reproductive years. Only 7% of the population survived the age of 55. Comparing the discussed sample with the population of the 13^th–14^th centuries and the series of Adyghe-Natukhaevtsy of the 19th century, significant differences in demographic indicators were noted for all series involved in the analysis.

Conclusion. An important conclusion of the work can be considered the revealed special burial rituals of children under 1 year old, common to medieval Circassians and, apparently, preserved even after the adoption of Islam by the Adyghe. High average values of life expectancy of the adult part of the population, which amounted to 41.3 years, do not agree with the high infant and adolescent mortality. © 2025. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.