Manakhov Andrey Dmitrievich

Introduction. The formation of the historical landscape of the Eurasian steppes during the pre-Mongol period of Ancient Rus' took place under the determining role of the Polovtsians, owing to their demographic dominance in this territory. Despite the historical and archeological study of this era, questions concerning the origins of the Polovtsians remain unresolved. Clarifying these issues is fundamentally important for reconstructing such demographic processes as the origins of Polovtsian groups, their migrations, as well as the nature and extent of their interactions with other peoples. This article presents the results of genomic analysis and the craniometric characteristics of a woman who, based on the funerary inventory, belonged to the elite of Polovtsians society.

Materials and methods. The material for this study consisted of skeletal remains of a woman from a burial discovered excavations of the kurgan cemetery "Krasny IV" and dated to the 12th-13th centuries CE. DNA extracted from a petrous part of the temporal bone was used for whole-genome sequencing and subsequent genetic analysis.

Results. The study established that the skeletal remains in burial 3 kurgan 16 of the "Krasny IV" cemetery belong to a woman aged 25-35 years old. The integrity of the cranial vault allowed for a craniometric study, which revealed a mixed European-Mongoloid ancestry of the examined woman. Analysis of whole-genome sequencing data and the application of population genetics methods demonstrated genetic similarity between the studied individual and nomadic medieval steppe groups, including the early Avars (6th-8th centuries) and medieval populations from the territory of Mongolia. Additionally, the woman's mitochondrial DNA was found to belong to the West Eurasian haplogroup T1A5.

Conclusion. We obtained the results of a whole-genome analysis of a Polovtsians woman from the Lower Don region dated to the 12th-13th centuries. The new data indicated genetic links between the Polovtsians and populations of Central Asia and also demonstrated a significant proportion of Eastern genetic substrate in the examined woman from the elite Polovtsians burial in the Lower Don region of the 12th-13th centuries. Even a single burial substantially enriches our understanding of the genetic landscape of the steppe region of Western Eurasia on the eve of the Mongol invasion. This work contributes to the reconstruction of the local population's gene pool and confirms the close historical ties between the European steppes and the deep interior regions of Asia during the pre-Mongol period.

Funding. This work was supported by a grant from the state program "Sirius" Federal Territory "Scientific and Technological Development of the 'Sirius' Federal Territory", Agreement № 18-03 dated September 10th, 2024, project code GEN-BFT-2407 (H.S.E., Z.A.R., R.E.V., M.A.D., A.T.V.).

Supplementary files are available here

Introduction. During archaeological excavations at the multilayered settlement Chekups-2 in the Krymsky District of Krasnodar Krai, which spans a broad chronological range from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages, a storage pit was discovered containing
34 skulls exhibiting trauma and signs of scalping. Archaeological dating of the find proved difficult, as did attribution of the deceased to any archeological culture.

Materials and Methods. The best-preserved skulls from sixteen individuals were selected for analysis. Ancient DNA (aDNA) was extracted from the petrous part of the temporal bones, fragment libraries were prepared, and whole-genome sequencing was performed followed by bioinformatic analysis.

Results. Direct radiocarbon dating established that the burial dates to the Classical/Antiquity period. Genome sequencing showed that all analyzed skulls belonged to male individuals. Analysis of autosomal genetic markers as well as mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome haplogroups revealed no close kinship (1st–3rd degree) among the examined individuals, nor kinship along exclusively paternal or maternal lines. The mitochondrial sequences of the individuals belong to different haplogroups (U1b2d, U1b2d1, U1a1a1b, U5a1b1, T2d2a1a, T2l, W1i2, N1b1b, I1, X4a3a, X4a3, H, H4, H80, H55, HV4b1). Y-chromosome haplogroups were determined for ten samples: seven individuals belong to haplogroup J2a1 and three to haplogroup G2a2.

Conclusion. For the first time, data have been obtained that clarify the historical period of this burial. Uniparental marker results demonstrate continuity between the studied individuals and populations of the Scythian period, opening new prospects for further testing hypotheses about the origin of these people and the historical reasons for their death.

Funding. This work was supported by a grant from the state program "Sirius" Federal Territory "Scientific and Technological Development of the Sirius; Federal Territory", Agreement № 18-03 dated September 10th, 2024 (G.M.S., M.A.D., R.E.V.)

Supplementary files are available here

Introduction. The limited quantity of Phanagorian burial complexes from the Classical period, examined by contemporary scientific methods, stands in stark contrast to the abundant resources from the Hellenistic and Roman periods. This distinction imparts significant importance to the burial complexes of Phanagoria from the 4th century BC, particularly those featuring notable archaeological artefacts and well-preserved anthropological materials.

Materials and methods. Materials from two graves found beneath mound 288 in the Alley of Mounds on the Southern Necropolis of the Asian Bosporus metropolis were the subject of the study. They were analysed using isotopic and paleogenetic (genomic sequencing, principal component analysis, admixture, and f3 statistics) methods.

Results. A radiocarbon date was obtained for one sample, allowing comparison with the archaeological date. The results of paleogenomics studies indicated that women buried under the same mound had a second-degree maternal relationship. For the first time, we identify the presence of descendants of Mediterranean immigrants among the Phanagoria polis's population based on resources from the Northern Black Sea region of the Classical era.

Discussion. According to the results of the aDNA study, we for the first time demonstrated the presence of Greek immigrants (or their descendants) among Phanagoria's population of the Classical period. Moreover, we provided evidence of their admixture with the autochthonous "barbarian" populations.

Funding. This work was supported by a grant from the state program "Sirius" Federal Territory "Scientific and Technological Development of the Sirius; Federal Territory", Agreement № 18-03 dated September 10th, 2024 (G.M.S., M.A.D., R.EV.)

Supplementary files are available here