Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia 40 (4) 2012

Annotation:  The Paleolithic of Dzungaria (Xinjiang, Northwest China) Based on Materials from the Luotuoshi Site Excavations at the Bairaki Lower Paleolithic Site, Trans-Dniesteria, in 2011 Upper Paleolithic Rock Crystal Artifacts from the Southeastern Shore of Lake Bolshiye Allaki, the So The Use of Animal Hair in Ceramic Manufacturing at the Tytkesken-2 Neolithic Site, Western Siberia Kyordyughen Site, Ymyiakhtakh Culture, Yakutia: An Interpretation of Burial Rite An Analysis of Mitochondrial DNA from the Pakhomovskaya Population of the Late Bronze Age, Western S Kozlov Mys-2 Burial Ground and Issues of Chronology for the Early to Late Iron Age Transition in the New Early Iron Age Statue from Sary-Arka “Horse-Headed” Staffs and the Cult of the Horse Head in Northwestern Asia in the 2nd Millennium BC Ceramics of the Ulakhan-Segelennyakh Culture, Early Bronze Age, Yakutia Scythian Burial Mound of the 4th Century BC at Kremenevka, Northeastern Azov Region A Carnelian Cabochon from Tashara-Karier-2, the Upper Ob Basin: Technological Issues Soils of an Early Medieval (4th–6th Centuries) Settlement in the Middle Tobol Region and their Paleo Folklore Parallels Between Siberia and South Asia and the Mythology of the Eurasian Steppes   

Soils of an Early Medieval (4th–6th Centuries) Settlement in the Middle Tobol Region and their Paleogeographic Implication

A.S. Yakimov, A.I. Kaidalov, E.A. Sechko, K.E. Pustovoytov, and Ya.V. Kuzyakov.

The study examines the early medieval paleosol (4th–6th centuries AD) and background soil at the fortifi ed settlement of Ust-Utyak-1 located in the forest-steppe area of the Middle Tobol region. Differences in soil type were discovered. In the last 1300–1500 years, the development of forest-steppe chernozems shows a tendency towards exceeding aridity, resulting in the evolvement of leached chernozems into typical chernozems. Comparative analysis of the morphological structure and chemical properties of the soils under study gives reason to believe that the environmental conditions of the 4th–6th centuries were marked by greater humidity and heat supply than the present day. According to the historical and archaeological data, this time coincides with the fl ourishing of the Bakal Culture which declined at the end of that period.

Keywords: Paleosol, dynamics and evolution of environment, Bakal culture, Middle Tobol region.