Paleoanthropological Characteristics of the Early Sarmatian Population of Emba Basin River According to the Data from Mortyk I Cemetery

Abstract

The paper focuses on the anthropological materials obtained from the cemetery Mortyk I. This archaeological monument is located on the Emba River, which originates from the western slopes of Mugodzhar mountains and flows into the Caspian Sea. Today it is one of the southernmost studied Sauromat-Sarmatian monuments of the early nomads. Unfortunately, there are practically no studied cemeteries dating back to the VI–IV centuries BC located in this region, despite the large number of cemeteries in this region and the Northern Aral Sea region. Anthropological materials from Mortyk I cemetery were studied using the craniological and osteometric programs, comonnly used in Russian science. A statistical and individual typological analysis was performed due to small number of series and their satisfactory preservation. According to the results of the analysis, the presented series shows the closest analogies with the population of the Ural river basin of the end of VI–IV centuries BC, despite the small number of individuals. Moreover, it can be noted that the Mortyk I archaeological monument appears to be the part of the general array of Sauromat-Sarmatian monuments, which occupies not only the Ural river basin and the Ustyurt plateau, but also the region to the north of the Aral Sea. It can be assumed that forming of culture and physical characteristics shown by the early nomads of the Sauromat-Sarmatian appearance connects them with the territory of the Aral Sea region and the Southern Ural. Further study of the monuments in the arid territories of the Northern Aral Sea region will reveal a lot of answers to debatable questions about the early nomads of the Volga-Ural region and Western Kazakhstan and origin and genesis of their culture and appearance.