Potential maternal kinship among humans from the Northern Caucasus “post-dolmen” burials

Vladimir R Erlikh,Evgeniy I Gak,Alexander A Kleshchenko,Fedor S Sharko,Eugenia S Boulygina,Svetlana V Tsygankova,Natalia V Slobodova,Sergey M Rastorguev,Artem Nedoluzhko,Georgiy L Godizov,Sujatha Chandrasekaran

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2021.103198

Abstract

The Middle Bronze Age was an important period in the history of the Northern Caucasus. The archaeological Shushuk “post-dolmen” phenomenon, characterized by the reuse of dolmen orthostats for the construction of “stone-frame” burial structures, appeared in this region in the 3rd millennium BCE. Using Sanger sequencing, we were able to characterize the mitochondrial diversity of Shushuk individuals, whose remains were excavated from three collective burials. In this study, we provide new data for a better understanding of the genetic diversity of communities of the Northern Caucasus during the Middle Bronze Age and show a degree of potential maternal kinship among individuals from collective burials. Mitochondrial DNA analysis allots the same haplotype to the five individuals, who belong to H1a mitochondrial haplogroup. The results point to the possibility of maternal kinship among individuals from a specific collective burial (Shushuk 75, burial 2) through the maternal line.

Highlights

The Northern Caucasus region is defined by the Greater Caucasus mountain range and the surrounding steppe zone to its north
We focused on the analyses of ancient DNA of human individuals from three specific burials of the early period of the site – the Middle Bronze Age Shushuk I period of the 3rd millennium BCE – each selected for the amount and quality of archaeological and anthropo logical material they contained
Amongst burial sites contemporary with the Shushuk Middle Bronze Age burials and com parable material culture we find the site of Lysogorskaya 6, a rich burial of the Severokavkazkaya culture in the central Northern Caucasus dating to the second quarter of the 3rd millennium BCE. (Fig. 2A) (Wang et al, 2019; Korenevskiy et al, 2018)

Summary

Introduction

The Northern Caucasus region is defined by the Greater Caucasus mountain range and the surrounding steppe zone to its north. Both are heavily watered by ample rainfall and the multiple rivers flowing through the mountainous outcrops into the vast, steppe zones. The Kuban River with its ample basin and hinterland is most prominent. The result is dense forest cover in the foothills, effectively shielding archaeological sites from view. Characteristic amongst these are the numerous megalithic, Bronze Age complexes (dolmens) generously peppering the outcrops (Erlikh et al, 2020; Erlikh and Godizov, 2020). A number of archaeological cultures characterize the Middle Bronze Age of the region, including the earlier Novotitorovskaya culture (named after the site near the stanitsa (village) of Novotitorovskaya), the Severokavkazkaya culture ( known as North Caucasus Culture), and the later Baturinskaya Catacomb culture (named after a site near the stanitsa (village) of Baturinskaya) (Erlikh et al, 2020; Erlikh and God izov, 2020; Erlikh, 2018) (Fig. 1)

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion