Stable isotope analyses of mammal skeletal remains of Holocene age from European Russia: A way to trace dietary and environmental changes

Abstract

Fifty-five samples of human and animal fossil skeletal remains (sheep, cattle, horse and deer) collected at six different sites in European Russia were measured for the oxygen isotopic composition of bone phosphate (δ 18Op) and for the carbon (δ 13C) and nitrogen (δ 15N) isotopic composition of bone collagen. The age of these samples ranges from 10 500 to 200 BP covering a time period of about 10 000 years. The samples come from the steppe area of southern European Russia, from the northern Black Sea coast and from an area near Moscow. From the results obtained it can be suggested that the steppe tribes were nomads, at least after 4000 BP, and that they probably moved from east to west and vice-versa (i.e. from the Volga area to the Black Sea coast). C 4 plants were present in the steppe area since 5000 BP. On the contrary, in the area near Moscow and on the Black Sea coast no C 4 species are documented at least until 5000 and 6000 BP respectively. Arid environmental conditions dominate the steppe area even though the N isotope values suggest a climatic improvement-taking place from 5000 BP towards present in terms of more humid conditions. As regards diet, it seems that the subsistence of the steppe populations was based mainly on terrestrial food and in particular on sheep with a minor contribution of fish. The populations from the Moscow area probably had a permanent economy mainly based on fishing.