Lena River Research Articles

Nutrient and Silicon Isotope Dynamics in the Laptev Sea and Implications for Nutrient Availability in the Transpolar Drift

AbstractRealistic prediction of the near‐future response of Arctic Ocean primary productivity to ongoing warming and sea ice loss requires a mechanistic understanding of the processes controlling nutrient bioavailability. To evaluate continental nutrient inputs, biological utilization, and the influence of mixing and winter processes in the Laptev Sea, the major source region of the Transpolar Drift (TPD), we compare observed with preformed concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and phosphorus (DIP), silicic acid (DSi), and silicon isotope compositions of DSi (δ30SiDSi) obtained for two summers (2013 and 2014) and one winter (2012). In summer, preformed nutrient concentrations persisted in the surface layer of the southeastern Laptev Sea, while diatom‐dominated utilization caused intense northward drawdown and a pronounced shift in δ30SiDSi from +0.91 to +3.82‰. The modeled Si isotope fractionation suggests that DSi in the northern Laptev Sea originated from the Lena River and was supplied during the spring freshet, while riverine DSi in the southeastern Laptev Sea was continuously supplied during the summer. Primary productivity fueled by river‐borne nutrients was enhanced by admixture of DIN‐ and DIP‐rich Atlantic‐sourced waters to the surface, either by convective mixing during the previous winter or by occasional storm‐induced stratification breakdowns in late summer. Substantial enrichments of DSi (+240%) and DIP (+90%) beneath the Lena River plume were caused by sea ice‐driven redistribution and remineralization. Predicted weaker stratification on the outer Laptev Shelf will enhance DSi utilization and removal through greater vertical DIN supply, which will limit DSi export and reduce diatom‐dominated primary productivity in the TPD.

Seasonal and spatial variations in riverine DOC exports in permafrost-dominated Arctic river basins

• Seasonality of riverine DOC exports is strongly associated with hydrological regimes. • The extent and degradation of permafrost regulate riverine DOC mobilization. • Water temperature is an important factor influencing riverine DOC exports. Climate warming is accelerating the release of voluminous organic carbon from thawing permafrost into the Arctic Ocean via riverine transport. However, the seasonal variations in riverine dissolved organic carbon ( DOC ) exports in Arctic river basins with different areal extents of permafrost and how changes in water temperature ( T w ) impact seasonal DOC exports are not fully understood. In this study, the concentrations, ages and seasonality of riverine DOC in the estuaries of six major Arctic rivers (Ob, Yenisei, Lena, Kolyma, Yukon and Mackenzie) were analysed using Arctic Great Rivers Observatory (ArcticGRO) datasets from 2003 to 2019. The results showed that DOC concentrations generally increased with the increases in the streamflow, but always dropped to the minimum with the oldest Δ 14 C-DOC ages (as old as 1650 years BP) in the freezing period (November–April), when the streamflow originates predominantly from groundwater. During the flood pulse period (May or June), a rapid increase in riverine DOC concentration with younger organic carbon (Δ 14 C values from −61 to 152‰) was observed, likely associated with snowmelt-dominated runoff regimes (lower δ 18 O-H 2 O of approximately −20.4 ± 1.6‰). During the ice-free period (June–September), DOC concentrations decreased due to the enhanced dilution of streamflow from precipitation. In the Lena and Kolyma River basins with large areal extents of continuous permafrost, over 70% of DOC flux exported during the ice-free period originated from DOC sources from ∼410 years and ∼230 years BP to the present, respectively; this suggests that greater permafrost extents restrict the release of older DOC into rivers. However, riverine DOC exports likely respond positively to changes in T w during the ice-free period. In addition, such a positive response is likely to be enhanced in basins with larger percentages of sporadic permafrost, thicker active layers, more precipitation and less soil organic carbon. Ultimately, under a warming climate, riverine DOC exports are expected to rise with increasing river water temperatures.

Lateral carbon export has low impact on the net ecosystem carbon balance of a polygonal tundra catchment

Abstract. Permafrost-affected soils contain large quantities of soil organic carbon (SOC). Changes in the SOC pool of a particular ecosystem can be related to its net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) in which the balance of carbon (C) influxes and effluxes is expressed. For polygonal tundra landscapes, accounts of ecosystem carbon balances in the literature are often solely based on estimates of vertical carbon fluxes. To fill this gap, we present data regarding the lateral export rates of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from a polygonal tundra site in the north Siberian Lena River delta, Russia. We use water discharge observations in combination with concentration measurements of waterborne carbon to derive the lateral carbon fluxes from one growing season (2 June–8 September 2014 for DOC, 8 June–8 September 2014 for DIC). To put the lateral C fluxes into context, we furthermore present the surface–atmosphere eddy covariance fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) from this study site. The results show cumulative lateral DIC and DOC fluxes of 0.31–0.38 and 0.06–0.08 g m−2, respectively, during the 93 d observation period (8 June–8 September 2014). Vertical turbulent fluxes of CO2-C and CH4-C accumulated to −19.0 ± 1.2 and 1.0 ± 0.02 g m−2 in the same period. Thus, the lateral C export represented about 2 % of the net ecosystem exchange of (NEE) CO2. However, the relationship between lateral and surface–atmosphere fluxes changed over the observation period. At the beginning of the growing season (early June), the lateral C flux outpaced the surface-directed net vertical turbulent CO2 flux, causing the polygonal tundra landscape to be a net carbon source during this time of the year. Later in the growing season, the vertical turbulent CO2 flux dominated the NECB.

Emerging solute-induced mineralization in Arctic rivers under climate warming

Permafrost degradation under a warming climate is accelerating the hydrological processes in Arctic river basins. However, corresponding changes in river mineralization, riverine solute exports and their potential influencing factors are not fully understood. In this study, we selected six major Arctic rivers (Ob, Yenisei, Lena, Kolyma, Yukon and Mackenzie Rivers) with different permafrost extents, meteorological conditions and hydrological regimes to reveal the changes in river mineralization and riverine solute exports using ArcticGRO sampling data from 2003 to 2019. Our results indicate that solute-induced river mineralization has already been observed in the Lena, Yukon and Mackenzie Rivers during 2003–2019. The annual flux of total dissolved solids (TDS; a key parameter of drinking water quality), calculated by the Load Estimator (LOADEST) program, from these six rivers was approximately 295.24 ± 12.50 Tg, with the Ob, Kolyma and Yukon Rivers exhibiting significant increasing trends (p < 0.05) at rates of 4.38 Tg/10 yr, 1.62 Tg/10 yr and 3.03 Tg/10 yr, respectively. Climate-induced changes in hydrological regimes regulate riverine solute exports, with relatively higher TDS concentrations in the groundwater-dominated winter low-flow season and lower TDS concentrations under the dilution of groundwater by snowmelt spring floods and summer precipitation events. The riverine solute fluxes with higher TDS concentrations (e.g., those of the Yukon and Mackenzie Rivers) increased more rapidly (~0.14 Tg/km3) with changes in river discharge; however, the TDS concentrations were more sensitive to climate warming in continuous permafrost-dominated colder basins (i.e., the Kolyma and Lena River basins) than in other relatively warmer basins. Our results suggest that riverine solute exports are likely affected by permafrost thaw-induced changes in hydrogeological processes, which are tightly associated with increases in active layer thickness and enhanced groundwater discharge to rivers. Under a warming climate, riverine solute exports in Arctic rivers are expected to increase with intensifying groundwater–surface water exchanges.

Fluorescent signatures of autochthonous dissolved organic matter production in Siberian shelf seas

The East Siberian Sea is an area of high biogeochemical activity caused by multiple factors, such as an influence of river runoff, Atlantic, and Pacific waters, formation and melting of sea ice, and internal circulation. Extensive amounts of carbon are accumulated in sub-sea permafrost within the Arctic shelf in East Siberia. Thawing permafrost and resulting microbial decomposition of frozen carbon pool is a potential feedback process affected global climate dynamics. Several studies of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) distribution in the East Siberian Sea have demonstrated untypical for other Arctic shelf seas pronounced non-conservative DOC behavior. Using seawater samples from the 69th cruise of R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh conducted in the Laptev and East Siberian seas in September 2017, this study examines the distribution of fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) along the shelf-crossing transects including the areas affected by the Khatanga, Lena, Indigirka, and Kolyma river runoff. The set of 137 excitation-emission matrices (EEMs), analyzed with Parallel Factor analysis (PARAFAC), was described by a 4-component model demonstrating Tucker’s congruence coefficient above the 0.95 threshold. Spectral characteristics of the resulting components allowed identifying them as well-known humic-like A and C, protein-like B/T, and marine humic-like M fluorophores. Component C1 (A fluorophore) showed a good correlation with salinity for different river plume influenced regions. As well as chromophoric DOM (CDOM) absorption, it can be used as marker of input of terrestrial DOM to the Arctic Ocean. A distinctive feature of the East Siberian Sea shelf waters in comparison with the Laptev Sea is the higher content of the C2 and C4 components, exhibiting protein-like and marine humic-like fluorescence. Component C3 (C fluorophore) which is usually identified as terrestrial-derived material, was found to be produced locally on the East Siberian Sea shelf and in the continental slope region of the Khatanga transect. Destruction of dead algae cells, production of marine biota and dissolved organic matter (DOM) reworking are considered as possible autochthonous FDOM sources in the Siberian shelf seas.

Seismic constraints for ice sheets along the northern margin of Beringia

Beringia today is a partly submerged Arctic region bordered by the Lena River in East Siberia and the Mackenzie River in North America. Whilst emergent at times of eustatic sea-level fall, the northern Beringian Margin was affected by the repeated growth and decay of regional ice sheets. The size and dynamism of these ice sheets are a subject of some debate that can be addressed using geophysical data, which reveal widespread evidence for glacial processes on the continental shelves. We use published and reprocessed 2D multichannel seismic reflection data from the northern margins of Beringia between 147° E to 149° W to investigate their glacially deposited sediments in detail. Deposition of up to 450 m of sediments caused the shelf break to migrate basinward by up to 13 km between 165° E and 161° W. On the Kucherov Terrace (175° E to 176° W) the data show evidence for erosion by grounded ice in water depths of 1200 m. Deposits in the Northwind Basin, between 165° W and 161° W, are separated by continuous reflections indicating at least 3–5 glacial advances. However, the continental slopes of the western East Siberian Sea and the Beaufort Sea lack the thick glacial deposits found in the intervening region. Overall, the volume of glacial deposited sediments along the margins of Beringia are significantly smaller than the reported amounts along the Norwegian and Greenland margins. Therefore, we suggest a less dynamic and fewer number of glaciations of Beringia compared to other glaciated margins during the Quaternary. • Evidence for multiple glacial advances along the northern rim of Beringia. • Erosion by ice sheets only to water depths of 1200 m. • Three main depocenters of glacial deposits along the Beringian margin.

A New Species of Waagenoconcha Chao (Brachiopoda, Productida) from the Asselian–Sakmarian of the Lower Reaches of the Lena River, Northeast Russia

A New Species of Waagenoconcha Chao (Brachiopoda, Productida) from the Asselian–Sakmarian of the Lower Reaches of the Lena River, Northeast Russia

Permafrost Degradation Impact on Water Bodies in the Siberian Tundra (Samoylov and Kurungnakh Islands, Lena Delta) Using GIS Analysis of Remote Sensing Data and a Geochemical Approach

The article presents the geomorphological and geochemical investigation of the water bodies on the Samoylov and Kurunghnakh Islands, the Lena River delta. We used GIS-analyze analysis for identifying water body groups, depending on their geomorphological features. The studied water bodies are located on two principally different surfaces: the first and the third terraces of the Lena Delta. The water bodies occupy thermokarst hollow bottoms, which have various elevations above sea level. We identified the altitudes of the water bodies’ water surfaces by analysing with ArcticDEM. Additionally, we estimated the area of the water bodies by hand after mapping the borders of the water bodies in UAV imageries. We sampled the bottom sediments and water’s chemical composition. All water bodies were divided into groups: (1) small water bodies on the Yedoma upland surface; (2) water bodies in six thermokarst hollows; (3) water bodies on the first terrace. The water bodies bottom sediments on the Yedoma are depleted by the As and enriched by the Zn and Mo in comparison with sediments of other groups. The Rare Earth Elements concentrations in the bottom sediments of Yedoma water bodies and several water bodies on poorly degraded surfaces of the third terrace are lower than in other water bodies, except La.

Revision of the genus Canthocamptus (Copepoda: Harpacticoida) with a description of a new species from the Lena River Delta (North-eastern Siberia)

The discovery of a new species of the genus Canthocamptus, C. waldemarschneideri sp. nov., in northern Siberia prompted a taxonomic analysis of this genus. In this work, on the basis of cladistic analysis, we show that the genus is not monophyletic. Based on differences in the structure of the endopods on the second pair of male swimming legs, fifth legs of males and females, and caudal rami, we conclude that the Canthocamptus mirabilis species group is a separate genus, Kikuchicamptus gen. nov. Additionally, two species are transferred to the genus Attheyella, and one species, Canthocamptus gibba, is synonymized. The subgenera Canthocamptus (Baikalocamptus) and Canthocamptus (Canthocamptus) are also synonymized. The new species, Canthocamptus waldemarschneideri sp. nov., is most closely related to the American Canthocamptus assimilis Kiefer, 1931 and differs from it in the ornamentation of the abdominal somites and the shape of the caudal setae.

На краю государства: политическое оформление периферии власти

The article is devoted to the analysis of a special political form that arises in the “empty space” on the “edge of the state”, where actors of power exist remotely, beyond the boundaries of the “emptiness”, but they can be materialized in it. The authors use the term “periphery of power” to describe this political form. The article shows that “empty space” is not a vacuum, but it does not contain what the observer (in this case, the authorities) expects to see, what he can read and comprehend as some kind of entity. It is the absence of the expected objects, actors and practices that makes the space “empty”. The paper verifies the hypothesis that, being “empty” for an observer, such space is populated and has authorities. Empirically, the study is based on the results of two field works to the upper Lena River. The territory has neither settlement structure nor legal economic activity, and the number of registered residents is minimal. The nearest authorities (police, environmental protection, municipal authorities, etc.) are located on the borders of the territory, and the distance to the nearest large city (Irkutsk) is 500—700 km. Nevertheless, the field work there revealed a fairly large community with its own hierarchy, stable forms of communication, legalization and mobilization of remote authorities. For members of this community, staying in the “empty territory” makes no sense from the economic point of view. They are registered in other places (district centers or other regional cities, including capitals) and represent relatively successful citizens. However, the city remains for them nothing else but a source of resources (material, financial, etc.). They live exactly in the “empty space”. Social networks are formed in it, statuses and communication are built, which can be turned into the space of power. The insights that the authors obtained give ground to assume that this process is not an outlier, but rather represented a more general process of separating a place to earn money and a place to live. According to their conclusion, while maintaining the current trends, the “exit space” documented by them will expand, forming more and more new forms of “emptiness”

The Indicator Role of Algae in Assessing the Organic Pollution in the Lena River Delta, the Russian Arctic

The Lena River forms a delta, one of the largest in the world. The entire territory of the delta is part of the Ust-Lensky State Natural Reserve. The delta is located beyond the Arctic Circle in a continuous permafrost zone. The delta is crossed by numerous channels and has lakes, streams, hollows, and swamps. In the Russian Arctic sector, ambitious plans for the development of the oil industries are being implemented. This study goal was to determine the species composition of algae in the Lena River delta and to use their properties as indicators of organic water pollution as evidence of water ecosystem stress. The results of the study revealed 700 species from 10 phyla. Statistical analysis indicate that hydrological conditions are the main factor, which can be a stressor too regulating the spatial structure of the species composition of algal communities in the Lena River delta. The distribution of groups of indicators of organic pollution, trophic state, and type of nutrition of algal cells along the main water channels suggests that now a possible source of organic pollution may be the effect of mixing river and saline waters during high tide. It is evidenced by an increase in the number of mixotrophic organisms and indicators of increased trophic state. Therefore, the integral bioindication as a method that reveals hidden connections in the ecosystem can be useful for monitoring in the period of the accentuated development of the oil industries in this Arctic region.

Spatial Trends and Drivers of Bedload and Suspended Sediment Fluxes in Global Rivers

AbstractBedload is notoriously challenging to measure and model; its dynamics, therefore, remains largely unknown in most fluvial systems worldwide. We present results from a global scale bedload flux model as part of the WBMsed modeling framework that well predict the distribution of water discharge, suspended sediment and bedload. The sensitivity of bedload predictions to river slope, particle size, discharge, river width, and suspended sediment were analyzed, showing the model to be most responsive to spatial dynamics in river discharge and slope. The relationship between bedload and total sediment flux is analyzed globally, and for representative longitudinal river profiles (Amazon, Mississippi, and Lena Rivers). The results show that while the proportion of bedload decreases from headwaters to the coasts, there is considerable variability between basins and along river corridors. The topographic and hydrological longitudinal profiles of rivers are shown to be the key drivers of bedload trends, with fluctuations in slope controlling its more local dynamics. Estimates of water and sediment fluxes to global oceans from 2,067 largest river outlets (draining 67% of the global continental area) are provided. Estimated water discharge at 30,579 km3/y corresponds well to past estimates; however, sediment flux is higher. Total global particulate load of 17.8 Gt/y is delivered to global oceans, 14.8 Gt/y as washload, 1.1 Gt/y as bedload, and 2.6 Gt/y as suspended bed material. The largest 25 rivers are predicted to transport more than half of the total sediment flux to global oceans.

Model of river flow routing on a continental scale with variable flow velocity

In the latest version of the climatic model of river flow formation, water transport along the river network to the mouth was carried out for each section of the Lena River and its tributaries at its constant rate. This paper presents two approaches to routing surface runoff with time-varying flow rates. The use of these approaches may allow the model to represent not only average multi-year flow rates, but also the ability to simulate floods and short-term fluctuations in river flow. Two numerical experiments were conducted: simulations of river flow with constant and variable velocities.

Possibility of Determining Deep Structure of the Earth's Crust in the Eastern Siberia Based on the Materials of River Seismic Profiling

The article presents possibility of determining deep structure of the Earth`s crust by low-amplitude signals of longitudinal reflected waves at times up to 14-15 s due to wide dynamic range of the using equipment and multiple summation up to 2500. The conclusion is based on the results of long-duration (up to 23 s) seismograms analysis, carried out after reprocessing of the archival materials of river seismic profiling by the CDP-2D method in a 60-kilometer section in the lower part of the Lena river in 2018, exactly it was the materials of continuous ground-based registration of seismic oscillations by "Baikal" equipment from "Malysh" water pneumatic sources. High multiplicity is obtained by reducing the distance between shot points, adding source-receiver distances and increasing bin size. In the Eastern Siberia more than 2700 km of profiles were carried out using similar technologies; it allows to identify structure of the Earth's crust of the areas, which have not been studied by deep seismic methods previously.

Willows communities as vital feed base for the beekeeping in the Middle Lena River Valley

Willows communities as vital feed base for the beekeeping in the Middle Lena River Valley

BUILDING A TOMOGRAPHIC VELOCITY MODEL FOR SAMOYLOV ISLAND AREA (LENA DELTA) FROM LOCAL SEISMOLOGICAL DATA FOR THE PERIOD OF 2019–2021

In our paper we present the results of seismotomographic inversion for the local seismological monitoring data obtained in the area of the Samoylov Island (Lena River delta) in 2019–2021. Tomographic velocity model was used for refining hypocenter locations of local earthquakes and for geological interpretation. The results are shown as maps of anomalies of seismic waves and Vp /Vs ratios for the 5 and 10 km depths. The velocity anomalies structure made it possible to interpret low Vp /Vs ratio as rocks related to the Siberian platform, and to compare between the boundary of the low Vp /Vs area and the trace of the known geological fault running along the Olenekskaya Channel.

Differential Impact of the Khatanga and Lena (Laptev Sea) Runoff on the Distribution and Grazing of Zooplankton

The ecosystems of the Arctic Ocean and their expected changes in a context of Global climate processes are crucially dependent on the freshwater input. The freshwater signal is assumed to be the main structuring factor for the marine fauna on the shallow shelf of the Siberian Arctic seas. The Laptev Sea, as a part of the world’s widest continental shelves surrounding the Arctic Ocean, is a key area for understanding the land–ocean interaction in high latitude regions. The largest freshwater input is provided by the deltaic Lena river followed by the estuarine Khatanga river. The plumes of these rivers differ considerably in their hydrophysical characteristics, suggesting differential impacts on ecosystems of the adjacent shelf. The key component of pelagic ecosystems is zooplankton, which transfers energy from primary producers to higher trophic levels and modifies sedimentations processes. This study is focused on the influence of river discharge on zooplankton in the Laptev Sea at the end of productive season. We studied zooplankton biomass, species composition, distribution patterns of the dominant species and assessed herbivorous feeding rates and grazing pressure of these species along a transect from the inner Khatanga Gulf northward to the continental slope, and a transect in the Lena plume influenced area in August-September 2017. Despite large spatial extension of the Khatanga plume, the impact of river discharge on zooplankton species composition was restricted mainly to the inner Gulf where the brackish species shaped the community. Contrary to the Khatanga input, the Lena freshwater inflow was highly variable and under certain conditions (discharge rate, wind forcing) governed the structure of zooplankton community over a vast shelf area. Distribution patterns of zooplankton biomass, ingestion rates and grazing impact of the dominant species on phytoplankton over the shelf influenced by the Khatanga and Lena plumes were similar. Analysis of our results on demographic structure of Calanus glacialis suggests that seasonal development of the population was largely controlled by the time of ice retreat. Observed climatic changes in the Arctic were not reflected in the total zooplankton biomass and composition of the dominant species.

Yedoma. Part 1. Annals of geocryological research in the XIX-XX centuries

The subject of the study is the yedoma i.e. perennially frozen organic-bearing ("1–2% of Corg) and ice-rich (containing 50–90 vol. % of excess ice) silty, sandy loam and fine sand deposit of Late Pleistocene age. Yedoma with multi-stages syngenetic ice wedges (up to 15–20 meters high and up to 3.5 m wide) aged from 11.7 to 50 cal. ca BP often saturated with rock debris and gravel inclusions in intermountain basins and river deltas. The most famous regions of the Siberia, where yedoma is widespread, are the Kolyma and Yana-Indigirka lowlands, the New Siberian Islands, Lena and Vilyui River valley, Lena-Anabar, Anabar-Khatanga and Magadan regions, Yamal, Gydan and Taimyr Peninsula, Olekma, Biryusa valleys. In Alaska, these are slump on the Itkillik River and the Fox Permafrost Tunnel. Yedoma of the Klondike are known in the Yukon. Sections with large ground ice in yedoma were first described in the early 19th century on the Alaska and the New Siberian Islands, the idea of syngenetic accumulation of permafrost arose in the late 19th - early 20th centuries, the mechanism of syngenetic formation of yedoma was described in the middle of the 20th century. In the end of 20th century, studies of yedoma reached a new level. The oxygen and deuterium stable isotopes study of ice wedges together with radiocarbon ages of ice wedges gave the possibility to reconstruct the winter paleotemperature during yedoma formation. It was established the different genesis of yedoma also.

At the Dominion of the Disasters: Rural Communities of Yakutia in the Conditions of Floods of the Twentieth Century (on the Example of the Village of Khotochu, Zhemkonsky 1st Nasleg, Khangalassky District)

The purpose of this study is to identify optimal strategies for the survival and development of small settlements in the Arctic region facing threats of a sharp change in the water balance of adjacent territories caused by Climatic changes. The territory of Yakutia occupies majority areas not only in the Arctic zone of Russia, but also in the world. The impact of Climate change in Yakutia will accordingly affect the local, regional, Russian and global levels. As an illustrative example, the small Yakut village of Khotochu, located on the banks of the Lena river and regularly exposed to the threat of flooding, is taken. To this end, the authors of this study collected materials from the archive of the municipality "Zhemkonsky 1st nasleg", which includes the village of Khotochu, official documents of departmental organizations, annual reports of heads of municipalities and already published scientific articles. Also in September 2021, field materials (interviews and questionnaire survey data) were collected directly in the village and in the surrounding areas. As a result, the authors identified the current socio-economic situation of this settlement, its history, the main problems faced by the villagers, the measures taken by administrative authorities at various levels, as well as the opinion of local residents. The vulnerability of the village of Khotochu to the negative consequences of water resources is characterized. Based on the study of the experience of adaptation of the residents of the village of Khotochu to the floods of the twentieth century, the decisions taken by the authorities to ensure the safety of population in Yakutia, based on the results of the study, recommendations were made to administrative and governing bodies of various levels to minimize hydrological risks and adopt more effective adaptive strategies.

The burial Ogonyok in the middle Lena River region: a new site of the Bel'kachi Culture

The article presents the results of a comprehensive study of the Ogonyok burial, discovered and investigated in 2016 in the city of Yakutsk, Central Yakutia, in the middle reaches of the Lena River. The purpose of the study was to determine its cultural and chronological characteristics, to identify the features of the funeral rite and spe-cifics of the accompanying grave goods. In addition to historical and archaeological methods, the methods of tra-sological analysis of stone tools, radiocarbon dating and date calibration, isotope analysis of human and animal bone collagen, and determination of the species composition of the fauna that was part of the burial equipment were used. The burial place was destroyed during land works, as such, only part of the accompanying equipment and osteological material was preserved for the analyses. Excavations of the remains of the burial were carried out, which made it possible to determine approximately its orientation, the position of the deceased and the depth from the day surface. Similarities to the accompanying goods, which included a flint core and three blades, an arrowhead, polished adze, bone composite arrowhead with a blade in the groove, anthropomorphic figurine from a mammoth tusk, fragments of a bone polisher and a needle, as well as faunal remains, were found in the com-plexes of the Bel'kachi Neolithic Culture of Northeast Asia of the end of the 5th–3rd mil. BC. Further analogies were identified in the synchronous Neolithic cultures of the Baikal, Transbaikalia, Lower Amur region, Primorsky Krai and Chukotka. The funeral ritual of filling the grave with ocher also brings the Ogonyok burial closer to other Bel'kachi cemeteries. Paleozoological analysis has shown that bones of lynx, wild reindeer and geese were pre-sent in the burial. Four AMS radiocarbon dates were obtained from human and animal bones, which attribute the burial in the first quarter of the 4th mil. BC. An interesting fact was the identification of an offset in the age of hu-man bones relatively to the age of animal bones, the former being approximately 200 years older, which is appa-rently associated with freshwater reservoir effect. Analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes demonstrated that the human diet was based on meat food, as well as, apparently, fish products, with a minor inclusion of wild plants. The burial of Ogonyok is one of the few “pure” sites of the Bel'kachi Neolithic Culture in Yakutia.