Nomadic Research Articles

Between archaic and modern: σκύθαι and πατζινάκοι in The Alexiad of Anna Komnene

Since the emergence of Byzantine culture, the influences of Ancient Greece stood out due to the authors' desire to be inspired by the erudition of classical works. For this reason, medieval Greek literature is the product of a classicizing style that intertwines with modern tendencies. This practice had the merit of increasing the artistic quality of the chronicles but simultaneously caused numerous confusions. Frequently, authors borrow classical terminology to name contemporary ideas or concepts, but sometimes they even use ancient and modern terminology in the same phrase. The reasons behind the writers' intention to alternately use a common and a scholarly language are challenging to discern, especially since the complexity of some works such as The Alexiad makes the terminology used highly open to interpretation. The situation becomes much more complicated when, for three Eurasian nomadic peoples (Pechenegs, Uzes, and Cumans) different naming techniques are applied.

Between Past and Present: Unravelling Colonialism’s Enduring Impact in The Wandering Falcon

In my exploration of the profound and enduring impacts of colonialism on the nomadic tribes of Baluchistan and the tribal areas of Pakistan, I draw from Jamil Ahmad’s The Wandering Falcon and insights from postcolonial theorists. My study illuminates the tribes’ persistent struggles for recognition, representation, and basic rights. These tribes, once proud custodians of their distinct cultural heritage, now confront challenges from modern encroachments, political marginalisation, and economic hardships, all deeply rooted in colonial legacies. The imposition of foreign legal systems, combined with the pervasive influence of modern media, has led to a noticeable erosion of their traditional social structures and values. The economic consequences of colonialism in the region are stark, with aggressive resource extraction and the demarcation of artificial borders disrupting their economic foundations. My research underscores the tribes’ enduring struggles, emphasising the contemporary relevance of these colonial legacies. As these tribes grapple with modern challenges, I stress the importance for policymakers to recognise and address these colonial legacies, advocating for a more inclusive and equitable future. In conclusion, my research suggests the need for additional exploration into the intersections of colonialism, gender dynamics, and identity within the nomadic tribes of Baluchistan and the tribal areas of Pakistan, while advocating for the formulation and implementation of strategies that empower these tribes, ensuring that their concerns are met with both empathy and efficacy.Keywords: Colonialism, nomadic tribes, marginalisation, Baluchistan, traditional lifestyles

IRAN GABBEH CARPETS

Gabbeh carpets; The Persian (Iranian) word Gabbeh means something raw or natural, uncut or “rough”. Gabbeh is the world’s best known coarse Iranian weaving. Carpets and rugs woven in the mountains and plains of central south Zagros have been woven for the Gabbeh tribe for centuries. Another feature of Gabbeh carpets is the coarse carpets woven with relatively low knot density. The designs are typically geometric and symbolic in shape and style. The most common Gabbeh tap- estries are types woven to tell a story, asymmetrically, with numbers and symbols depicting “tale” pieces of the weaver. Gabbeh carpets, unlike the Persian and Persian carpets, which are the best carpets of the period, are coarse, the layers are long and the number of knots is much less than other carpets. Despite all their flaws, Gabbeh carpets started to become popular in the 1970s, and in 1974, they were promoted in Europe and America and spread rapidly all over the world. In this study, woven by the nomadic people in Iran, produced in the Zagros Mountains and plains and T.C. 10 Gabbeh carpets, which were seized and taken into custody with the file numbered 2015/274 of the Antalya 4th Enforcement Law Court, will be discussed in terms of technique, pattern and color.

Prerequisites for the formation of schools of Chinese Buddhism in the Nanbeichao period.

The article examines the initial stage of the formation of schools of Chinese Buddhism in the era of Nanbeichao (Northern and Southern kingdoms). Buddhism of the era of the Southern and Northern Kingdoms (386-589) is a little-studied period in the history of Buddhism in China in domestic science. At the same time, this period represents a very important stage in the development of Buddhism in China, characterized by the completion of the adaptation of Buddhism to the political, social, cultural and mental traditions of this country and the formation of Chinese religious and philosophical principles of Buddhism, which began during the reign of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420) and which continued during the period of the division of China into Southern and Northern kingdoms. The division of China began with the capture of the nomadic tribes of the Tobians of the northern part of the Eastern Jin (317-420). By this time, the rule of the Eastern Jin Dynasty was characterized by political chaos, internal strife, economic decline, famine and devastation. The research is based on translations of sources from Chinese, as well as on the works of Russian scientists. As a result of the study, it can be concluded that it was the period of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms that became a kind of prerequisite for the formation of Chinese schools of Buddhism, the appearance of which marked the final formation of Buddhism in China, known as "Chinese Buddhism". Translations of texts into Chinese became the basis for the formation of schools of Buddhism. The translation activity of Buddhist missionaries of the era of the Southern and Northern Kingdoms, despite the political, economic and social difficulties caused by internecine strife, the invasion of nomadic tribes, devastation and famine, steadily continued. The tradition of translation activities of the Eastern Jin was continued in the Southern and Northern kingdoms. During Southern and Northern Kingdom epoch was made a significant contribution to the development of Buddhism in China, preparing the textual ground for the formation of schools of Chinese Buddhism, which began in the subsequent Sui era (581-618) and ended in the Tang era (618-907).

Role of Mancala Games in Human Evolution, Cultural Development, and Education: An Anthropological Inquiry

Mancala games, a diverse category of traditional board games played across cultures worldwide, bear resemblances to chess in their significance to human evolution and cultural progress. Drawing from anthropological investigations, this research uncovers the adaptability of mancala games to farming, marine, and nomadic cultures, tracing their origins to ancient Egypt and their subsequent spread among diverse civilizations in Africa, Malaysia, and China. This study highlights the extensive contributions of mancala games across various educational domains, encompassing moral, intellectual, physical, and aesthetic education, all of which foster comprehensive human development. By examining the cultural, historical, and educational dimensions of mancala games, this research unveils their profound impact on human societies throughout history, shedding light on their enduring significance. Mancala games emerge as powerful tools for promoting moral reasoning, critical thinking abilities, strategic planning skills, physical coordination, and cultural understanding. They embody cultural traditions, transmit ancestral knowledge, and foster social cohesion. Through their entertainment value and ability to shape and enrich human experiences, mancala games weave a cultural tapestry that intertwines with human societies, both past and present.

‘Sense of place’ and conservation: Toponym diversity helps to maintain vegetation naturalness

Abstract Place names are an important but vanishing part of cultural diversity, and their relevance for environmental sciences is increasingly acknowledged. Still little is known about whether the diversity of toponyms affects human–nature relationships and the decisions of humans on how to use certain parts of the landscape. To investigate this question, we combined approaches from social sciences and ecology in a comprehensive multidisciplinary survey of 1521 cultural landscape features in Hungary. The landscape features studied were ancient millennia‐old burial earthen mounds built by nomadic steppic tribes, that often hold the last remnants of grassland vegetation and provide safe havens for grassland specialist plant and animal species in the intensively used agricultural landscapes of Eurasia. In our research, we (i) compiled a comprehensive database of the mounds in the 5150 km2‐sized study region, (ii) collected all toponyms of the mounds recorded since the 18th century, (iii) derived the height and distance from settlements for each mound and (iv) visited all the mounds in a field survey, and evaluated their vegetation naturalness. We found that despite the intensive landscape transformation in the region, and independently of topographical factors, a higher number of toponyms was associated with a higher degree of naturalness of the vegetation on the landscape features. Independently of the protective effect of the height of the mound against ploughing, and the distance from settlements that reflects to decreasing land use intensity, we found that the vegetation on the mounds with more names had a higher degree of naturalness. Synthesis and applications. Cultural recognition of these places has eroded considerably in the past centuries, but its effect is still noticeable, suggesting an extinction delay of culture‐driven biodiversity patterns. Our results suggest that reestablishment of the lost cultural connections between people and nature can contribute to reversing the deterioration. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

A Grounded Theory Approach to the Influence Mechanism of Residential Behavior among Mongolian Yurt Dwellers in China

The residential Mongolian yurt is representative of nomadic culture and its mobile residences. Behavior forms the closest connection the environment and people. There is almost no research about the residence and lifestyle of Mongolian yurt dwellers from the perspective of housing behavior. This study applied grounded theoretical methods to analyze the theoretical model of the influence mechanism of Mongolian yurt dwelling on behavior. Interviews were conducted according to the principle of purposive sampling, and were summarized in five categories: production lifestyle, natural environment, residential characteristics, cultural beliefs, and emotional experience. Production lifestyle is the core category and the critical factor in dwelling behavior, which interacts with the other main categories. Pastoral policy is the factor that has worked most quickly and directly to influence housing in yurts. Mongolians living in yurts on the prairie show higher satisfaction compared to those in urban housing, which is related to the Mongolian advocacy for nature and freedom.

A novel nomadic people optimizer-based energy-efficient routing for WBAN

A novel nomadic people optimizer-based energy-efficient routing for WBAN

Ethnic and Cultural Affiliation of the Xichaogou Burial Ground Based on Materials of the Xiongnu Culture Belt Plaques

Purpose of the work is to determine the ethnic and cultural affiliation of the population that left the Xichaogou burial ground. Xichaogou is an expressive archaeological complex located in the Liaoning region of China. The uniqueness of this necropolis lies in the fact that several hundred burials of varying degrees of preservation have been recorded in it. Inventory complexes of burials include ceramics, objects made of bronze, iron and stone. The materials of the site demonstrate the features of various cultures – Xiongnu, Buyeo, Han, Xianbi and etc. Since the burial inventory of the Xichaogou burial site demonstrates multicultural features, the question of the ethnic and cultural affiliation of the population that created this site is debatable.Materials and methods. In previous works, the problem of ethnic identification of the Xichaogou burial ground was solved on the basis of certain categories of grave artefacts. In this paper, the questions of the ethnic and cultural affiliation of the Xichaogou sie are considered on the material of the belt plaques decorated in the animal style. The main reason for this choice of material is that the shape and ornament of belt plaques reflect the ethnic and cultural identity of an individual or group in nomadic cultures. 17 belt plaques were found at the Xichaogou site. The entire amount of material is divided into 3 types according to such features as shape, rim ornament (teardrop-shaped, dotted, herringbone), manufacturing technique (presence of through openwork holes), method of fastening (presence of eyelets on the back side), function as part of a belt set (presence peg). A search for analogies to the groups of belt plaques in the Xiongnu culture, identified in the materials of the Sichagou site, has been undertaken.Result. It has been established that belt plaques from the materials of the Xichaogou burial ground find analogies in the vast territory of the Xiongnu culture in Northern Eurasia.Conclusion. It can be concluded that the population that created the Xichaogou site does not belong to the Xiongnu by ethnic origin, but was strongly influenced by this culture. The population of Xichaogou was formed on the basis of the local culture of the previous period. Various and diverse cultures of the eastern part of the Liaoning and the western part of the Jilin regions also contributed to its formation. At the current stage it is possible to identify the Xiongnu and Buyeo cultural components.

The Islamic Culture of Central Asia According to S. M. Dudin’s Materials (1900–1902)

The article presents materials reflecting the religious culture of the Muslim peoples of Central Asia, which were collected by S. M. Dudin during his trips (1900–1902) on the instructions of the Ethnographic Department of the Russian Museum (now the Russian Ethnographic Museum). They include attributes of Islamic cult, photographs of rituals and places of worship, as well as descriptions of various phenomena in religious life of the local population. He noted a much greater influence of Islam on the everyday culture of sedentary Uzbeks and Tajiks than on culture of nomads. At the same time, some pre-Islamic ideas and practices were still in use, for example, divination, magic healing and so on. Dudin has drawn attention to the city-forming significance of Muslim architecture and the role of places of worship in social life. Describing the attributes of the cult, he characterizes the peculiarities of their presence among different peoples of the region. Dudin has pointed out unique information provided by him about the dervishes and their participation in the Andijan uprising (1898). At present, the materials of Dudin’s journey: clothing, collection of photo, documents present a valuable historical source on religious culture of the Central Asia of the late 19th — early 20th centuries.

MELA YASÎNÊ ALIKÎ JÎYAN Û BERHEMÊN WÎ

Mela Yasîn Aliki is a poet and writer of the 20th century. Until now, his name has not been heard in Kurdish literature and has not been included in Kurdish literature. Mela Yasînê Alikis year of birth is not known exactly. There are two opinions about that they are 1891 and 1901. He died in 1976 in Patnos. Mela Yasînê Alikî is a member of the Alikan tribe and he is from Feqe Reşidê Alikî family. The Alikan tribe is a nomadic tribe and the family in question migrated from Cizre to Van and from there to Ağrı Patnos in 1882. Mela Yasîn was engaged in science and worked as an imam and professor in various villages of Ağrı and Van. Mela Yasînê Alikî, wrote few poems in Kurdish, and with them he brought Hz.Eli’s cengname to kurdish literature which named "Ġezwetu Hunayn". Most of his poems are obtained from cassette records and his Hz. Ali’s Cengname is available in three manuscripts. This cengname of Aliki is a rare genre in the classical Kurmanc literature. This text is about the Battle of Hunayn, and according to the available information, there is no verse and detached work on this subject in Kurmanc literature. In this respect, this work of Aliki is important in its field. Thanks to these works of Mela Yasînê Aliki, his literary side is revealed. In this study, the life, literary direction and works of Mela Yasînê Alikî will be introduced.

History of Animal Keeping in Ancient India and it’s Socio-Economic, Scientific Applicability in 21st Century

The human race is a member of the Mammalian class and the Primate Order. So, a human is also an animal. But what differs from other animal species is human wisdom. It is only humans who can domesticate other animals and use them to fulfill different needs. In hunting/gathering hominid societies, animals were rich sources of meat, skin, and bone. But the artistic and curious human mind kept records of his relationship with the animal world through rock paintings from the Upper Paleolithic era. From different centres of human habitats throughout the Indian Sub-Continent, a huge amount of animal remains have been discovered by Archeologists. Apart from kitchen waste which highlights the on-veg food habit of nomadic people, terracotta animal figurines, day-to-day bone tools, ivory and shell ornaments, artifacts etc., pointed out the importance and use of domesticated animals in human life. Animal domestication and husbandry became synonymous with Indian Proto-Historic and Historic civilizations not only economically / militarily but also with religious and cultural traditions. Sheep and goats were first domesticated by South Indian Neolithic men around 2 thousand and five hundred B.C. as sources of milk, wool, meat, leather and other commodities. Today’s Indian domestic fowl originated from red jungle fowl. Seals of Indus civilization were decorated with humped and hump-less bulls, goats, sheep, elephants, and fowl. Vedic Aryans husbanded horses, dogs, sheep, goats, fowl, elephants, cow-bull etc. During the Mauryan era, buffalo was included in the category of dairy cattle. Domestication of animals is not a new thing in human history. The novelty lies in Indian people’s attention and urge for the wellbeing of domesticated animals. Ancient Indian literature like Vedas, CharakSamhita, SushrutSamhita, HaritaSamhita, Agni Purana, Mastya Purana, Artha-Shastra etc. Provide proper guidance on orientation, construction, and purification of animal houses, besides veterinary Ayurvedic and surgical treatment of numerous diseases. In Vedic literature, Cow was considered as the measuring unit of wealth. Cow received the status of “Aghnya” [Not to be killed]. Priests were the first veterinarians of ancient India. Prominent among them were Shalihotra [Earliest expert in Horse medicine and author of “Haya Ayurveda”], Palakapya [Author of “Hasty- Ayurveda”] etc. 6th Century B.C. Indian rulers of Sravasti, Kousambi, and Lichabi kingdoms issued humped bull/cow inscribed coins. During the Indian invasion of Alexander the Great [326 B.C.], a Prince from Punjab presented Cock with engraved silver coins as a form of tribute. Arthashastra mentioned the King’s duty of ensuring enough pasture land near every village. Gopa was accountable for keeping a record of this land. Horses and Elephants were the two main war animals of the Mauryan army. Proper care was given to them. Hurting/killing of any of these species resulted in the death penalty. The third Mauryan Monarch, Asoka, after his conversion to Buddhism, established veterinary hospitals throughout his domain. Ancient Indians were aware of the technique of animal husbandry as well. In short ancient Indian Veterinary Ayurvedic and surgical treatments are effective in curing dysentery, cough, wound, infertility, and different infections besides psychological stress still in the Twenty-First Century. Besides terrestrial animals’ ancient Indian people were aware of the existence of fish, shells, and turtles. It is my aim in this essay to analyze customs, technologies and history of the domestication of animals by ancient Indian people and its socio-economic-scientific applicability in the scenario of the Twenty-First Century. I will utilize both primary and secondary sources to endure this goal.

Колесный транспорт в петроглифахгоры Усо в Армении: отражение реальных и мифологических представлений

The paper is aimed to examine petroglyphs depicting wheel transport on stones of Huso mountain in Armenia. The research objectives are to define design features of wheel transport, to determine its cultural and chronological background, to consider the semantics of these images. Semiotic analysis of historical content and analogy was used to cope with the task. Results. The first petroglyph presents a two-wheeled horsed carriage. The wheel transport cut on two other stones is depicted as an element of compositions. The first composition includes the following signs: a two-horse carriage (biga), two anthropomorphous forms, a chaotically twisting snake (a sign of anrta — chaos), two coiled snakes (a sign of rta — cosmic order). The second composition pictures a three-horse carriage (triga), an anthropomorphous form with a tool in hands, a bezoar goat (lat. Capra hircus aegagrus). The described petroglyphs with carriages are dated by the author by the methods of historical content and analogues from 2nd millennium BC. They contain mythological subjects connected with cosmogonic views reflected in Rigveda. The petroglyphic compositions accompanied some certain cult actions directed to advance the cattle-raising cycle coinciding with the summer solstice. As Aryans understood, by the beginning of each seasonal movement of nomadic tribes in the alpine zone, the charioteer Indra, following the cosmogonic plot, defeated the daemon Vritra who had turned water streams of Mt. Huso into snow and ice. Conclusion. The wheel transport petroglyphs on Mt. Huso stones are an important source for study.

The End of the Steppe Knights Existence or Last Manifestations of the Nomadic Spirit

The relevance of this study lies in the lack of a qualitative study of such an important historical phenomenon as the order of knights serı. Steppe knights as the last manifestation of the fighting spirit of the Kazakh people is a wonderful personification of nomadic culture. The real nomads were members of the cavalry order who descended from the famous military aristocracy of the nomads. Their musical and poetic world included in the history of military service and culture is a vivid embodiment of nomadic life. The aim of the paper is to formulate the conventional representation of the cultural and spiritual values of the Kazakh people, making a cultural and philosophical analysis of all manifestations of the nomadic people. During the research, a cultural evaluation was given of some ideological, religious-ethical, and storylines dating back to the era of the Ancient Saks, Huns, and Turkic Khaganate that unfolded in Central Asia in the 18-19th and early 20th centuries, the latest manifestations of free thought, the art of the colonised people, the talent of comrades-in-arms, the ancient art of the Kazakh people that has not lost its characterisation based on folk traditions and religious beliefs. In this study, various methods such as induction, deduction, historical, and cross-analysis were used. The results of the study reveal the exceptional features of the formation and development of nomadic knights and their deep influence on the culture of the peoples of Central Asia, which will be useful for understanding the folk identity of culture, aspects of their origin, and history.

Phraseological Units Designated Time in The Kyrgyz Language

The article is devoted to phraseological units that play an important role in the linguistic picture of the world of the Kyrgyz people, revealing the features of the lifestyle of the ethnic group. Research objectives: study of phraseological units denoting time in the Kyrgyz language. Research materials and methods: the article uses and analyzes phraseological units and their meanings in various life situations using the method of continuous selection, methods of semantic-cognitive and component analyses. Research results:given examples of phraseological units in the Kyrgyz language expressing the meanings of time in everyday rituals and customs. Conclusion: just like the ancient Kyrgyz nomadic people, most of phraseological units mean the subject of life and people behavior.

BETWEEN SEDENTISM AND NOMADISM: LIFEWAYS ON THE FOREST-STEPPE FRONTIER OF THE LEFT BANK OF DNIEPER IN SCYTHIAN TIME

The paper is devoted to the issue of reconstruction of the lifeways and economics of the part of tribes in the forest-steppe region of the Left Bank of Dnieper during the Scythian period. The question of the role of nomads and semi nomads in the ethnic and cultural history of the population is one of the most important, since the correct assessment of the interaction between the forest-steppe agricultural population and the different groups of nomads depends on the reconstruction of ethnic processes in the Left-bank forest-steppe du­ring Scythian time. It can be assumed that the Dnieper Left-bank forest-steppe by its environment and convenient ways attracted both farmers and nomads. This led to the use of several ecological niches, which was reflected in the spread of the settlement structure of farmers in the areas that are most suitable for agriculture (chernozem soils of various types) and rich in resources for life, construction, etc. (access to water, forest areas). The nomadic population that has subjugated farmers has repeatedly penetrated the region several times. Nomads mostly used the steppe areas and floodplains of the region, leaving behind the main type of sites — the mounds, burial rites of which are fundamentally different from the settled agricultural population.
 The study proposes the conditional use of the term «nomads» for groups of mobile pastoralists only at the time of their penetration into the region. In the new conditions, their lifeways significantly changed. The term reflects a transition to mobile stockbreeding within a limited territory of movement, permanent winter houses near the settlements and hillforts of the settled population of the region, prevailing transhumance, etc. At the moment, the term «semi nomads» is the most adequate for those groups of mobile pastoralists who remained in the forest-steppe region of the Left Bank of Dnieper during the Scythian time. Judging by the flat necropolis in Barvinkova Gora tract near Bilsk hillfort, a part of the migrants from the south turned to a sedentary way of life in the 4th century BC. In general, it can be assumed that the migration of nomads into the region significantly impacted lifeways of the local sedentary population.

THE CAUCASUS AND ADJACENT REGIONS IN THE COSMOGRAPHY OF FAKHR-I MODABBIR

Among the Muslim texts of the first half of the XIII century, one should highlight the narrative known to researchers as «Shajarai-e ansab-e Mobarakshah-i» («The Tree of the genealogies of Mubarak Shah») or «Bahr al-ansab» («The Sea of genealogies»). This work belongs to the pen of a Persian historian of the late XII - first half of the XIII century. Muhammad ibn Mansur ibn Sa'id or Fakhr-i Moddabir (Mubarak Shah). After the publication of the Persian text of this source, carried out in the first half of the XX century. By Edward Denison Ross, scientists have paid close attention to this work itself, as well as to the biography of its author. However, the most significant attention was focused on those sections of «Bahr al-ansab», where the author described the nomadic Turkic tribes of Desht-i Qipchak, as well as those where Fakhr-i Moddabir outlined the history of the Muslim dynasties that ruled in northern India. Much less attention was paid by specialists to the initial section of the introduction to "Bahr al-Ansab", in which the author proposed cosmography or a description of the world known to people at that time around them. For our part, I would like to understand first of all how, in the author's opinion, this world was arranged, into which regions it was divided, and what place the Caucasus and adjacent lands occupied in it. Here I would like to draw attention to what toponyms associated with the Caucasus Fakhr-i Moddabir mentions and what he reports about them. An equally important task of this study will be to identify the connections of this part of the text «Bahr al-Ansab» with earlier monuments of Muslim geographical and historical literature, which will make it possible to identify borrowings, but also independent reports of Fakhr-i Moddabir regarding the structure of the world known to mankind at that time. We hope that this work will be of interest to specialists in the history of Muslim geographical literature, as well as to researchers of the history of the Caucasus and adjacent regions in the pre-Mongol period.

THE CAUCASUS AND ADJACENT REGIONS IN THE COSMOGRAPHY OF FAKHR-I MODABBIR

Among the Muslim texts of the first half of the XIII century, one should highlight the narrative known to researchers as «Shajarai-e ansab-e Mobarakshah-i» («The Tree of the genealogies of Mubarak Shah») or «Bahr al-ansab» («The Sea of genealogies»). This work belongs to the pen of a Persian historian of the late XII - first half of the XIII century. Muhammad ibn Mansur ibn Sa'id or Fakhr-i Moddabir (Mubarak Shah). After the publication of the Persian text of this source, carried out in the first half of the XX century. By Edward Denison Ross, scientists have paid close attention to this work itself, as well as to the biography of its author. However, the most significant attention was focused on those sections of «Bahr al-ansab», where the author described the nomadic Turkic tribes of Desht-i Qipchak, as well as those where Fakhr-i Moddabir outlined the history of the Muslim dynasties that ruled in northern India. Much less attention was paid by specialists to the initial section of the introduction to "Bahr al-Ansab", in which the author proposed cosmography or a description of the world known to people at that time around them. For our part, I would like to understand first of all how, in the author's opinion, this world was arranged, into which regions it was divided, and what place the Caucasus and adjacent lands occupied in it. Here I would like to draw attention to what toponyms associated with the Caucasus Fakhr-i Moddabir mentions and what he reports about them. An equally important task of this study will be to identify the connections of this part of the text «Bahr al-Ansab» with earlier monuments of Muslim geographical and historical literature, which will make it possible to identify borrowings, but also independent reports of Fakhr-i Moddabir regarding the structure of the world known to mankind at that time. We hope that this work will be of interest to specialists in the history of Muslim geographical literature, as well as to researchers of the history of the Caucasus and adjacent regions in the pre-Mongol period.

Optimizing Alzheimer's disease prediction using the nomadic people algorithm

<span lang="EN-US">The problem with using microarray technology to detect diseases is that not each is analytically necessary. The presence of non-essential gene data adds a computing load to the detection method. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to reduce the high-dimensional data size by determining the most critical genes involved in Alzheimer's disease progression. A study also aims to predict patients with a subset of genes that cause Alzheimer's disease. This paper uses feature selection techniques like information gain (IG) and a novel metaheuristic optimization technique based on a swarm’s algorithm derived from nomadic people’s behavior (NPO). This suggested method matches the structure of these individuals' lives movements and the search for new food sources. The method is mostly based on a multi-swarm method; there are several clans, each seeking the best foraging opportunities. Prediction is carried out after selecting the informative genes of the support vector machine (SVM), frequently used in a variety of prediction tasks. The accuracy of the prediction was used to evaluate the suggested system's performance. Its results indicate that the NPO algorithm with the SVM model returns high accuracy based on the gene subset from IG and NPO methods.</span>

Образы «своих» и «чужих» в топонимии и топонимических преданиях донских казаков

Introduction. The studies carried out to date on the settlements of the Don Cossacks and the toponymic system associated with them can and should be continued, since they open up prospects for further identifying the images of those with whom the Cossacks waged incessant wars, conquering and protecting the Russian and Don lands. They make it possible to trace the evolution of the development of the images of “us” and “others”, as well as to identify the socio-cultural image of the Cossacks themselves, reflected in the characteristics of the “others.” Methods and Materials. To solve these problems, field materials were used, collected by the ethnographic expedition of the Volgograd State University, the Southern Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 1983–2011, as well as the author’s personal trips to places of compact residence of the Don Cossacks on the territory of the Volgograd region, and newspapers materials of the second half of the 19th century. Analysis. The analysis showed that the system of toponyms and toponymic folk legends reflected the historical realities associated with the constant military confrontation between the Cossacks and nomadic peoples living in the neighborhood, as well as the respectful attitude of the Cossacks to their enemies. A significant number of toponyms associated with the Tatar and Circassian population, not erased over time in the memory of the Cossacks, but preserved and overgrown with new legends, testifies to how different cultural traditions coexisted peacefully in Diko Pole, despite the extreme nature of life in the zone of constant war. Along with the historical background of the life of the Cossacks, reflected in the toponyms, the mythology of the antithesis “ours and others” is studied, reflecting the Cossack version of social history and eschatology. Results. Analysis of the legends about the ancient inhabitants of the Don land showed that they appear as mythological creatures associated with the other world, secrets, treasures and dungeons, and in the context of folk eschatology they appear as ancestors – those who “left, but promised to return.” Over time, the images of alien ancestors are replaced in the Don legends by the images of Cossack chieftains, who are also guardians of treasures and must return “in the end times” to restore social justice in the world. Along with the change in the socio-cultural model of the Cossacks, the image of “aliens” was also transformed from the perception of neighbors-enemies as such to “nonresident” living in Cossack settlements, but not associated with the Cossack military service. At all stages of the history of the Cossacks, the antithesis “we–they” reflected in toponyms and legends, was associated with the military status of the Cossacks and contributed to the search and the strengthening of the group’s own identity.