West Siberian Research Articles

Spatial organization of the bird communities of Central Siberia

Based on extensive information on the numbers and distribution of birds obtained during route surveys over the past 60 years, a classification of the bird communities of Central Siberia is considered at the level of its types. The specificity of this classification is determined by the predominance of latitudinal-zonal types over non-zonal ones. The main directions of territorial changes in the bird communities are determined by afforestation and watering, combined with latitudinal zonation. Less significant differences in ornithocomplexes are associated with the altitudinal zone and built-up area concerned. The main natural and anthropogenic factors and the hierarchy of their importance for the spatial differentiation of the bird populations have been established. The regional specificity of the spatial organization of the bird communities in Central Siberia in comparison with the Eastern European and West Siberian plains is reduced to the manifestation of high-altitude zonation due to differences in mountain-tundra ornithocomplexes, a greater differentiation of forest ornithocomplexes and less represented non-zonal population types.

Development of a demulsifier and technological process study for the preparation of highly viscous heavy oils for refinement

One of the challenges in the petroleum industry is the production of highly viscous heavy oils, often accompanied by undesirable emulsion formation with very high aggregate stability. To prepare the crude oils for refinement, the oils must be destroyed. The destruction of aqueous emulsions containing highly viscous heavy oils is an intricate task owing to the comparatively small disparity in water and oil densities, as well as the high viscosity of the dispersive medium and its high content of mechanical impurities. The problem of the destruction of petroleum emulsions arises desperately during the desalination and dehydration of crude oils with a high content of emulsifiers (resins, asphalts, paraffin, etc.) The creation of a highly efficient demulsifier and the development of an optimal technological process for the preparation of highly emulsifying oils that are distinguished by the composition and quantity of emulsifiers of West Siberian oils, which are widely refined in Russia, are the ways to resolve this challenging and timely issue. This study focuses on the viscous heavy oil of the Verbliouje deposit in the Astrakhan region. It also explains the creation of an effective demulsifier for the destruction of petroleum emulsions characterized by a very high emulsifying power and the fundamental principles of the development of deep dehydration technology and desalination of such high-viscosity heavy oils.

Taxon Boundaries Unifying Homogeneous Territories by Geocomplex Features in Climatic Zonation

Road-building climatic zonation developed in the 1950s for the territory of the former Soviet Union, does not take into account natural climatic conditions of many regions occupying a significant area of Russia, which limits periods between the highway repair. The development of new territories, for example, the vast Arctic zone, requires a methodological approach from various organizations to the areas by the geographical complex, within which the same type of road structures will be characterized by the same strength and stability. To date, there is no unified, standardized methodology of road-building climatic zonation, providing the required level of reliability of structural and technological solutions at design and construction stages of roads.Purpose: To summarize the results of long-term studies carried out by the authors on the territory of 14 administrative formations of the West Siberian region.Research findings: Schematic is proposed for taxonomic division of territories based on the elements of the geographical complex of administrative entities of the Russian Federation. Differences between the calculated values of clay soil properties given in normative documents and experimental data, are shown on the example of the territory of the Omsk region.

The VII International Field Symposium was held in Yugra “West Siberian peatlands and the carbon cycle: past and present”

The article covers the results of the VII International Field Symposium "West Siberian Peatlands and the Carbon Cycle: Past and Present", which was held in the Khanty-Mansiysk autonomous okrug – Yugra (Khanty-Mansiysk, Beloyarsky) in August 16–26, 2024. The Symposium brought together over 180 scientists specializing in bog science, ecology and carbon balance. The main topics of the plenary and sectional sessions were: the role of bogs in the global carbon cycle, environmental modeling, biodiversity and ecology of bogs, biogeochemical cycles of natural andanthropogenically disturbed bog ecosystems, biogeochemistry of peat and bog waters, paleoecology and history of bog ecosystems development, the impact of modern climate change on forest-bog ecosystems. At the roundtable meetings, the participants discussed the possibilities of using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the study and mapping of bog ecosystems, and shared their experience in implementation of forest-climate projects.

Distribution, community structure and metabolic potential of bacterioplankton in a small boreal lake: Microscopy-based survey and 16S rRNA-based DNA metabarcoding

Bacteria are numerous and diverse organisms that have a significant impact on the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. On the vast territory of the West Siberian Lowland (Russia) there are many rivers, lakes and bogs, the microbial communities of which are almost unexplored. Here, we report the study results on the distribution, diversity, community structure and functions of bacterioplankton in the pelagic and littoral zones of one of the lakes, located in this region (Lake Kuchak) obtained using microscopic techniques and 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding. The high total bacterial abundance and biomass, the diversity indices, and the high number of Actinobacteria amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), along with the relatively low number of Betaproteobacteria ASVs, indicate the eutrophication of the lake, especially in its overgrown littoral zone. Similar bacterial communities developed in the pelagic and littoral zones due to similar environmental conditions in these habitats of this small and shallow lake. Nevertheless, there were some differences between the pelagic and littoral zones, causing differences in the bacterial communities of these zones more in size and morphological structure than in taxonomic composition. Comparative analysis of the bacterial metabolic ways showed the higher functional potential in the pelagic zone compared to the littoral one. Signs of methylotrophic and methanotrophic activities, as well as pollutant biodegradation potential of the bacterioplankton were identified. The bacterial distribution and community composition indicates the input of organic substances into the lake from the watershed, but also shows the community resistance to allochthonous microorganisms. Alpha diversity indices, distribution of taxonomic groups and some other results indicate deterioration of water quality in the overgrown littoral zone.

West Siberian sedimentary basin. Crustal subsidence caused by rock contraction in its lower part due to prograde metamorphism

The history of the crustal subsidence in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic in the West Siberian Basin – the largest sedimentary basin in the world – is considered. Most researchers associate its formation with post-rift subsidence of the crust, which followed an episode of strong lithospheric stretching about 250 million years ago near to the Permian to the Triassic transition. A characteristic feature of post-rift subsidence is a decrease in its rate in time. During the Mesozoic-Cenozoic history, in Western Siberia the rate of crustal subsidence should have slow down by an order of magnitude. However, the analysis of long (700–900 km) seismic profiles in the north of Western Siberia and in the Southern Kara Sea shows that since the beginning of the Mesozoic in these regions, on average, there has been an acceleration of the crustal subsidence. Under such circumstances, lithospheric stretching in them could be responsible for only a small part of the total subsidence of the crust of 6–7 km. In Western Siberia, the Earth’s crust is close to the isostatic equilibrium. Then, in the absence of strong stretching, the accumulation of thick sedimentary sequences in the basin could only have been caused by rock contraction in the lower crust due to prograde metamorphic reactions. To obtain the above results, we used, for the first time, some simple methods to analyze the structure of the sedimentary cover in the West Siberian Basin. Detailed seismic profiles have been published for many other deep basins on all the continents. The methods of their interpretation implemented in this paper can be easily applied to determine the role of lithospheric stretching in the formation of deep sedimentary basins on the global scale.

Genome-wide association study revealed some new candidate genes associated with flowering and maturity time of soybean in Central and West Siberian regions of Russia.

The duration of flowering and maturity is an important agricultural trait determining the suitability of a variety for cultivation in the target region. In the present study, we used genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) to search for loci associated with soybean flowering and maturity in the Central and West Siberian regions of Russia. A field experiment was conducted in 2021/2022 at two locations (Orel and Novosibirsk). A germplasm collection of 180 accessions was genotyped using SoySNP50K Illumina Infinium Bead-Chip. From the initial collection, we selected 129 unrelated accessions and conducted GWAS on this dataset using two multi-locus models: FarmCPU and BLINK. As a result, we identified 13 loci previously reported to be associated with duration of soybean development, and 17 new loci. 33 candidate genes were detected in these loci using analysis of co-expression, gene ontology, and literature data, with the best candidates being Glyma.03G177500, Glyma.13G177400, and Glyma.06G213100. These candidate genes code the Arabidopis orthologs TOE1 (TARGET OF EAT 1), SPL3 (SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN LIKE 3), the DELLA protein, respectively. In these three genes, we found haplotypes which may be associated with the length of soybean flowering and maturity, providing soybean adaptation to a northern latitudes.

Maps of agrolandscape and ecological zoning of natural and natural-agricultural ecosystems of the Russian Federation

Agriculture has a large area of coverage and places the greatest burden on land, soil, water and biological resources in many countries of the world. Agricultural lands occupy huge areas in the world (4.8 billion hectares, or 37% of the land) and in Russia (221.9 million hectares, or 13% of the Russian Federation area). The agriculture best adapted to local conditions is the most beneficial one for people and nature. The main direction of agricultural adaptation is agrolandscape-ecological zoning. In order to provide information support for regionally, landscapeand ecologically differentiated agriculture and rational environmental management, an agrolandscape– ecological zoning of natural and natural-agricultural ecosystems was developed for the first time for all 11 natural-economic regions of Russia, namely, Northern, North-Western, Volga–Vyatka, Central, Central Black Earth, Volga, North Caucasus, Ural, West Siberian, East Siberian, and Far Eastern. The zoning was carried out using comparative geographical and agrolandscape-ecological methods, ecological-landscape and agroecological approaches. The contour and information basis for zoning is the map of Soil–Ecological zoning of the Russian Federation from the Faculty of Soil Science of Lomonosov Moscow State University. Maps of other types of zoning, numerous maps and atlases, statistical data, available literary and stock sources, ground-based and remote data were also used. Our sets of zoning materials included: a map, a map legend, 3 databases (land, forage lands, and negative processes), 2 classifications (forage lands, reindeer pastures, if any), articles, monographs, recommendations, and proposals for production. The maps have been compiled on a 1:2,500,000 scale on a modern, highly informative topographic cartographic basis for the map of Russian Federation. The maps show 6 types of boundaries, including 4 types of agrolandscape-ecological ones (taken from the Soil–Ecological Zoning map): 1) zones, 2) mountainous territories, 3) provinces, 4) districts and 2 types of administrative ones (available on the cartographic basis) of: 1) constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and 2) natural-economic regions.

Качество зерна новых сортов яровой пшеницы в Северном Зауралье

Abstract. The production of high-quality food wheat grains depends to a large extent on the quality potential of the cultivated varieties and the conditions that ensure its implementation. Studies have identified quality-resistant varieties and factors that ensure an optimal combination of yield and grain quality. The purpose of the research is to consider the possibilities of new varieties of spring wheat to form the technological properties of grain in the northern forest-steppe of the Tyumen region. Methods. Studies were carried out in 2021 and 2022 in the northern forest-steppe zone of the Tyumen region at the Ishim state section. The soil is leached chernozem. The predecessor in the experience is pure steam. The technological properties of wheat grain were assessed by the West Siberian Interregional Center for Comprehensive Quality Assessment of the Tested Varieties (Barnaul). The main criteria for assessing wheat varieties are taken as the gluten content in flour, the strength of flour according to the alveograph and the liquefaction of the test according to the farinograph, these indicators in local conditions are often limiting when assessing varieties according to bakery strength. According to the results of studies, it was established that the indicator “gluten content in flour” in the studied varieties significantly depended on meteorological conditions. For example, in 2022, with a higher degree of moisture and a lower degree of heat compared to 2021, in the predominant part of the varieties (80 %), the amount of gluten in the flour was lower than the standards for wheat filler. At the same time, the following varieties showed high opportunities to provide flour with the amount of gluten: Tyumenskaya 25, Agronomicheskaya 5, Baganochka, Dorada, Tyumenskaya 29, Varden. Varieties stood out – their indicators were at the level of requirements for strong wheat: Baganochka, Ishimskaya 12 and Lenta 45. In terms of “dough liquefaction”, a significant part of the varieties corresponded to the class “wheat-filler”. At the level of strong wheat were indicators in the varieties Ishimskaya 12, Zagora Novosibirsk, Nitsa. Scientific novelty: In the conditions of the northern forest-steppe of the Tyumen region, new scientific information has been obtained on the formation by new varieties of spring soft wheat of the state test of technological indicators characterizing the baking power of flour. The highest gluten content in flour of 70% yield was distinguished by the varieties Agronomic 5, Dorada, Varden, Baganochka, Ishimskaya 12, and Lenta varieties were characterized by high indicators of the physical properties of the test on the alveograph; Ishimskaya 12 on the farinograph, Zagora Novosibirsk, Nice.

HIERARCHICAL NEURAL NETWORKS IN PREDICTING THE PROPERTIES OF OIL AND GAS RESERVOIRS BASED ON WELL AND SEISMIC DATA

This paper describes a technique for hierarchical neural networks based on the nearest neighbor method with preliminary clustering of the original training dataset and construction of a search cluster decision tree. This method is a promising alternative to neural network technologies with deep learning and has quite a few advantages: high learning rate, identification of objects with a low degree of similarity, and the ability to generalize and retrain. As shown by testing the hierarchical neural network method on real data from the West Siberian oil and gas province, predicting the oil saturation in the Vikulov suite interval is much faster and more efficient than inversion approaches to quantitative interpretation of seismic data while achieving fairly similar geological results. This characterizes the proposed method of hierarchical neural networks as an effective tool for the quantitative interpretation of seismic data to solve geological problems.

Suicides in Siberia from 1925 to 1937: Causes, Dynamics, and Significance

This article attempts to establish the causes, trace the dynamics, and assess the significance of suicides that occurred in the Siberian and West Siberian regions between 1925 and 1937. The research is based on a diverse array of sources, including statistical compilations, minutes from meetings, resolutions from party, Soviet, and Komsomol bodies, reports from special commissions, administrative correspondence, and materials from periodical publications. Through a comprehensive analysis of this heterogeneous information, the article demonstrates an increase in the number of suicides in Siberia, elucidates the demographic and social-professional composition of those who voluntarily ended their lives, and identifies the methods employed as well as the most common reasons for suicide. These parameters are analyzed in comparison with similar indicators across the RSFSR and the USSR, revealing the presence of regional specificity. The article challenges the prevailing historiographical view that placed sole responsibility for suicides on the individuals themselves. It presents evidence that one significant avenue for combating suicides involved holding accountable those whose actions or inactions contributed to these tragic events. The conclusion drawn is that, despite failing to achieve tangible success in preventing suicides, the higher political leadership at both regional and provincial levels managed to create an illusion that this phenomenon had been entirely eradicated.

Soil Respiration Under a Short–Term Drought on the Example of Typical West Siberian Bogs (Middle Taiga)

Cumulative (June–August) soil respiration (Rsoil(cum)), obtained based on field measurements and mathematical modeling, increased from wet areas of the oligotrophic bog to drained ones – “Hollow E.”, “Hollow Sh.” (hollows, dominated by Eriophorum vaginatum and Scheuchzeria palustris, respectively), “Open bog” (sphagnum bog with sparse low pine trees), “Ridge” (oligotrophic ridges covered with low pine trees), “Tall ryam” and “Ryam” (forested pine-shrub-sphagnum bog): 135 ± 2.3, 139 ± 2.4, 275 ± 7.8, 279 ± 7.5, 466 ± 16.4, 510 ± 18.5 g C/ (m2 season), respectively (mean ± std). An important factor of seasonal and annual variability of Rsoil was the water table level (WTL): the extremely low amount of precipitation (6 mm) that fell in July 2022 led to a sharp drop of WTL in August, an increase of the aerated soil zone. As result, total Rsoil(cum) over the summer in the studied biotopes increases by 29–54% compared to the same period in 2021. At the same time, the most intensive growth of Rsoil during the drop of the WTL was on the edge of the bog (“Tall ryam”, “Ryam” and “Open Bog”), in contrast to its central area.

Oxygen isotope studies of the largest West Siberian mammoth sites and implications for last glacial maximum climate reconstruction

This study examines the isotopic potential of mammoth remains from three paleontological sites in the southeast of the West Siberian Plain (SEWS): Shestakovo, Krasnoyarskaya Kurya, and Volchia Griva. We analysed oxygen isotopes from 29 mammoth enamel and tusk samples and horse and deer enamel samples. We verified sample preservation using ATR-FTIR and obtained δ18Op, δ18Oc, and reconstructed δ18Ow values for 28-22 ka cal BP. Preservation assessments revealed variable preservation conditions. Our findings indicate an increase of 1.4‰ in reconstructed δ18Ow values from glacial levels at 28-23 ka to late-glacial conditions at ca. 17–15.5 ka, likely reflecting climatic warming at the end of the Pleistocene. The extensive fossil material at these sites offers significant potential for further Last Glacial Maximum studies.

Experiment of Quantitative Study of Variety of Mineral Soil Bodies (Pedomatrix)

The question of the study of soil bodies (pedomatrids) independently of soil systems, although raised earlier, has not yet found a concrete reflection in the soil literature. Two groups of quantitative indicators of pedomatrids (granulometric and gross chemical compositions) have been converted to reflect not only their content but also their distribution in the soil profile. A total of 16 indicators were obtained for each pedomatrix. The soil data sample covered a fairly wide area of the European, West Siberian and Central Asian parts of the former USSR. To assess the macrostructure of the data sample, the pedomatrices were grouped according to these 16 indicators. Only a few groups with more than three objects each and many smaller groups with one object each have been found. On the one hand, this seems to confirm the independence of soil varieties from each other, but, on the other hand, the resulting groups are quite heterogeneous, both geographically and in terms of soil classification (according to the soil classifications of the USSR (1977) and Russia (2004)). This confirms the idea of V. O. Targulyan about the necessity of studying the geography and classification of soil bodies, regardless of soils.

Multi-scale beta-diversity patterns in testate amoeba communities: species turnover and nestedness along a latitudinal gradient.

The relationship between species diversity and spatial scale is a central topic in spatial community ecology. Latitudinal gradient is among the core mechanisms driving biodiversity distribution on most scales. Patterns of β-diversity along latitudinal gradient have been well studied for aboveground terrestrial and marine communities, whereas soil organisms remain poorly investigated in this regard. The West Siberian Plain is a good model to address diversity scale-dependence since the latitudinal gradient does not overlap with other possible factors such as elevational or maritime. Here, we collected 111 samples following hierarchical sampling (sub-zones, ecosystem types, microhabitat and replicate samples) and performed multi-scale partitioning of β-diversity of testate amoeba assemblages as a model of study. We found that among-ecosystem β-diversity is a leading scale in testate amoeba assemblages variation. Rare species determine β-diversity at all scale levels especially in the northern regions, where rare taxa almost exclusively accounted for the diversity at the ecosystem level. β-Diversity is generally dominated by the turnover component at all scales in lower latitudes, whereas nestedness prevailed at among-ecosystem scale in higher latitudes. These findings indicate that microbial assemblages in northern latitudes are spatially homogeneous and constrained by historical drivers at larger scales, whereas in southern regions, it is dominated by the turnover component both at the microhabitat and ecosystem scales and therefore determined by recent vegetation and environmental heterogeneity. Overall, we have provided the evidence for the existence of negative latitudinal gradient for among-ecosystem β-diversity but not for among-microhabitat and among-sample β-diversity for terrestrial testate amoeba communities.

Circular settlements of the Trans-Urals and Western Siberia from the Neolithic to the early iron age

Circular in plan fortified settlements, or ring settlements, were an ideal type of lowland fortifications. One of their prototypes is unfortified settlements with a closed layout of dwellings in a circle and an oval. In the north of Eurasia, ring fortifications emerged in the Neolithic (6th–4th millennia BC), in the fisher-hunter-gatherers’ communities in the taiga area of the Ob’ River Basin and the mountain-forest Trans-Urals, during the mass settlement of these territories in the context of global warming. In the Bronze Age (late 3rd – early 1st millennium BC), such fortified settlements, as well as promontory and riverside fortified settlements, disappeared in the taiga giving way to large earth-timber fortified dwellings. At the beginning of the Bronze Age, during the next xerotherm, in the steppes of the Trans-Urals, pastoralists who migrated from South-Eastern Europe erected circular fortresses (the Sintashta culture of the 21st–18th centuries BC). Probably, the construction of circular in plan unfortified settlements of the Tashkovo culture in the forests of the Lower Tobol region in the 21st/20th – 16th centuries BC was influenced by the steppe defensive architecture. The earliest taiga fortified settlements were developing independently of the forest-steppe and steppe settlements. The former and the latter alike were economic, industrial, social and, possibly, cult centres of communities. A new mass distribution of ring settlements in the forest-steppe area of the Tobol-Irtysh region, and later in the taiga area of the Surgut and Lower Ob’ River region, took place at the end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age (8th/7th centuries BC – 3rd/4th centuries AD). In the 6th/5th centuries BC – 3rd/4th centuries AD, the defensive systems of some West Siberian fortifications were supplemented with bastion-tower elements borrowed from the Saka people of the Aral Sea region.

Embryonic death as a probable reason for the collapse of population densities in Lymantria dispar (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae, Lymantriinae)

For the first time the causes of mass death of embryos in a population of Lymantria dispar (Linnaeus, 1758) with biochemical and molecular methods are investigated. In this study egg masses were collected in the territory of Russia from two populations, with low (the West Siberian population) and high (Trans-Ural) density and analyzed. Spring hatching of larvae from the eggs stored under constant laboratory conditions at 2º C was two times lower for insects of the Trans-Ural (TU) population compared to the West Siberian (WS) population (43 ± 6 % and 86 ± 7 % accordingly). The level of virus defined by PCR for TU and WS populations was 76±9 % and 36±6%, respectively. The major components of eggs were the same between populations. However, we found decreased concentrations of proteins important for embryogenesis in TU population, such as an arilforin-like molecule and no vitellin 2-like component. Field data were comparable to those of the laboratory, and in TU populations there was a decrease of density. The obtained results suggest that alteration in hormonal balance of the infected with nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) insects may lead to a decrease or absence of some key proteins of embryogenesis in eggs. It can influence hatching of larvae from eggs and, accordingly, population dynamics of the lepidopteran.

On the Crustal Sources of Magnetic Anomalies in the Middle Urals

The 800×500 sq km area of the the Middle Urals, Russia, lying between 56 to 60° northern latitude and 54 to 66° eastern longitude, was studied in terms of the deep crustal structure. The study was based on three-dimensional modeling of the sources of magnetic anomalies in three layers of the Earth’s crust. The studied area covers the folded region of the Urals and adjacent structures of the East European Platform and the West Siberian Plate. The sources modeled in the near-surface layer down to a depth of 5 km make it possible to clarify the position of magnetized massifs, mainly consisting of mafic-ultrabasic rocks, and to trace their connection with mafic-ultrabasic belts in the granite layer and root blocks in the lower basaltic layer of the Earth’s crust. When the sources in the upper crustal layer are compared with those in the lower crustal layer, it is apparent that many belts on the platform have deep-seated roots and are located above the basalt layer protrusions, while most of the massifs in the Urals do not have deep-seated roots. The springs located under the western slope of the Urals allow reliably determining the depth to the basement of the ancient platform and the location of the eastern border of the East European Platform in the lower layer of the Earth’s crust. There were found extended zones of subsidence of the roof of the lower magnetized layer, which probably mark the boundaries of various terrains forming the paleo-island arc sector of the Ural fold system. The most extensive subsidence of the roof of the lower layer occurs to the west of the Tyumen-Chudinovsky fault and is perhaps the eastern deep-seated dividing line between the Ural fold system and the West Siberian Plate.

The structure of the community according to the data from the Bronze Age burial ground of Bestamak

The Bestamak burial ground is located in the center of the Turgai trough, which connects the West Siberian and Turanian plains. The data obtained during its study suggests that of all prehistoric sites, closest to Bestamak is the well-known Sintashta largest burial ground (Sintashta mogila; SM). The analysis of combinations of ver-sions of artifacts in the graves of the burial ground shows that the community that formed it developed peacefully without major cataclysms over the lifetime of three generations of leaders. This gives us an opportunity of trying to reconstruct the social aspects of its functioning. This article represents such an attempt. The social heterogeneity of the community can be seen starting from the peculiarities of the burial structures. Some of the members were buried on a special ritual-sacrificial slot of the burial ground, without a moat. Unfortunately, it is unclear whether they formed a separate group during their lifetime or whether the selection was carried out as the moment arose. At the same time, the property qualification was not in effect, and the attempt to exclude the most able-bodied age group can be observed. The latter suggests not a random, but rather purposeful selection of candidates for a spe-cial burial. The absolute predominance of axe-adzes and quiver sets of arrows in male burials demonstrates the leading role of men in the most important aspects that ensured the very possibility of the existence of the commu-nity. The main tools of women's labor (knife, needle and piercer) show that a significant proportion of their activi-ties was sewing, and normally their production-household work was taking place within the settlement. However, in two female burials (graves 10 and 51) quiver sets of arrows were found, and in two (graves 51 and 111) axe-adzes. These findings demonstrate the possibility of involvement of women in almost all aspects of functioning of the community and, accordingly, allow us to assume their rather high social status. Two main social strata can be observed within the community. Elite burials are often marked by a pair of intact horse skeletons placed above the burial chamber. These are considered to be an important feature of the “chariot complex”. Since in our case pairs of horses were found not only in single male burials, but also in single female ones (graves 26 and 35), as well as in the burials of adults with children (graves 20 and 170), it appears we are dealing not just with charioteers them-selves, but rather with the elite (“equestrian”) segment of the community, whose representatives had the right and opportunity to use chariots. Ordinary community members (“shepherds”) did not have the right for a chariot, moreover, their burials did not contain a horse sacrifice. They dealt with small and large cattle in the meantime providing for the needs of the “equestrian” ones. The elite supplied ge-neral civil (sign of a mace), military (sign of a battle ax), and ritual-sacred (sign of a sickle) leaders, as well as those in metal production (sign of a blower nozzle). In the ritual-sacred sphere, it was sometimes possible for a woman to perform the functions of a leader. Initially, in each of these areas, the leaders were separate. At some stage of the development of the community, this changed. In burial 140, the deceased is accompanied by a pair of horses, a chariot, a mace, a battle axe, sickles, other metal items (15), a quiver set of arrows, etc. It appears that during his lifetime he possessed the fullness of civil, military and ritual-sacred power, which was supported by the ability to operate significant, on a community scale, material resources. There is a reason to believe that property differentiation was interconnected with the hierarchy system. The “equestrian” members clearly had the opportunity to consume a larger share of the social product than the “shepherds”.

Глубинное строение Среднего Урала по гравитационным и магнитным данным

For the Middle Urals and adjacent territories of the East European and West Siberian platforms within geographic coordinates from 56º to 60º northern latitude and from 54º to 66º east longitude, the structural features of the anomalous magnetic and gravitational fields were studied and maps of separated anomalies were constructed for three layers of the earth's crust. Using original parallel algorithms for solving forward and inverse problems of gravimetry and magnetometry, a density model of the lithosphere and sources of magnetic anomalies in the earth's crust were constructed. The results of modeling the sources of magnetic anomalies in the Earth's crust are compared with the density model in order to study the differences in the deep structure of the western paleocontinental and eastern paleo-island arc sectors of the Ural fold system, as well as the zones of junction of the orogen with the East European and West Siberian platforms.