Western Lesser Research Articles

A superb axe-head of G-type flint from the vicinity of Bronocice as a reason to consider the production of macrolithic four-sided tools in the Eneolithic of Lesser Poland

This article presents the study of a unique artefact in the form of a very large trapezoidal axe-head with rectangular section from Słupów, Lesser Poland, against the background of Eneolithic phenomena occurring in the area. The specimen is in the collection of the Archaeological Museum in Kraków since 1929, but has not been discussed until now. It was made by local communities from flint of the G variety, a raw material exploited by Eneolithic groups in western Lesser Poland. The axe-head from Słupów is one of the largest flint axes to have been discovered on Polish lands. This find provokes a broader discussion of the role of local production of macrolithicfour-sided forms against a wider background.

The Lesser Poland version of Silesian folk costume Attitudes towards the Cieszyn folk costume displayed by regionalists east of the Biała River in the 21 st century

The Cieszyn folk costume, also referred to as the Silesian or the Valachian costume, is an important element of the cultural heritage of Cieszyn Silesia. It has been analysed in many academic and popular publications, both in terms of its material aspect and its role within the society. Thus far, however, authors focused on the region of Cieszyn Silesia in its historical borders, while in the early 20th century the Cieszyn folk costume could also be seen in what is now the Bestwina, Wilamowice and Brzeszcze communes, historically belonging to the region of Lesser Poland. Nowadays, it is worn for church ceremonies, as well as by members of folk dance and song ensembles and Rural Housewives Associations from the area. In some localities, there have been initiatives to replace the Cieszyn folk costume with others, e.g. the so-called lachowski (Lachy) attire, which used to be worn in the region and is associated with the cultural heritage of western Lesser Poland. The aim of this article is to analyse the various attitudes towards the Cieszyn folk costume as part of the heritage of western Lesser Poland. Some see it as a source of pride, others, as unwanted heritage. The analysis is based on interviews with local activists coupled with field observation and examination of photographic documentation available on the Internet.

New data about the provenance of the Early Eneolithic copper artefacts from western Lesser Poland

Abstract The Early Eneolithic period in Lesser Poland is represented by the Lublin-Volhynian culture and the Wyciąże-Złotniki group. For both of them, the main cultural references were the Middle Copper Age groups from the Carpathian Basin (the Bodrogkeresztúr, the Hunyadihalom-Lažňany, the Balaton-Lasinja cultures, as well as the Ludanice, and the Bajč-Retz-Gajary groups). One of the most important indicators of the Transcarpathian influence was the use of various copper objects by local communities and their deposition in graves. A set of seventeen objects, mostly from well-dated grave contexts, was analysed to establish the provenance of the copper artefacts used in western Lesser Poland. This set included artefacts discovered in Złota Grodzisko I and Grodzisko II, Książnice 2, Koniecmosty, Kraków-Wyciąże 5 and Kraków-Cło 7. Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis was used to study the chemical compositions, while lead isotope ratios were determined using a inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (HR-MC-ICP-MS). In addition, some of the objects were visually inspected under a digital microscope to determine how they were made and used. As a result of this analytical programme, it was possible to establish that both Lesser Poland groups used the same copper distribution networks. Initially (c. 4050–3950 BC), the copper originated from the mines in Serbia that at the time were controlled, as suggested in the literature, by the peoples of the Bodrogkeresztúr culture, and also from the mines in the Slovak ore Mountains, linked to the Ludanice group. It appears, however, that from c. 3950 BC onwards, the only source of metal for the production of copper objects used by the inhabitants of western Lesser Poland were the mines located in the Slovak Ore Mountains. This research also suggested that, while around 3950–3800 BC, there was a marked regression in the production and use of copper artefacts in the Carpathian Basin, in the area of western Lesser Poland there was an increase in the use and, most likely, local production of original copper jewellery.

THE KASPERIVTSI 1908 HOARD OF ROMAN DENARII AND KAROL WILHELM HALAMA: SOME NOTES

In 1908, a hoard of Roman denarii was found near the village of Kasperivtsi (Chortkivs'kyy Region). From the very beginning, there have been a number of misunderstandings and inaccuracies around it, which persist to this day. One of the persons who published information about the find was Karol Wilhelm Halama aka Hallama (1871–1948), a postal clerk from Żywiec, a small town in western Lesser Poland. Halama collected antique coins, which he donated to the National Museum in Krakow in 1946. As a member of the Numismatic Society in Vienna, he published short texts in the journals issued by the society: Monatsblatt der Numismatischen Gesellschaft in Wien and Mitteilungen der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Münz- und Medaillenkunde. In one of the notes, he corrected the incorrect information about the Kasperivtsi find. However, his contribution to research on this hoard was forgotten. The hoard itself was scattered and today only seven coins out of its entirety are availlable, stored in the Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum in Łódź. This article attempts to organize information about the composition of the hoard and the fate of the coins included in it.

Surovinové aspekty silicitové produkce na konci eneolitu v západním Malopolsku

Rich inventories of flint artifacts originate from the graves of the Corded Ware culture in western Lesser Poland. Additionally, materials from settlements have also been found in this area. The significant increase in available data in recent years has provided us with a deeper understanding of the raw material conditions of the flint industry during the Final Eneolithic Period. The grave inventories reveal the special significance of Świeciechów flint in the production of axes, while chocolate flint is primarily used for creating blade and flake tools. The use of K-type flint for axe production is specific to the western Lesser Poland region. The evident selection of raw materials is not merely utilitarian but is also influenced by the ideological system prevalent in Final Eneolithic communities.

Assessing the Abundance of Caucasian Salamander, Mertensiella caucasica (Caudata, Salamandridae), with N-mixture Model in Northeastern Anatolia

The endangered Caucasian salamander, Mertensiella caucasica (Waga, 1876), is endemic to the western Lesser Caucasus. Here, we used N-mixed models to analyse repeated count data of Caucasian salamanders from the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey. We estimated a mean detection probability of 0.29, a population size of 21 individuals, and a range of 9 to 36 individuals per 20 × 10 m plot. Our results provide preliminary data on the population status of the Caucasian salamander in northeastern Anatolia. These results would contribute to the effective management and conservation of the species.

Early Middle Ages pottery with admixture of calcium carbonate in ceramic mass (examples from hillforts in the Nida Basin)

Among vessels used in the Early Middle Ages in the area of western Lesser Poland, the special attention should be paid to specimens made of ceramic mass with leaning admixture composed of minerals containing calcium carbonate. Such vessels are usually determined as Cracow “white” pottery. It seems that the centre of production of pottery with ceramic mass with admixture of calcium carbonate was situated in Lesser Poland in Cracow region. A particular place in this group has pottery production in the Nida Basin in hillforts in Stradów. There is the matter if pottery with leaning admixture of calcium carbonate could have been some kind of a tribal emblem. It seems that it could. The product so sensitive to changes, impermanent and challenging - for more than 200 years -was dominating among vessels in western Lesser Poland. The attachment to tradition of production vessels from challenging material requiring attention at each stage of production (mainly firing) testifies creating and maintaining the specific style and consciousness of its integrating meaning inside the group. From the outside it proves affiliation with the group. The group producing vessels made of calcium carbonate masses may be mentioned in written sources Vistulans.

K-type flint in Final Eneolithic Lesser Poland

Studies of artefacts from Corded Ware culture graves in western Lesser Poland have demonstrated that raw materials originating from the eastern Świętokrzyskie region take a leading role: Świeciechów flint (for the production of axes), and chocolate flint (for making flake and blade tools). New data obtained through the study of settlement sites in the vicinity of Kraków have highlighted the significant role of another hitherto little-noticed raw material: K-type flint (otherwise known as the Wielka Wieś type). This raw material was used mainly for the production of core tools. Workshops producing axes from this flint were discovered on the right bank of the Vistula River in the area between Kraków-Bieżanow and Zakrzów. Tools made from K-type flint appear in Final Eneolithic graves north of Kraków as well, and another production centre is known from this region, near Ojców. The provenance of the raw materials used in the vicinity of Ojców and in the Kraków-Bieżanów - Zakrzów area remains undetermined. Hypothetically, two deposits with different locations were used. In light of new discoveries made during large-scale rescue research projects, the raw material preferences in Final Eneolithic Lesser Poland seem more complex than previously believed, and they varied from micro-region to micro-region.

The Polish Village in the Face of Political, Social and Economic Changes From 1772-1815: A Study of Western Lesser Poland (Małopolska)

The article examines the impact of social, economic and political changes of the second half of 18th century and the beginning of 19th century on the functioning of rural society of Lesser Poland province. The study considers the situation of peasants, nobles and the clergy. The first part of the article presents the state of research on the problem and the available sources. The second part is devoted to the presentation of selected examples of social relations observed in contemporary Lesser Poland rural society. Conflicts between landowners and lease owners over abused peasant labour, debates over tithes, abuses of state officials and peasant resistance (i.e. peasant desertions, court cases) are discussed.

New Finds of Roman Coins from the Przeworsk Culture Settlements in the Nidzica and Szreniawa River Basins / Nowe znaleziska monet rzymskich na osadach kultury przeworskiej w dorzeczu Nidzicy i Szreniawy

The article presents new discoveries of Roman coins made during regular surface surveys on Przeworsk culture settlements located in the northern part of the loess highlands of the Western Lesser Poland region. A total of ten Roman coins were found in five sites, most of them issued during the Antonine dynasty. In almost all cases, they were accompanied by artefacts illustrating the variety of settlement contexts related to monetary finds. The majority of such finds constitute accurate date stamps showing the chronology of the settlement development, which may be an additional argument in the discussion on the influx of Roman coins into the Central European Barbaricum.

Effect of Season on Analysis of Growth in a Population of the Western Lesser Siren, Siren intermedia nettingi, in Northwestern Louisiana

We analyzed growth in a population of Siren intermedia nettingi, Western Lesser Siren, from northwestern Louisiana using a mark–recapture technique employing PIT tags from January 1992 through March 1998. Traps were monitored for eight consecutive trap nights for all four seasons from 1992 to 1996, January and December winter trapping sessions in 1997, and late February through early March in 1998. A total of 1,004 siren captures included 575 original captures and 429 recaptures. A total of 223 sirens were recaptured at least once for a recapture rate of 38.7%. Thirty-five of the original sirens captured were recaptured in the same season and year and were not used in the analyses. Therefore, we had a usable recapture rate of 32.7%. Based on captures, bites by conspecifics, and presence of juveniles in the study pond, we concluded that sirens in this population were most active in autumn and winter and presumably had a winter breeding season. Males grew faster and reached larger sizes than females due to the large energy investment of females that produced ova and the importance of male agonistic behavior toward other male and female conspecifics. The greatest growth occurred in the spring, despite increased activity in autumn and winter. Sirens were least active in the summer. Growth was inversely proportional to size and smaller sirens grew at a faster rate than larger ones.

At the Turn: Flint Mining as an Element of Social Changes in the Second Half of the Fifth Millennium BC in Western Lesser Poland

In the second half of the fifth millennium BC, a new model of supply and processing of siliceous rocks appeared in western Lesser Poland (Małopolska). The existing methods of production of blades and flakes from small cores obtained at a short distance from the settlement were supplemented by those enabling the production of much longer blades from cores made from raw material obtained by mining. The significant increase in the size of lithics meant that this moment was referred to as “the metric change” (Polish: przełom metryczny). It was assumed that this was due to internal technological development within the early Neolithic communities of the Lengyel-Polgár cycle. This paper introduces a different explanation for this phenomenon. It is argued that the new model of supply appeared as an already developed model that was implemented by experienced outsiders. A thesis that the indicated technological caesura is not categorical and new patterns in a relatively small area could co-exist with previous ones.

Grave of the Globular Amphora culture from Koszyce in the chronological perspective

The grave of the Globular Amphora culture from site 2 in Koszyce, near Kraków, has already been the subject of a separate monograph and specialised analyses. This article addresses the chronology of the mass burial, resulting from a comparison of 23 radiocarbon dates obtained in three laboratories. The chronometric data were then juxtaposed with the results of isotopic analyses of strontium (87Sr/86Sr), carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N). The analysis of the results indicates that the burial from Koszyce should most likely be dated to around 2880–2870 BC, which is slightly earlier than assumed in previous studies. It comes from a time when the Final Eneolithic barrow communities of the Corded Ware culture had already been present in the loess uplands of western Lesser Poland, and the burial ritual of some of the GAC groups was evolving towards the ritual of the Złota culture. The similar dating of these cultural phenomena makes it difficult to determine which community was responsible for the mass murder committed at Koszyce.

Cultural Keystone Species without Boundaries: A Case Study on Wild Woody Plants of Transhumant People around the Georgia-Turkey Border (Western Lesser Caucasus)

Understanding plant significance across cultures and borders is a driving goal in ethnobotany. Often, empirical studies aim to highlight and explain variation in plant knowledge and uses between communities across national, geographic, and cultural boundaries. However, such studies underinvestigate commonality of values and practices between communities. In this cross-border study of highland pastoral communities in both Caucasian Georgia and Turkey, we propose and implement an approach that synthesizes Cultural Importance (CI) and Identified Cultural Importance (ICI) indices. We label this method a “Unified Cultural Keystone Species (UCKS)” approach. We demonstrate that such an approach is uniquely capable of perceiving shared Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and practices across cultures and borders. Our results identify three primary Cultural Keystone Species (CKS) that cut across cultural and political boundaries in the Western Lesser Caucasus. We argue that these findings allow for a more comprehensive understanding of ethnobotanical knowledge and practices in the study area. This, in turn, can enhance conservation and restoration strategies in the study region and beyond by highlighting the breadth of biocultural knowledge and value held within shared traditions and landscapes. By so doing, we show a way to heighten scientific perceptions of the importance of cultural and linguistic connections to environmental well-being in specific places.

Wild Plants Used as Vegetables by Transhumant People Around the Georgia–Turkey Border in the Western Lesser Caucasus

Abstract Recent ethnobotanical studies in the Caucasus, mainly in Georgia, reveal the significant ethnobotanical knowledge of local people related to wild edible plants. However, few studies have been conducted in the Lesser Caucasus, west Georgia, and Turkish Caucasus. This study aims to represent and evaluate the cultural importance of wild vegetable plants and their patterns of use along the Georgia–Turkey border. During the transhumance period in the summers of 2017 and 2018, 104 participants (65 in Turkey and 39 in Georgia) were interviewed using a semistructured questionnaire. The Cultural Importance Index and Relative Frequency of Citation were used to compare the relative importance of species in each region. The use of 83 wild plant species from 23 plant families as vegetables was documented, with 45 species recorded in Georgia and 72 species in Turkey. One-third of the recorded wild plant species and 52 use instances out of 122 species-use combinations were shared on both sides of the border. Women and men had mentioned almost the same number of species, and there was a nonsignificant correlation between the plant knowledge and age. Although there were no significant differences in the plant parts used, the way people used plants as vegetables varied significantly across the border. Considering the floral similarity across the border, the number of species used in common and shared vegetable plant knowledge was quite low. There is not a significant difference between the two countries in terms of the most frequently cited and culturally important species ( Rumex , Urtica , and Polygonum spp.). However, the recognition of some of the most important shared species ( Heracleum , Chaerophyllum , Arctium , and Campanula spp.) diverged significantly in different administrative regions.

Ethnoveterinary and fodder plants used among transhumant communities around Georgia-Turkey border, in the Western Lesser Caucasus

Background: Livestock are an integral part of the transhumant life in the Caucasus. Maintaining the health and wellbeing of the animals has been a critical responsibility for pastoral communities. This study presents the wild plant species used for ethnoveterinary and fodder purposes by transhumant people on the both sides of Georgia-Turkey border.Methods: During two summers (2017–2018) 119 participants were interviewed (74 in Turkey and 45 in Georgia) with semi-structured questionnaires. Cultural importance index (CI) and Relative frequency of citation (RFC) were used to evaluate the relative importance of species among communities.Results: In total 113 citations of 38 wild plant species for ethnoveterinary purposes, and 186 citations of 61 wild plant species as fodder were obtained in the study area. The most important species in ethnoveterinary were Veratrum album and Achillea millefolium in Georgia, and Veratrum album and Picea orientalis in Turkey. Aerial parts of the plants were the most frequently used part in Georgia while the root was in Turkey. Gastrointestinal problems were the most commonly mentioned diseases in Georgia while dermatological and parasitic diseases in Turkey. The majority of the plant species were mentioned to treat the ailments of cattle (37 species). Fabaceae, Polygonaceae and Asteraceae were the most mentioned families used as fodder in both countries. There were also several plants used as bedding for livestock and against evil eye in the study area.Conclusions: Pastoral way of life in the Western Lesser Caucasus still reflects living evidence of plant-based traditional ethnoveterinary knowledge and practices to support the health of livestock. The results of this study could be a base for future ethnoveterinary and animal feed research and contribute to organic animal husbandry in the region.Keywords: Ethnoveterinary, Fodder plants, Transhumant people, Traditional knowledge, the Caucasus, Cross-cultural study, Turkey, Georgia აბსტრაქტიისტორია: კავკასიაში მეცხოველეობა მწყემსების სეზონური ცხოვრების განუყოფელი ნაწილია. მწყემსებისთვის მეტად მნიშვნელოვანია ცხოველების კარგად ყოფნა და მათი ჯანმრთელობისა შენარჩუნება. ეს კვლევა ეხება მცენარეთა იმ ველურ სახეობებს, რომლებსაც მომთაბარე მწყემსები იყენებენ როგორც ეთნოვეტერინარული (სამკურნალო) მიზნებისთვის ისე ცხოველების საკვებად, საქართველო-თურქეთის საზღვრის ორივე მხარეს.მეთოდები: ორი ზაფხულის განმავლობაში (2017–2018) ნახევრად სტრუქტურირებული კითხვარებით გამოიკითხა 119 მონაწილე (74 თურქეთში და 45 საქართველოში. კულტურული მნიშვნელობის ინდექსი - CI (Cultural importance index) და ციტირების ფარდობითი სიხშირე - RFC (Relative frequency of citation), გამოყენებულ იქნა თემებში სახეობების შედარებით მნიშვნელობის შესაფასებლად.შედეგები: საკვლევ ტერიტორიაზე ჯამში აღრიცხული იქნა ეთნოვეტერინარული მიზნებისათვის, 38 ველური მცენარეული სახეობის - 113 ციტირება და ცხოველთა საკვებად გამოყენების, მცენარეთა 61 სახეობის - 186 ციტირება. ეთნოვეტერინარიაში ყველაზე მნიშვნელოვანი სახეობები იყო:Veratrum album და Achillea millefolium საქართველოში და Veratrum album და Picea orientalis თურქეთში. საქართველოში ყველაზე ხშირად გამოიყენებოდა მცენარეთა მიწისზედა ნაწილები, ხოლო თურქეთში - მცენარის ფესვები. საქართველოში ყველაზე ხშირად დასახელდა ცხოველთა კუჭ-ნაწლავის პრობლემები, ხოლო თურქეთში დერმატოლოგიური და პარაზიტული დაავადებები. კვლევაში მცენარეთა ყველაზე მეტი (37) სახეობა დასახელდა მსხვილფეხა რქოსანი პირუტყვის დაავადებების სამკურნალოდ. Fabaceae, Polygonaceae და Asteraceae იყო ცხოველთა საკვებად გამოიყენებული, ყველაზე ხშირად დასახელებული მცენარეთა ოჯახები - ორივე ქვეყანაში. კვლევის არეალში ასევე არსებობდა რამდენიმე მცენარე, რომლებიც გამოიყენება შინაური ცხოველების საწოლად და ავი თვალის საწინააღმდეგოდ.დასკვნები: მცირე კავკასიონის დასავლეთ ნაწილში პასტორალური ცხოვრების წესის არსებობა - განაპირობებს მცენარეებზე დაფუძნებული ტრადიციული ეთნოვეტერინარული ცოდნის და ცხოველების ჯანმრთელობის დაცვის პრაქტიკული გამოცდილების დღემდე შემონახვას. ამ კვლევის შედეგებმა შესაძლოა საფუძველი ჩაუყაროს ეთნოვეტერინარიისა და ცხოველთა საკვების შემდგომ კვლევებს და ხელი შეუწყოს რეგიონში ორგანული მეცხოველეობის განვითარებას.საკვანძო სიტყვები: ეთნოვეტერინარია, ცხოველთა საკვები, მომთაბარე ადამიანები, ტრადიციული ცოდნა, კავკასია, კულტურათშორისი კვლევა, თურქეთი, საქართველო ÖzetGiriş: Kafkaslar’da hayvancılık yaylacıların yaşamının ayrılmaz bir parçasıdır. Yaylacı toplumlar için hayvanların sağlığını ve refahını korumak son derece önemli bir sorumluluktur. Bu çalışma, Gürcistan-Türkiye sınırının her iki yakasında yaşayan yaylacıların halk veterinerliğinde (etnoveterinerlik) ve hayvan yemi olarak kullandıkları yabani bitki türlerini sunmaktadır.Yöntemler: 2017 ve 2018 yıllarının yaz aylarında 119 katılımcıyla (Türkiye'de 74 ve Gürcistan'da 45) yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler gerçekleştirildi. Bilgisi alınan yabani türlerin yaylacı toplumlar arasındaki önemini değerlendirmek için Kültürel Önem (CI) ve Göreceli Kayıt Sıklığı (RFC) indeksleri kullanıldı.Bulgular: Çalışma alanında etnoveteriner amaçlı 38 yabani bitki türüne ait 113, yem olarak 61 yabani bitki türüne ait 186 kullanım kaydedildi. Hayvan hastalıklaında kullanılan en önemli türler olarak Gürcistan'da Veratrum album ve Achillea millefolium, Türkiye'de ise Veratrum album ve Picea orientalis tespit edildi. Gürcistan'da bitkilerin daha çok toprak üstü kısımları. Türkiye'de ise köklerinin kullanımı bildirildi. Gürcistan'da en çok sindirim sistemi ile ilgili sorunlar bildirilirken, Türkiye'de deri ve paraziter hastalıklar kaydedildi. Kayıt altına alınan yabani bitki türlerinin çoğunun büyükbaş hayvanların (37 tür) rahatsızlıklarında kullanıldığı tespit edildi. Her iki ülkede de Fabaceae, Polygonaceae ve Asteraceae yem olarak kullanımı en çok bahsedilen ailelerdir. Çalışma alanında ayrıca hayvanların altına yataklık olarak serilen ve nazara karşı kullanılan birkaç bitki türü de kayıt altına alındı. Sonuçlar: Bu çalışma, Batı Küçük Kafkasya'daki yayla yaşamında hayvanların sağlığını destekleyen bitki temelli halk veterinerliği bilgi ve uygulamalarının sürdürüldüğünün kanıtlarını yansıtmaktadır. Çalışmanın sonuçları, gelecekteki halk veterinerliği (etnoveterinerlik) ve hayvan yemi araştırmalarına temel oluşturabilir ve bölgedeki organik hayvancılığa katkı sağlayabilir.Anahtar Kelimeler: Halk veterinerliği, Yem bitkileri, Yaylacılar, Geleneksel bilgi, Kafkasya, Kültürler arası çalışma, Türkiye, Gürcistan

Asymmetric development of the Himalaya: quantitative evidence from strain analysis in Kimin-Ziro-Tamen area, Arunachal Lesser Himalaya, India

The eastern segment of the Himalaya makes a quarter of the mountain belt. While its plate tectonic setting is well understood, the intensity of deformation along the thrusts is not well constrained. This knowledge gap has restricted a quantitative comparison of deformation and crustal shortening in the Eastern Lesser Himalaya with the Central and Western Lesser Himalaya. In this study field evidence, together with microstructural investigations, and two-dimensional (2D) finite strain analysis are used to decipher the deformation pattern in the Kimin-Ziro-Tamen area of the Eastern Lesser Himalaya. Present investigations reveal that micro-to-outcrop-scale structures such as plastically deformed quartz grains, crenulation cleavages, S-C fabric, pull-apart grains, pinch-n-swell structures, boudins and faults confirm that the rocks have been subjected to ductile and brittle-ductile phases of deformation with a regional top-to-south shear sense. The 2D finite strain estimated here is comparable to that in other parts of Eastern Lesser Himalaya, such as the Sikkim and Bhutan Himalaya. However, the strain estimated here is higher than in the Central and Western Lesser Himalaya, such as in the Central Nepal Himalaya, Almora Crystalline Zone, the Garhwal Lesser Himalaya and the Hazara-Kashmir Syntaxis in Pakistan. This provides quantitative proofs of greater deformation and crustal shortening in the Eastern Lesser Himalaya than the Central and Western Himalaya, and of the asymmetric development of Himalaya.

Caspian-type dinocysts in NE Turkey mark deep inland invasion of the Akchagylian brackish-water basin during the terminal Late Pliocene

The paper presents new data on brackish-water Upper Pliocene and Lower Pleistocene deposits that were studied in the Demirkent (Kars) and Pekecik (Erzurum) sections, NE Turkey. The Demirkent section is situated in the southwestern slope of the Shirak Late Cenozoic intermontane basin near the Turkish-Armenian border. The Pekecik section is situated to the SW of the Demirkent in the southwestern slope of the Horasan intermontane basin. Both sections are composed of clays, silts, and poorly cemented fine-grained sandstones and contain the brackish-water dinocysts of the Akchagylian type. The age of the deposits is determined by combined analysis of associations of molluscs and small mammals, palynological spectra, including dinocysts and algae, and magnetostratigraphic data. The Demirkent and Pekecik sections are dated to the Late Pliocene (Piacenzian). The maximum spread of the Akchagylian transgression influenced the inland areas of NE Turkey prior to the early Gelasian. The pollen spectra demonstrate progressive aridisation during sedimentation of the lower part of the Demirkent section and the wetter and cooler climate during sedimentation of the lower part of the Pekecik section. The analysis of brackish-water dinocysts and fresh-water algae in different beds of the Demirkent section indicates gradual freshening of the basin probably due to the sea level fall. In the Pekecik section, the brackish-water dinocysts are found in the lower part that is covered by the lignite-bearing layers without signs of marine influence. Recent altitudes of the Akchagylian brackish-water deposits give a possibility to estimate magnitudes and average rates of the Quaternary uplift of the western Lesser Caucasus. The elevation of the Upper Pliocene deposits of Demirkent and Pekecik sections shows the uplift rate of ca. 0.6–0.7 mm per year during 2.6 Ma.

Medicinal ethnobotany of wild plants: a cross-cultural comparison around Georgia-Turkey border, the Western Lesser Caucasus

BackgroundThe Mountains of the Western Lesser Caucasus with its rich plant diversity, multicultural and multilingual nature host diverse ethnobotanical knowledge related to medicinal plants. However, cross-cultural medicinal ethnobotany and patterns of plant knowledge have not yet been investigated in the region. Doing so could highlight the salient medicinal plant species and show the variations between communities. This study aimed to determine and discuss the similarities and differences of medicinal ethnobotany among people living in highland pastures on both sides of the Georgia-Turkey border.MethodsDuring the 2017 and 2018 summer transhumance period, 119 participants (74 in Turkey, 45 in Georgia) were interviewed with semi-structured questions. The data was structured in use-reports (URs) following the ICPC classification. Cultural Importance (CI) Index, informant consensus factor (FIC), shared/separate species-use combinations, as well as literature data were used for comparing medicinal ethnobotany of the communities.ResultsOne thousand five hundred six UR for 152 native wild plant species were documented. More than half of the species are in common on both sides of the border. Out of 817 species-use combinations, only 9% of the use incidences are shared between communities across the border. Around 66% of these reports had not been previously mentioned specifically in the compared literature. Only 33 species have similar use reports in both countries, most important of which are Plantago major, Urtica dioica, Picea orientalis, Anthemis spp., Sambucus ebulus, Achillea millefolium, Helichrysum rubicundum, Mentha longifolia, Pinus sylvestris var. hamata, Hypericum perforatum, Tussilago farfara, Helichrysum plicatum, Rumex crispus, Berberis vulgaris, and Origanum vulgare. More than half of species reported in each country were found to have more than one part of the plant valued for medicinal use. The most common way of using plants medicinally in both countries is drinking the water infusion of aerial parts with flowers. Based on CI index value, two-thirds of the salient 15 genera in both countries have use reports in at least seven medicinal use categories. While the most cited category with highest FIC is digestive in Georgia, it is skin category in Turkey. Patterns of medicinal plant knowledge among studied communities appear to be connected with more than one cultural factor, in particular ethnolinguistic diversity, cultural background, and access to multilingual written folk and scientific literature, or probably a combination of various factors.ConclusionConsidering the regions’ floral similarity, common historical-cultural contact, and similar livelihood strategies of the communities, shared ethnomedicinal knowledge across the Georgia-Turkey border is quite low. Even though the impacts of accessing multilingual folk and scientific literature are likely to be significant, the factors that shape the medicinal plant knowledge patterns of the communities are shown to be variable among species, needing further research into intracultural diversity and socio-economical conditions, as well as the political history across the border.

Phylogeny of caucasian rock lizards (Darevskia) and other true lizards based on mitogenome analysis: Optimisation of the algorithms and gene selection.

We generated a phylogeny for Caucasian rock lizards (Darevskia), and included six other families of true lizards (Lacertini), based on complete mitochondrial genome analysis. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) of genomic DNA was used to obtain 16 new mitogenomes of Darevskia. These, along with 35 sequences downloaded from GenBank: genera Darevskia, Zootoca, Podarcis, Phoenicolacerta, Takydromus, Lacerta, and Eremias-were used in the analysis. All four analytical methods (Bayesian Inference, BI; Maximum Likelihood, ML; Maximum Parsimony, MP; and Neighbor-Joining, NJ) showed almost congruent intra-generic topologies for Darevskia and other lizard genera. However, ML and NJ methods on one side, and BI and MP methods on the other harvested conflicting phylogenies. The ML/NJ topology supports earlier published separation of Darevskia into three mitochondrial clades (Murphy, Fu, Macculloch, Darevsky, and Kupinova, 2000), but BI and MP topologies support that the basal branching occurred between D. parvula from the western Lesser Caucasus and the rest of Darevskia. All topologies altered the phylogenetic position of some individual species, including D. daghestanica, D. derjugini, and D. chlorogaster. Reanalysis after excluding four saturated genes from the data set, and excluding genus Eremias gives fully convergent topologies. The most basal branching for true lizards was between Far Eastern Takydromus and the Western Eurasian genera (BI). Comparing phylogenetic performance of individual genes relative to whole mitogenome data, concatenated 16S RNA (the least saturated gene in our analyses) and Cytochrome b genes generate a robust phylogeny that is fully congruent with that based on the complete mitogenome.