An Integrated Ethno-Geoarchaeological Study of Small-Scale Nomadic Herding Sites in Woodland
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 2017-10-17

Locating and interpreting camp sites of nomadic herders and hunter-herders is exceptionally challenging, especially in wooded environments. Yet, it is precisely these types of sites that need to be located if archaeologists are to understand the complex, changing relationships between humans and other animals during the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods, when Eurasia was dominated by woodland environments. In order to improve knowledge of probable site locations, site formation processes, and environmental impacts associated with small-scale animal husbandry and nomadic lifeways in forest environments, an ethnoarchaeological study integrating geoarchaeology and palynology was conducted at a site used by modern reindeer herder-hunters in the boreal forests (taiga) of Tofalaria, in the Sayan Mountains, south-central Siberia. Ethnographic research provided information on animal husbandry and hunting practices and on the topographic locations and internal spatial organisation of seasonal camp sites. Pollen and geoarchaeological analyses conducted on soil samples from a contemporary spring and autumn camp, including multi-element, magnetic susceptibility, soil micromorphology, and lipid biomarker analyses, were compared to the observed spatial organisation of human and animal activity areas to assess their effectiveness at detecting signatures for the presence of camp fires and small herds of reindeer and horses. The study highlights the fact that narrowing down the possible locations of nomadic hunter-herder camps in a wooded environment (or a formerly wooded environment) requires an intimate understanding of the needs of the animals and local environmental conditions. Once possible site locations have been identified in a particular study area, pollen and coprophilous fungal spore analysis, coupled with magnetic susceptibility and multi-element surveys, could help to identify the locations of camp sites. Finally, archaeological soil micromorphology and faecal lipid biomarker analyses of key areas identified in the magnetic susceptibility and multi-element surveys can confirm the identification of fire features and animal congregating areas. This ethno-geoarchaeological study demonstrates that an interdisciplinary approach that integrates multiple geoarchaeological and palynological techniques has the potential to locate and interpret the ephemeral camp sites of nomadic herders and hunter-herders.

Karen Milek 1, Alexander Oehler 2, Ilse Kamerling3, Loïc Harrault 4,5, Lorna Dawson 5 and David Anderson 6

1 Department of Archaeology, Durham University

2 Department of Anthropology, University of Northern British Columbia

3 Department of Geography and Environment, University of Aberdeen

4 Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen

5 James Hutton Institute

6 Department of Anthropology, University of Aberdeen