Population Relations of Early Nomads in 6th–1st Centuries BC - the Turn of Eras in the Lower Don, Lower Volga, Southern Fore-Urals and Western Kazakhstan according to Craniological Data

The paper provides the findings made with numerous anthropological materials of early nomads dated 6th–1st centuries BC – the turn of eras. The materials were collected in Lower Don, Lower Volga, Southern Fore-Urals, Western Kazakhstan and Volga - Urals region. Such a chronological range is not an accidental choice. All populations are dominated by the ancient Eastern Europoid type. This type is characterized by moderate brachycephaly, slight flattening of the upper facial region, and a well-defined nasal profile. To identify population connections, the study employs comprehensive cultural-chronological craniological series, including measurement data from 1,108 skulls of early nomads. Additionally, the research utilizes extensive comparative material from the Bronze Age and synchronous cultures of the Eurasian steppe (155 craniological series). The paper manages to determine the features of the anthropological composition and intergroup connections of cultural-territorial groups of early nomads. It is achieved using multivariate statistical methods. The outcomes of comparing early nomads subject to the preceding population and relatively synchronous groups demonstrate a fundamental difference based on the racial-morphological criterion. In both cases, the entire set is divided into two blocks of series: one featuring dolichocephalic Europoids (long-headed types) and the other representing brachycephalic (broad-headed) types. When the research reviews Bronze Age series, it reveals that dolichocephalic Europoids are predominantly represented in the series of the Srubnaya and Alakul cultures. In contrast, when comparing early nomads with relatively synchronous groups, this component is present in the Tagar-Tesin populations and in the series of European Scythians. The second morphological component is represented by the brachycephalic Europoid type, which includes all the studied populations of early nomads. This component is present in the series of the Andronovo culture (Fedorovo variant), Karasuk, Cherkaskul, and other Siberian cultures. Some of these cultures show morphological similarities with the early nomads. It appears that this morphological similarity reflects the genetic foundation upon which the anthropological type of early nomads was formed. The reason why these early nomads are similar to particular synchronous groups can be that they have a common genetic foundation the Eurasian steppe nomadic type was formed upon. Alternatively, the reason could be inter-population relations.