Search

Introduction. This paper presents results of an anthropological and paleopathological studies of newly excavated materials from the Karanayevsky cemetery located in the Southwestern Bashkortostan and attributed to Srubnaya culture. The goal of this study was to introduce new data from kurgan 2, as well as to compare this sample with the samples from other Karanayevsky kurgans, and with synchronous population characteristics of the region. Discussion involves skeletal material from 12 individual burials (nine children and three adults). Methods. Sex, age and the state of preservation/completeness of the remains were assessed. We performed a morphometric study, an analysis of dental morphology, description of pathologies and individual characteristics, taking into consideration the recommendations in the specific literature. The Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to test for the relationship between skeletal preservation, sex, age, and grave construction. A single cranium from the kurgan was compared with the pooled samples from the region using Heincke’s method. The Fisher’s exact test was used to assess the possible statistical differences in frequencies of dental non-metric traits between the Karanayevsky kurgan 2 sample and the pooled Srubnaya samples of the Pre-Urals. Analysis. The skeleton preservation appears to be related to the age of the buried, but to a greater extent varies depending on the depth of the grave. The female skull from kurgan 2 shows characteristics of European ancestry and has mesomorphic morphology with a medium or slightly weakened horizontal and vertical profiling. It shows similarity to the pooled Srubnaya craniological series from the forest-steppe subareas. The dental morphology observed in the sample corresponds to the archaic gracile variant of European ancestry. Osteometric data characterize adult individuals as representatives of the mesomorphic, moderately massive group with reduced or medium limb length. Like in other groups of the region, the sample is defined by the predominance of dental calculus and dental chips, some markers of physiological and mechanical stress and the absence of indicators of specific infections. Results. In general, the Karanayevsky kurgan 2 skeletal sample corresponds to the characteristics of other Karanaevsky cemetery samples, and is consistent with the results on the synchronous sites of the Pre-Urals and Trans-Urals.

The history of North Africa has been always tightly connected to events occurring in Eurasia. Human migrations in both directions are well-documented in written sources and archaeological records. To gain a comprehensive understanding of historical processes, it is essential to study the remains of individuals who inhabited this region during various time periods. A lack of cranial metric data on the Medieval population of North Africa impedes thorough investigation of the population history of the region. This paper presents a craniometric study of the sample from the Southern necropolis at Deraheib. This study contributes to filling the existing void in the understanding of the Medieval population of North Africa. According to written sources, the site was a center of gold mining, known as the city of al-Allaki, dated to the 9th to 15th centuries AD. The city attracted a diverse population seeking economic opportunities. Besides this, Al-Allaki served as an important point on the caravan route which was utilized by merchants and pilgrims traversing the Nubian Desert on their way to Jeddah. The study analyzes cranial metrics of a total of 23 individuals (14 male and 9 female) skulls recovered from the southern necropolis Deraheib sample and employs 55 linear dimensions, following Martin's/Howells craniometric protocol as well as some additional measurements. Statistical analyses were performed using the R language packages and the Multican software. Our results revealed heterogeneity of the sample in male and female parts of the sample at the intragroup level: an observation aligning with existing archaeological and historical evidence. The limited size of the sample warns against any firm conclusions regarding affinities of the Deraheib population. Our intergroup comparison has shown that the cranial sample from the Southern Necropolis of the Deraheib site displays morphological features that are more similar to neighboring Caucasoid populations rather than equatorial groups from East Africa.

An understanding of what death and dying entail is termed a concept of death (CoD), and the human CoD is often viewed as one of the characteristics that distinguishes our species. In this research, I identified an analogous understanding of death and dying in our closest living relatives—genus Pan. Linguistic frameworks designed for studying the CoD in human children look for evidence of understanding of several facets of death. I adapted these frameworks for the non-verbal Pan species, systematically analysing written and video recordings of chimpanzee and bonobo behaviours surrounding death within these new behavioural frameworks. I identified compelling evidence for the comprehension of several aspects of death, and thus for the presence of a human-like CoD in chimpanzees and bonobos. This has implications for our own evolutionary story and raises questions about what makes humans 'human'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]