Anthropology and Archaeology

Mongolia is located in a strategic position at the eastern edge of the Eurasian Steppe. Nomadic populations moved across this wide area for millennia before developing more sedentary communities, extended empires, and complex trading networks, which connected western Eurasia and eastern Asia until the late Medieval period. We provided a fine-grained portrait of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation observed in present-day Mongolians and capable of revealing gene flows and other demographic processes that took place in Inner Asia, as well as in western Eurasia. The analyses of a novel dataset (N  2,420) of mtDNAs highlighted a clear matrilineal differentiation within the country due to a mixture of haplotypes with eastern Asian (EAs) and western Eurasian (WEu) origins, which were differentially lost and preserved. In a wider genetic context, the prevalent EAs contribution, larger in eastern and central Mongolian regions, revealed continuous connections with neighboring Asian populations until recent times, as attested by the geographically restricted haplotype-sharing likely facilitated by the Genghis Khan’s so-called Pax Mongolica. The genetic history beyond the WEu haplogroups, notably detectable on both sides of Mongolia, was more difficult to explain. For this reason, we moved to the analysis of entire mitogenomes (N  147). Although it was not completely possible to identify specific lineages that evolved in situ, two major changes in the effective (female) population size were reconstructed. The more recent one, which began during the late Pleistocene glacial period and became steeper in the early Holocene, was probably the outcome of demographic events connected to western Eurasia. The Neolithic growth could be easily explained by the diffusion of dairy pastoralism, as already proposed, while the late glacial increase indicates, for the first time, a genetic connection with western Eurasian refuges, as supported by the unusual high frequency and internal sub-structure in Mongolia of haplogroup H1, a well-known post-glacial marker in Europe. Bronze Age events, without a significant demographic impact, might explain the age of some mtDNA haplogroups. Finally, a diachronic comparison with available ancient mtDNAs made it possible to link six mitochondrial lineages of present-day Mongolians to the timeframe and geographic path of the Silk Route.

The epidemiology of cancer in ancient populations is one of the interesting, but less known topics in bioarchaeology of Mongolia. The present work focused on the identification of a possible cancer case in the ancient Mongolian population. The specimen reported in this paper was found from the Tamir Ulaan Khoshuu, one of the biggest Xiongnu (3rd BC-2nd AD) cemetery site, in Arkhangai province, central Mongolia. The individual is a male aged 29-34 years, 159.88 cm tall. The macroscopic observation of the skeletal remains revealed serious pathological changes on the scapula, vertebras, ribs, sacrum, and coxae.
Comparative studies of different bone-altering cases and chronic diseases suggest that the pathological changes observed in this individual is likely secondary bone cancer. This is the first report of the archaeological case in Mongolia identified with possible malignant neoplasm. This case evidences the presence of metastatic carcinoma in the territory of present-day Mongolia almost two millennia ago. This research could be an important indicator to extend our understanding of the health and environmental conditions of Mongolia's ancient populations. We propose further in-depth study to define the primary site of the tumor in the body of this individuum by identifying tumor biomarkers in the next stage of the study.

ХУРААНГУЙ: Тус өгүүлэлд Монгол улсын нутаг дэвсгэрээс олдсон хүрэл зэвсгийн эхэн үеийн краниологийн материалын харьцуулсан судалгааны үр дүнг танилцуулж байна. Бидний судалгаагаар төв Монголын Афанасьевын соёлын хүний олдвор нь европжуу төрхтэй болох нь батлагдаж байгаа бөгөөд өмнөд Сибирийн Афанасьевчууд, дорнод Европын тал хээрийн бүс нутгийн протоевропжуу хүн амтай морфологийн хувьд ойролцоо байна. Алтай-Саян нутгийн Афанасьевын бүлгүүдийн дотор төв Монголын бүлэг Алтайн өмнөд хэсгийн хил дамнасан мужийн бүлэгтэй хамгийн төстэй байлаа. Монголын Хуурай говь 1-ийн Афанасьевын дурсгалаас олдсон гавлын яс нь өмнөд Сибирь, төв Азийн Афанасьевын бүх краниологийн материалууд дунд онцгой өвөрмөц шинжтэй байв. Баруун Монголын хүрлийн эхэн үеийн Хэмцэгийн соёлын олдворыг краниометрийн аргаар анх удаа судлахад эдгээр нь түүхэн өмнөх үеийн Афанасьевын соёлын хүн амаас маш их ялгаатай нь харагдлаа. Хэмцэгийн соёлын хүмүүс антропологи хэв шинжээрээ монголжуу-европжуу завсрын шинжтэй бөгөөд Байгал орчмын бүс нутгийн Серов ба Глазковын популяцитай хамгийн төстэй байв. Түүнчлэн Сибирийн өмнөд хэсэг ба төв Азийн хүрлийн эхэн үеийн археологийн соёлууд болох Алтай, дорнод Казахстаны Елунин, Тувагийн Аймырлыг оршуулгын газраас олдсон краниологийн материал (эрэгтэйчүүдэд), Бараба ойт хээрийн Сопка II дурсгалын Кротовын соёл, мөн Шинжааны Гумугоугийн булшны краниологийн материалтай зарим морфологийн шинжээр ойролцоо байна. Магадгүй энэ ижил төстэй байдал нь Алтай-Саяны умардын уулархаг нутгийн неолит-энеолитын краниологийн материалд тэмдэглэгдэж буй антропологийн нийтлэг субстратын тусгал байж болох юм.

In this paper, we present the results of the craniometric study of Afanasievo and Chemurchek (Khemtseg or Hemtseg) archaeological cultures from the territory of Mongolia. Male crania of the Afanasievo culture from the central regions of Mongolia are characterized by a proto-European complex of traits of Eastern European origin. Among the groups of the Afanasievo culture of south Siberia, they are most similar morphologically to the series of crania from the transboundary region of the southern Altai. For the first time, we analyzed the craniological materials of the Chemurchek culture from the Early Bronze Age in Western Mongolia. Our study revealed a significant morphological difference between the Chemurchek culture population and the earlier Afanasievo culture population of South Siberia and Central Asia. From an anthropological perspective, the Chemurchek culture population is characterized by Asian features. They share close similarities with the populations from the northern regions of Mongolia during the Neolithic period. Additionally, they also bear resemblance to the populations of Serovo and Glazkovo cultures from the Circumbaikal region during the Neolithic-Bronze Age periods. We have noticed a certain similarity in the physical characteristics of early Bronze Age populations from south Siberia and central Asia. This similarity may indicate a common ancestral background among these populations. The range of physical diversity among ancient populations in Mongolia encompasses the entire spectrum of variation seen in the northern part of Eurasia during the Neolithic and early Bronze Ages, concerning the main ethnic and genetic lineages of humankind.