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5. A Nonmetric Comparative Study of Past and Contemporary Mongolian and Northeast Asian Crania
- University Press of Florida
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5 A Nonmetric Comparative Study of Past and Contemporary Mongolian and Northeast Asian Crania ERDENE MYAGMAR Cranial nonmetric (epigenetic) variation is often employed in analyzing osteological remains at the population level and has successfully been used to evaluate biological affinities among archaeological and modern populations from different regions of the world (Kozintsev 1972; Wenger 1974; Finnegan and Marcsik 1979; Ossenberg 1990; Ishida and Dodo 1992, 1993, 1997; Hanihara et al. 1998; Hanihara and Ishida 2001a–e; Sutter and Mertz 2004). The theoretical basis of any such investigation requires that (1) the traits are heritable (have a genetic basis); (2) populations vary in the frequency of these traits; (3) trait manifestation is not significantly influenced by environmental effects; (4) the traits do not vary significantly with age; (5) the traits do not vary significantly with sex; (6) there is only limited correlation between traits, if any; and (7) the traits are easily defined and assessable, even using fragmentary remains. The theoreticalbasesof nonmetrictraitanalyseshave beentestedonmany sampled populations from Europe, North America, and Northeast Asia. Comparative craniometric studies of ancient Mongolian samples have been conducted (e.g., Tumen 1977, 1985, 1992; Tumen et al. 2002; Tumen and Vanchigdash 2006), while cranial discrete traits of archaeological samples from Mongolia have not yet been investigated. The aim of this chapter is to examine the level and patterning of cranial nonmetric variation in a range of past and contemporary Mongolian samples and compare that to nonmetric cranial variation in other northern and eastern Asian populations. It is hoped that such an analysis will throw light on the origins of the Mongolian peoples and any past interactions (i.e., migrations and assimilations) among the various populations that have occupied the region throughout the prehistoric and historic periods. Past and Contemporary Mongolian and Northeast Asian Crania 111 Materials and Methods The primary study sample includes 190 crania, representing a range of prehistoric and historic phases in Mongolia (Neolithic, Bronze Age, Early Iron Age, Xiongnu, Mongolian period, and modern Mongolian: see table 5.1 for sample details and figure 5.1 for the sample distribution). These crania are Table 5.1. Location and brief description of cranial samples from Mongolia No. on figure 5.1 Site name Location/province/ region Historical period/ culture Dates Sample size 1. Norovlin Bulgan soum, Dornod aimag/eastern Mongolia Neolithic 10,000–2500 BC 1 2. Shatar Uul Bayankhongor aimag/ central Mongolia Neolithic, Bronze Age, Xiongnu 10,000–2500 BC, 2500–300 BC, 300 BC–AD 200 2, 2, 1 3. Shuus boom, Aurag Khentii aimag/eastern Mongolia Bronze Age/Slab Grave, Mongolian period 2500–300 BC, 1100–1400 BC 5, 8 4. Urgun shireg Hyrgas soum, Uvs aimag/ western Mongolia Bronze Age/ Khirigsuur culture 1300–900 BC 1 5. Chandman Ulaangom, Uvs aimag/ western Mongolia Late Bronze Age/ Early Iron Age, Xiongnu, Modern 900–300 BC, 300 BC–AD 200, 20th century 85, 4, 3 6. Duulga Uul Jargaltkhaan soum, Khentii aimag/eastern Mongolia Xiongnu 300 BC–AD 200 16 7. Naimaa tolgoi Erdenemandal soum, Arkhangai aimag/central Mongolia Xiongnu 300 BC–AD 200 4 8. Buural Uul Hongor soum, Selenge aimag/central Mongolia Xiongnu 300 BC–AD 200 10 9. Tevsh Uul Bogd soum, Övörkhangai aimag/central Mongolia Xiongnu, Mongolian period 300 BC–AD 200, 1100–1400 BC 9, 1 10. Takhiltin Khotgor Manhan soum, Khovd aimag Xiongnu 300 BC–AD 200 3 11. Tsuvraa, Tahilgat Hulunbuir soum, Dornod aimag Mongolian period 1100–1400 BC 17 12. Tavan tolgoi Sukhbaatar aimag/ eastern Mongolia Mongolian period 1100–1400 BC 6 13. Kharkhorin Uvurkhangai/ central Mongolia Mongolian period, Modern 1100–1400 BC, 20th century 6, 3 14. Renchinlhumbe Khuvsgul aimag/ central Mongolia Modern 20th century 3 Total 190 [100.26.140.179] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 03:08 GMT) 112 Erdene Myagmar housed in the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar. A comparative sample of modern Northeast Asians (Koreans, n = 93) housed at the Department of Anatomy, Medical College of Korea University, Seoul, was also assessed for nonmetric traits by the author. To expand the comparative nonmetric database, additional data fromsouthernSiberianandnorthern,northeastern,andeasternAsianpopulations (Tagar, Kazakh, Chukchi, Yakut, Evenki, Buriat, Neolithic Baikal, Amur, Sakhalin Ainu, Hokkaido Ainu, Jomon, Doigahama Yayoi, modern Japanese, and northern Chinese) previously reported on by Ishida and Dodo (1992, 1997) were also used (see table 5.2 for sample details). Of a total of 59 nonmetric traits initially recorded using criteria outlined by Dodo (1974, 1986), Hauser and DeStefano (1989), and Movsesyan and colleagues (1975), 19...