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Establishing the lower limit of the Turkic period in the Altai region and the earliest archaeological monuments characteristic of this period presents a complex task for archaeological research. Radiocarbon dates obtained from Bulan-Koby and Kok-Pash type burials dating to the pre-Turkic period suggest an upper limit of around the middle of the 6th century AD. Around this time, or perhaps a little earlier, in the late 5th – early 6th centuries, square stone enclosures appear in the same region. The greatest difference in the grave goods of these different types of monument is that stirrups are found in stone enclosures, whereas none are recorded in Bulan-Koby type monuments. The next stage in the development of the material culture of the Turkic period from the second half of the 6th century, is marked by the distribution of ornaments made in heraldic style. Likewise, after the middle of the 6th century, Kudyrge type burials appear, which are similar to the Bulan-Koby type monuments inasmuch as the inventory of finds includes both stirrups and artistic heraldic ornaments. We know from Chinese chronicles that some historical events can be extrapolated to archaeological sites. In this case, it is important to mention the resettlement of ‘500 Ashina families’ to the Altai in 460 CE, where they formed the core of the Turkic community. We suggest that the use of stelae at square stone enclosures uncharacteristic of the preceding period are associated with this group. After the formation of the Turkic Khaganate, the practice of erecting enclosures with stelae, and human burials with horses in them became widespread throughout the Eurasian steppe testifying to the significance of the Altai population in the formation of the wider Turkic community.

This paper presents the results of a study of fortified settlements of the first half of the 1st millennium AD in Altai. It established that all the settlements of this period are located in the northern part of the region. In total there are seven fortified settlements. The article describes their topographical location and aspects of their location. At two of the sites limited excavations were made of part of the fortifications. At both of these the work established the existence of two rows of ramparts and ditches associated with deeper shafts constructed using clay, earth and wood, and a clay matrix. The fortifications share characteristics indicating that local building traditions were followed in their construction. At one site the excavation of a shaft revealed the ritual burial of a sheep. The other settlements were examined by means of test pits. Sherds of pottery were found at all the settlements, along with fragments of animal bones and bone artifacts. The cumulative evidence suggests that most if not all of these fortifications were built in a short period of time in a tense military and political situation.

© 2015 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.The Bronze Age of Eurasia (around 3000-1000 BC) was a period of major cultural changes. However, there is debate about whether these changes resulted from the circulation of ideas or from human migrations, potentially also facilitating the spread of languages and certain phenotypic traits. We investigated this by using new, improved methods to sequence low-coverage genomes from 101 ancient humans from across Eurasia. We show that the Bronze Age was a highly dynamic period involving large-scale population migrations and replacements, responsible for shaping major parts of present-day demographic structure in both Europe and Asia. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesized spread of Indo-European languages during the Early Bronze Age. We also demonstrate that light skin pigmentation in Europeans was already present at high frequency in the Bronze Age, but not lactose tolerance, indicating a more recent onset of positive selection on lactose tolerance than previously thought.

This study represents the first stable isotope (δ13С, δ15N and δ34S) palaeodietary data and AMS radiocarbon dates for Early Bronze Age humans and fauna (n = 24), and two modern fish from the Altai Mountains, Southern Siberia. The results show that the diet of the population was mainly C3-based with heavy reliance on animal protein. Within the population, males are overall higher in δ15N values which could be the result of better access to higher-trophic level foods, such as meat. Another important observation is that comparison of the results with the previous data for the Afanasyevo population from the Minusinsk Basin (Southern Siberia) suggests a difference in the amount of fish in the diet, with the Altai population virtually not using this food source. Modern fish (data from previous research) demonstrates a strong freshwater reservoir offset, although a human sample from a single archaeological terrestrial/human pair analysed does not appear to be affected. No significant offsets were detected between δ34S values of archaeological humans and herbivores, and modern fish.

Using Pierre Bourdieu's concepts of habitus and doxa, the authors analyze the contested heritage debates surrounding the sensational Scythian burial discovery of the Altai Princess, also called the Ice Maiden, on the Ukok plateau. Her 2012 repatriation to a special Gazprom-funded museum in the Altai Republic of Russia is politically contextualized and compared to cases of the Kennewick Man in the United States and the Lake Mungo Burials of Australia. The authors stress the importance of "heritage in the making" and conclude that diverse approaches to the Altai Princess must be understood through the historically constituted dispositions of various agents and their interaction with the structures governing society.