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Human and Dog Consumption of Fish on the Lower Ob River of Siberia: Evidence for a Major Freshwater Reservoir Effect at the Ust’-Polui Site

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 August 2017

Robert J Losey ,
Lacey S Fleming ,
Tatiana Nomokonova ,
Andrei V Gusev ,
Natalia V Fedorova ,
Sandra Garvie-Lok ,
Olga P Bachura ,
Pavel A Kosintsev  and
Mikhail V Sablin
Robert J Losey*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, 13-8 Tory Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H4, Canada
Lacey S Fleming
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, 13-8 Tory Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H4, Canada
Tatiana Nomokonova
Affiliation:
Community, Culture and Global Studies, 1147 Research Road, University of British Columbia-Okanagan, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada
Andrei V Gusev
Affiliation:
Artic Research Center, Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, Respublika St. 73, office 606, Salekhard, 629008, Russia
Natalia V Fedorova
Affiliation:
Artic Research Center, Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, Respublika St. 73, office 606, Salekhard, 629008, Russia
Sandra Garvie-Lok
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, 13-8 Tory Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H4, Canada
Olga P Bachura
Affiliation:
Palaeoecology Laboratory, Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Division of the Russian Academy of Science, 8 Marta Street, #202, Ekaterinburg, 620144, Russia
Pavel A Kosintsev
Affiliation:
Palaeoecology Laboratory, Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Division of the Russian Academy of Science, 8 Marta Street, #202, Ekaterinburg, 620144, Russia
Mikhail V Sablin
Affiliation:
Zoological Institute RAS, Universitetskaya nab. 1, Saint Petersburg, 199034, Russia
*
*Corresponding author. Email: rlosey@ualberta.ca.
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Abstract

Ust’-Polui is one of the most extensively studied archaeological sites in the western Siberian Arctic. New radiocarbon (14C) dates for charcoal, faunal remains, bark, hide, and human bone from this site are presented. When modeled, the charcoal dates span from ~260 BC to 140 AD, overlapping with the dendrochronology dates from the site. These dates also overlap with the expected age of the site based on artefact typology. 14C dates on reindeer bone have a slightly younger modeled age range, from ~110 BC to 350 AD. In contrast, dates on the site’s numerous dog remains, and on human and fish bone, all predate these modeled age ranges by over 500 years, despite being from the same deposits. Several sets of paired dates demonstrate significant age differences. Bone dates with lower δ13C values tend to be over 500 years older than those with higher δ13C values. Stable isotope data for the humans, dogs, and other faunal remains are also presented. These data suggest the dogs and the humans were regularly consuming freshwater fish. The dogs were probably fed fish by their human counterparts. Overall, the dog and human dietary patterns at Ust’-Polui created 14C dates biased with major freshwater reservoir effects.

Keywords

dogsfreshwater reservoir effectradiocarbon datingSiberiastable isotopes
Type
Research Article
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 60 , Issue 1 , February 2018 , pp. 239 - 260
Copyright
© 2017 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

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