8th century
Khazar confederates in the Don basin — within the framework of the RFBR project (13-06-12010 ofi-m) "Khazar confederates in the Don basin (archaeological, anthropological and genetic aspects)," a study was conducted on the spatial distribution of the main types of burial structures in the Don basin using GIS analysis methods. The resulting map (Fig. 1) showed that the zone with the highest density of under-barrow burials left by the Khazar ethnos (about 350 objects) is the territory of the Lower Don with its center in the Bolshaya Orlovka area. The range of catacomb cemeteries associated with the Alans (10 sites) has the highest density on the Oskol River, in the Volokonovka area, and on the Seversky Donets, in the Verkhniy Saltov area. To the south of them, on the Seversky Donets, there is a territory with a high density of cremation necropolises (10 sites). In the north, it partially overlaps with the zone of catacomb cemeteries. Separate pit burials and cemeteries, the affiliation of which is either exclusively Bulgar, or the most diverse in ethnic composition groups of local and newcomer population, continues to be debated, and are found both in the three identified areas and in the vast space between them in the steppes of the Middle Don basin.
During the work on the project, comprehensive studies of new skeletal materials from the catacomb necropolises of Dmitrievsky and Verkhnesaltovsky-IV were conducted. For the analysis of Alan paleo-DNA at the haplogroup level (laboratory work was performed by V. V. Ilyinsky), 12 samples of human teeth and bone fragments from catacomb cemeteries were selected (10 from excavations by V. S. Aksenov at the Verkhnesaltovsky IV cemetery and 2 from excavations by V. A. Sarapulkin at the Dmitrovsky cemetery). The study of the male line was conducted by analyzing 23 microsatellite loci (STR) of the human Y-chromosome. The determination of the female line haplogroup was carried out by studying the hypervariable regions of mtDNA. The task was to identify nucleotide sequences of the hypervariable regions HVS-1, HVS-2, HVS-3 of mtDNA, followed by determination of the haplogroup of individuals and predictions of migration routes. As a result, male haplogroup G2 was found in 6 samples, and female haplogroup I in 6 samples.
In the North Caucasus, with whose territory the Don Alans are connected in origin, G2 is found in two branches among the modern population. Among representatives of the Iranian linguistic group (Ossetians), G2a1 predominates, while for speakers of the Adyghe-Abkhazian linguistic group (Abkhazians, Adyghe, Shapsugs, Circassians, Kabardians, Abazins), G2a3 is characteristic. To a much lesser extent, G2a is recorded among representatives of the Central Caucasian Turkic-speaking (Karachays, Balkars) and Nakh (Ingush, Chechens) peoples (Nasidze, 2004; Dibirova, 2011; Balanovsky, 2012). For more details here.
Materials:
700–1000 AD. Khazars | 800–950 AD. Paleo-DNA G2. Alans, Khazars | 954 AD. Jewish-Khazar Correspondence | 586 BC – 79 AD. Exodus of Jews to Mtskheta | Genetic studies on the origin of Georgian Jews | Khazar confederates in the Don basin. Afanasyev | Druze
Khazar confederates in the Don basin — within the framework of the RFBR project (13-06-12010 ofi-m) "Khazar confederates in the Don basin (archaeological, anthropological and genetic aspects)," a study was conducted on the spatial distribution of the main types of burial structures in the Don basin using GIS analysis methods. The resulting map (Fig. 1) showed that the zone with the highest density of under-barrow burials left by the Khazar ethnos (about 350 objects) is the territory of the Lower Don with its center in the Bolshaya Orlovka area. The range of catacomb cemeteries associated with the Alans (10 sites) has the highest density on the Oskol River, in the Volokonovka area, and on the Seversky Donets, in the Verkhniy Saltov area. To the south of them, on the Seversky Donets, there is a territory with a high density of cremation necropolises (10 sites). In the north, it partially overlaps with the zone of catacomb cemeteries. Separate pit burials and cemeteries, the affiliation of which is either exclusively Bulgar, or the most diverse in ethnic composition groups of local and newcomer population, continues to be debated, and are found both in the three identified areas and in the vast space between them in the steppes of the Middle Don basin.
During the work on the project, comprehensive studies of new skeletal materials from the catacomb necropolises of Dmitrievsky and Verkhnesaltovsky-IV were conducted. For the analysis of Alan paleo-DNA at the haplogroup level (laboratory work was performed by V. V. Ilyinsky), 12 samples of human teeth and bone fragments from catacomb cemeteries were selected (10 from excavations by V. S. Aksenov at the Verkhnesaltovsky IV cemetery and 2 from excavations by V. A. Sarapulkin at the Dmitrovsky cemetery). The study of the male line was conducted by analyzing 23 microsatellite loci (STR) of the human Y-chromosome. The determination of the female line haplogroup was carried out by studying the hypervariable regions of mtDNA. The task was to identify nucleotide sequences of the hypervariable regions HVS-1, HVS-2, HVS-3 of mtDNA, followed by determination of the haplogroup of individuals and predictions of migration routes. As a result, male haplogroup G2 was found in 6 samples, and female haplogroup I in 6 samples.
In the North Caucasus, with whose territory the Don Alans are connected in origin, G2 is found in two branches among the modern population. Among representatives of the Iranian linguistic group (Ossetians), G2a1 predominates, while for speakers of the Adyghe-Abkhazian linguistic group (Abkhazians, Adyghe, Shapsugs, Circassians, Kabardians, Abazins), G2a3 is characteristic. To a much lesser extent, G2a is recorded among representatives of the Central Caucasian Turkic-speaking (Karachays, Balkars) and Nakh (Ingush, Chechens) peoples (Nasidze, 2004; Dibirova, 2011; Balanovsky, 2012). For more details here.
Materials:
700–1000 AD. Khazars | 800–950 AD. Paleo-DNA G2. Alans, Khazars | 954 AD. Jewish-Khazar Correspondence | 586 BC – 79 AD. Exodus of Jews to Mtskheta | Genetic studies on the origin of Georgian Jews | Khazar confederates in the Don basin. Afanasyev | Druze
KHAZARS