ANT- Mongolia

What type of life do they live?

pastoralism

What is nomadic pastoralism?

they must be mobile, have frequent movement from one location to another, and they have a light weight tent dwelling (ger)

What is Transhumance pastoralism?

they become sedentary, the men and boys typically go long distances to move/ care for the herds.

What is the oldest group in Mongolia?

the Kahalkh, around 80% of the mongolian population are related to the tribe. there are around 16 distinct ethnic groups

Describe the geography

20% steppe, 35% forest-steppe mix, 40% gobi desert, 5% true forests and deserts. (forest and steppe dominate north half of Mongolia)

What is a zud?

a severe winter storm that often times wipes out herds and any remaining plants.

What is a Ger?

a ger is a round felt covered house. there are layers of felt overlaying a lattice work wooden frame and extra layers of felt are added in the winter for warmth.

How is felt made?

Felt is made by pounding/crushing the sheep wool.

How is the Ger transported?

for most people the ger is disassembled when they want to move camp. However for those who are more rich they place their ger on a platform and transport that platform from each camp.

What are some traditional clothing?

They have a deel, which is a traditional garment and can also be used as a coat or blanket. they also wear trousers and high lether boots with felt inserts for the winter. Hats are worn on special occasions or for warmth in the winter.

What are the 5 snouts?

hourse, sheep, goat, cattle/yak, camels

All the animals are used as a food source, by products are wool, hair, leather, dung (for fuel) etc…

What are the typical duties for men?

they care for the ger, animal pens, weapons, horse equipment, castrate and kill animals, skinning and butchering. process hides into leather, build and repair ger, family enclosures, carts and the loading of them.

What are the typical duties for women?

they care for cooking, making butter and other dairy products, process meat, dress animal hides, make felt and clothing.

What are some duties that are shared?

general animal care is done by everyone. women help when they notice or can and men take over the duties when the women cant or duties can be divided