ANTHR 206 LECTURE 20
Cognitive Archaeology Overview
Focus on the Baikal Archaeology Project.
Exploration of the Shamanskii Mys cemetery provides insights into cognitive archaeology.
Examines the role of shamans and their visibility in the archaeological record.
Baikal Archaeology Project Overview
Situated along a 600 km long coastline of Lake Baikal.
Highlights the archaeological context and relevant findings from Shamanskii Mys.
Mortuary Variability
Early Bronze Age Community Cemeteries
Cemeteries serve as interment sites for all community members.
Example sites:
Khuzhir-Nuge: ~80 graves.
Uliarba: ~40 graves.
Specialized Cemeteries
Only select members interred in certain specialized cemeteries.
Example sites include:
Shamanskii Mys: 11 graves.
Kurma: ~20 graves.
Khadarta: 12 graves.
Variability in organization and size leads to classifications.
Mortuary Sites and Camps
Important sites include Ontokhoi, Shamanskii Mys, Kharansin, Khadarta, and others.
Each site functions both as a mortuary and campsite.
Role and Description of Shamans
Shamans serve as leaders, healers, and religious practitioners.
Archaeological evidence shows that every social unit requires access to at least one shaman.
Enigma of Shamanskii Mys
Notable for its geographical position and unusual grave goods found in 11 excavated graves (1972-1975).
Most interred individuals were adults; included dog interments and seal remains.
Seal Examination
Skeletal analysis of seals, focusing on mammalian tooth anatomy.
Age and season of death can be discerned from tooth thin sections.
Hunting Seasons and Seal Behavior
Hunting primarily occurs in spring; seals taken in November.
Seasonality linked to seal ecology; specimens show varied hunting times.
Age Structure Analysis
Population and Representation
Small population structure; predominantly younger seals, lacking representation of older adults (16+).
Deviation from modern demographic structures; absence of older adults may suggest differing reproductive strategies.
Comparative Analysis
Age structures from various sites differ from modern samples and from each other.
Significant differences noted in the number of pups per year, hinting at ritual and food distribution.
Ontokhoi and Other Sites
Sites share characteristics but differ in findings; Shamanskii Mys noted for high quantities of seal remains.
Other sites mostly contain isolated teeth, likely used for different purposes including fishing.
Contemporary Cemeteries
Modern comparisons drawn with sites like Khuzhir-Nuge, Kurma, and Uliarba.
Summary of Shamanskii Mys
Unique aspects include:
Topographical location.
Distinctive grave goods and sacrifices (e.g., young seals).
Unusual demographic focus on adult males with few children and females.
Ethnographic Examples of Shamans
Shamans and their drums documented in regions like the Altai Mountains in Siberia.
Consistent motifs across various ethnographic records.
Prehistoric Art and Excavation
Rock art depicting shamans in Siberia; its age approximates known archaeological materials.
Most archaeological sites have been extensively excavated, offering a substantial historical perspective.
Antiquity of Shaman Graves at Shamanskii Mys
Evidence of shaman graves from various periods: Early Neolithic, Late Neolithic, and Bronze Age.
Comparison with shamans in other Bronze Age cemeteries shows continuity in burial practices and absence of special rites.