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The traditional concept of "nomadic" cultures as mobile and economically simple is nowadays increasingly displaced by more nuanced interpretations. Much of the scientific literature on diet and mobility of Eurasian pastoralist populations focuses on the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age. As a result, the relative underrepresentation in these analyses of more recent contexts hampers a full discussion of possible chronological trajectories. This study explores diet, mobility, and their social correlates at Tunnug1 (Republic of Tuva, 2nd-4th centuries CE) on a set of 65 humans and 12 animals by means of a combined analysis of stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S) from bone collagen and their comparison with the available anthropological, archaeological, and archaeothanatological evidence from the site. Demographic and isotopic patterns were compared using nonparametric tests and Bayesian models. Finally, isotopic data were compared with evidence of intentional perimortem skeletal injuries and funerary features. The results suggest that: 1) diet in Tunnug1 was mainly based on C4 plants (probably millet) and animal proteins; 2) a few individuals were nonlocals, although their geographical origin remains unclear; 3) there are no differences in diet according to sex or funerary treatment. On the other hand, individuals with perimortem lesions show isotopic values suggestive of a lower consumption of millet and animal proteins. This study provides new data on the sociocultural variability of the agro pastoral societies of southern Siberia during the late Iron Age, and supports the economic relevance of millet for these communities.

EAA 2023: Abstract

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