The Genesis and Evolution of the Neolithic Population of the Eastern Baltic Lands.

[Visigodo]

The Genesis and Evolution of the Neolithic Population of the Eastern Baltic Lands.


R. Denisova.


The Neolithic age in the eastern Baltic lands covers the period between the fourth and the middle of the second millennia B.C. This period saw the penetration into this territory of basic racial components which subsequently played a major role in the formation of the anthropological composition of the today’s eastern Baltic population.

Excavations of the Stone Age burial site of Zveinieki in the north of Latvia in 1964-1971 (headed by Zagorskis) yielded 101 crania which for the first time represented the Mesolithic and all the periods of the Neolithic age. This material is complemented by Late Neolithic crania from the burial ground of Abora (Lose 1968) in the northeast, and crania from Kreichi (Denisova 1960) and Yurkov (Vankina and Cimermane 1969) in the east of Latvia. Discovered in the territory of Estonia are two crania of the advanced Neolithic period (Valma) and ten crania of the late Neolithic period (Tamula –Mark 1956-, Kyliala, Vyziku –Fürst 1914-; Weinberg 1904), Sope, Ardu (Aul 1933), Kunila, and Karlov (Mark 1956). Thus far, Lithuania has only yielded one Neolithic cranium from Turkoishkes (Mark 1956).

The craniological materials mentioned above represent tribes of the Narva culture of the early Neolithic period, the advanced and late Neolithic population of the typical Pitted-combed Ware culture, and tribes of the Cord-pottery Ware and Battle –axe culture, as shown in Table 1.



The population of the early Neolithic period in the eastern Baltic lands is represented by twelve male crania from the burial site of Zveinieki. Their anthropological type is marked by a great mass, exceptionally large longitudinal and medium transverse diameters of the cranium, hyperdolichocephaly, a great basion-bregma height, a broad, relatively hig sharply profile in the horizontal direction (the nasomalar angle being equal to 134.9º and the zygomaxillary angle, to 123.2º), and a protruding nose with a high bridge.

The affinity of the early Neolithic population of the Narva culture of the eastern Baltic lands with the great Europoid race is beyond doubt. Such features as the marked mass, the relatively broad face, and the great dimension of the cranium make it possible to identify them with the northern Europoids whose southern border apparently correspond to that of the Ertebölle, Combed-ware (Poland) and the Dinieper-Donetsk (the Ukraine) cultures.

In all probability, the northern Europoids in this area were not marked by great homogeneity and displayed a number of local types. The tribes of the Narva cultures are characterized by pronounced dolichocephaly and moderately broad face (139 mm). These peculiarities do not allow us to identify them with the Ertebölle tribes (Bröste 1956; Hjortsjö 1945) and with those of the Dnieper-Donetsk culture (Gokham 1966;Zinevic 1967) both of which are marked by a very broad face, a hypertrophic mass, and moderate dolichocephaly.

The nearest analogues to the markedly dolichocephalic anthropological type of the Narva culture tribes represented by the finds from the burial site of Zveinieki are found among the tribes of the Sredne-Stogov culture in the Ukraine (the Aleksandriyski burial site; Surnina 1963) and the people of the Funnel Beaker culture in Poland (Dzierzykraj-Rogalski 1958. A similar anthropological type is observed among the Neolithic crania from the Ladoga canal (Debetz 1948).

During the Mesolithic age, the markedly dolichocranial tribes with moderately broad and long faces inhabited the eastern Baltic lands (Denisova 1972), north-central Europe –Bottendorf, Gross-Tinz, Pritzerber See (Vlcek 1967, Reche 1928, 1933)- and the neighboring territories of eastern Europe –Vasilievska I and Vasilievska III (Konduktorova 1957; Gokhman 1966). There are reasons to believe that the hyperdolichocranial early Neolithic population of the eastern Baltic lands descends genetically from the related Europoid population of north-central Europe and the neighbouring areas of eastern Europe of the Mesolithic age. The movements of the new markedly dolichocranial population from this territory to the eastern Baltic lands did not occur on only one occasion. The movements of the new markedly dolichocranial population from this territory to the eastern Baltic lands did not occur on only one occasion. It began in the Mesolithic age, when the eastern Baltic lands were being populated by man, and, apparently, continued through the early Neolithic age. The markedly dolichoranial Europoid tribes inhabited the eastern Baltic lands, coming as far as Lakes Ladoga and Onega, where they are represented by craniological material from the Ladoga canal and some crania from the Oleneostrovsk burial site. In the early Neolithic age this territory must have been the northeastern borderline of the habitat of the hyperdolichocranial Europoid population.

The middle of the third millennium B.C. saw the appearance in the eastern Baltic lands of tribes of the typical Pitted-combed Ware culture. An idea of their anthropological type is given by the craniological material from the burial grounds of Zveinieki (sixty-three crania), Abora, Kreichi, Yurkov, Valma, and Tamul in Latvia and Estonia, and by the cranium discovered at Turloishkes in Lithuania. Thus far, the tribes of the typical Pitted-combed Ware culture in the eastern Baltic lands are represented by eighty crania of adult individuals.
The anthropological type of these tribes is marked by large lengthwise and transverse diameters of the cranium and very high basion-bregma and mesocrania. The face is broad, of medium length, Eurianian, and slightly profiled in the horizontal direction. The nasomalar angle of the male crania from the Zveinieki site equals 145.8º and the zygomaxillary 131.5º. The nose is marked by a moderately high bridge and a small angle of the nasal bones.
The same anthropological type is observed among the advanced and late Neolithic tribes in Estonia. The peculiar features of this type are distinctly traced in the Lithuanian cranium as well (Iakimov 1956; Vitov et al. 1959).
In general, the tribes of the typical Pitted-combed Ware culture are distinguished from those of the Narva culture by mesocrania, a lower and flattened face, and a less protruding nose. Hence, the formation of these tribes proceeded on an absolutely different basis. However, the craniological material from the Zveinieki site bears witness to direct contacts among the early and advanced Neolithic tribes of the eastern Baltic lands and their mutual assimilation.

The mesocranial type with a broad and flat face of medium length has no analogues in the synchronous palaeoanthropological material south and west of the eastern Baltic lands. Our interest has also been aroused by Neolithic craniological materials of the forest zone of eastern Europe. To being with, we shall deal with the rich craniological material from the Oleoneostrovsk burial ground on Lake Onega (Iakimov 1960).

Those tribes are marked by mesocrania, a broad, flat face of medium length, and a slightly protruding nose. A comparison of this type with the craniological series from the Zveiniedi site shows a great similarity between them. Some features are absolutely identical. There are only some minor differences in the texture of the face. The Oleneostrovsk samples display a flatter and longer face, less profiled horizontally. Judging from the intragroup correlation ratios, both craniological series, the Oleneostrovsk and the Zveiniedi, are hybrid, with identical original components. It has already been indicated that the early Neolithic hyperdolichocranial population of the eastern Baltic lands was assimilated by migrant tribes of the typical Pitted-combed Ware culture. Thus, the anthropological type of the advanced and later Neolithic periods in the eastern Baltic was formed as a result of an interaction of two components, the dolichocranial Europoid and the mesocranial, with a slightly profiled face. This is also the case with the craniological material from the Oleneostrovsk burial site, wherein similar components are distinguished on the basis of intragroup correlation ratios.

The first markedly dolichocranial component is no doubt of Europoid origin; this is not the case with the second type, which is well represented among the tribes of the advanced and late Neolithic periods in the eastern Baltic area and in the material from the Oleneostrovsk burial ground. Such characteristics of this type as a feeble profiling of the face on both levels and the slightly protruding nose testify to the presence of the Mongoloid component among the tribes of the Pitted-combed Ware culture in the eastern Baltic lands.

Judging from all the craniological material available, the hybrid mesocranial anthropological type with a flattened face lived during the Neolithic age east of the Baltic area, mainly in the forest zone of eastern Europe. A number of anthropological finds indicate the presence of a similar complex of features in the Neolithic population of that region (Akimova 1953). The eastern Baltic area during the advanced and late Neolithic periods used to be the western periphery of the hybrid mesocephalic anthropological type with a slight horizontal profiling of the face. At present, it is difficult to establish to what degree this type is spread through the eastern Baltic lands. All the burial grounds whose craniological material shows the hybrid mesocranial type are located in the east of Latvia and Estonia. The only analogous find at Turloishkes testifies to the penetration of this type into Lithuania as well. It seems, however, that here the distribution of this type is negligible.

The hybrid mesocephalic anthropological type of the eastern Baltic lands is related to the tribes of the typical Pitted-combed Ware. According to archaeologists, these tribes came in the middle of the third millennium B.C. to the eastern Baltic lands from the Lake Ladoga territory where they had originated (Gurina 1967). In the territory under survey, these tribes are identified with the ancient Finns.

The ratio of the hybrid mesocephalic anthropological type in the Neolithic population of Estonia and Latvia must have been quite substantial, as its traits were preserved in this territory, in a somewhat modified form, over a long period of time and are observed in all places inhabited in the past or at present by Finnish-speaking peoples.

At the turn of the second century B.C., new tribes penetrated into the eastern Baltic lands. These tribes are known in archaeological literature as the tribes of the Cord-pottery Ware-axe culture. An idea of their anthropological type is given by a small craniological series from Estonia (Fürst 1914; Aul 1933; Mark 1956). This type is very massive and markedly dolichocranial, due to great longitudinal and medium transverse diameters, with very high basion-bregma and a moderately broad, long face profiled in the horizontal direction. The Cord-pottery Ware anthropological type is sharply contrasted with the Pitted-combed Ware type that preceded in the area by its elongated cranium and the narrow, long face strongly profiled in the horizontal direction. The affinity of the anthropological type of the Battle-axe culture of the eastern Baltic lands to the great Europoid race is not in the least in doubt. A similar anthropological type is found among the related tribes of the Zhutsev culture in the upper reaches of the Vistula (Perret 1943; Denisova 1971) and the Fatianovers in the territory between the Volga and the Oka (Denisova 1966, 1971).

In archaeological literature, the tribes of the Battle-axe culture in the eastern Baltic lands are identified with the first ancient Balts in this territory. A comparison of craniological materials of the Baltic tribes mentioned in the chronicles of Heinrich of Livonia with the anthropological type of the tribes of the Battle-axe culture makes it possible to regard the latter as pre-Balts, genetically related to their later Baltic-speaking population of this territory.

Fresh craniological materials obtained over the past years in Latvia give a general picture of the genesis of the markedly dolichocranial anthropological type of the Baltic tribes of the turn of the second century B.C.

There is every reason to regards the markedly dolichocranial massive Europoid type of the tribes of the tribes of the Battle-axe culture in the eastern Baltic lands as a later offshoot of the similar hyperdolichocranial type of the early Neolithic tribes represented in the particular territory by the craniological material from the Zveiniedi burial ground. The anthropological types of these tribes show great similarities in the dimensions and proportions of the cerebral part of the cranium. There are also some similarities in facial texture. The tribes of the Battle-axe culture of the latter period have narrower and longer faces. It must be remembered, however, that these tribes are separated by a lapse of almost 2,000 years. Hence, the lesser malar diameter (by 2.4 millimeters) of the tribes of the Battle-axe culture must be regarded as a result of the epochal variability. Such a supposition seems to be well grounded. With the hyperdolichocranial tribes of the Corded-pottery Ware culture of east Europe and the eastern Baltic lands early in the second millennium B.C., the width of the face did not exceed 135-136 millimetres, while the malar diameter of the Mesolithic and early Neolithic tribes with a markedly elongated cranium reached 140-141 millimetres.

The length of the face of the tribes of the Battle-axe culture measured in five individuals (74.6 millimetres) has to be regarded as a result of a random sampling in which the mean value is overestimated and is of a random nature. There are also indirect indications to this effect. The tribes of the Fatianov and Zhutsev cultures which are, doubtless, closely related to the tribes of the Battle-axe culture, had still shorter faces.

All these considerations point to the probability of a genetic kinship between the tribes of the Battle-axe culture of the eastern Baltic lands and the mardedly dolichocranial early Neolithic populations of this area. This kinship, however, is not to be regarded as direct continuity. Judging from materials of the Mesolithic age, the area of distribution of the markedly dolichocranial anthropological type was initially north-central Europe and the neighbouring territories of eastern Europe. It is precisely from this area that the hyperdolichocranial Europoid population moved to the eastern Baltic lands where traces of its habitation can already be observed in the Mesolithic age. It seems that in the periods that followed there were repeated migrations of hyperdolichocranial tribes from north-central Europe to the eastern Baltic lands. This is shown by craniological material of the early (Zveinieki site) and late Neolithic periods (the tribes of the Battle-axe culture).

Thus, in the Neolithic age, the population of the eastern Baltic lands was marked by two basic anthropological types. The first is the hyperdolichocranial Europoid type that originated in north-central Europe, and the second is the mesocranial hybrid type whose nearest analogues are found to the east of the area under survey.

[Agrippa]

Can be compared with this thread:
Racial Types of Finno-Ugrians, Baltisation and Eastbaltids