Main results of paleoanthropological researches in Belarus

Abstract

In the article the author gives review of the paleoanthropological researches, done on the territory of Belarus since 1960-s. The core of this research is the anthropological material, got in the process of the archeological excavations, carried out on the territory of Belarus in ХХ century and up to now. The author dwells on the results of anthropological research by G. Debets in 1930-s, which were devoted to the craniological collection, lost during World War II. Excavations of rural cemeteries of the end of XVIII-XIX centuries in all the districts of Belarus were carried out by I. Salivon at the end of 1960-s. These cemeteries are very close to the modern ones from the aspect of burial. Data on the town craniological series of Navahrudak of XI-XIII centuries given by the archeologists F. Hurevich, K. Pavlova were studied. Data on craniological series of the same period, got by A. Kviatkovskaya on the territory of the oblast of Hrodna during the excavations of the sepulchers with stone facing were studied too as well as series of X-XIV centuries, got by Т. Karobushkina when excavating the burial mounds in the district of Brest. It was I. Salivon who found out the peculiarities of the epochal changing since XIII centuries. These peculiarities consisted in slow brachycephalisation of the population of the Belarusian land. I. Salivon discovered the continuity between two series in spite of belonging of Navahrudak series of XI-XIII centuries to the urban population and of belonging of the series of XVIII-XIX centuries to the rural population. The Belarusian series of XVIII-XIX centuries in opinion of I. Salivon appeared to be one of the variants of the Caucasian race - close to the Baltic type, but they were notable for the combination of an average protruding nose of an average width with a little bit low bridge of nose, on one hand, and a weakened profile on the eye socket level. The conclusion of the author corresponds with the hypothesis of V. Bunak, who placed the Baltic zone south border between the Dnieper and the Neman along the upper reaches of the Western Dvina left tributary. It was I. Chakvin, H. Chesnis, A. Kushnir who continued the ancient population researches. I. Chakvin and H. Chesnis were the first ones to try to reconstruct of the death rate and life expectancy of the medieval population that lived near the Western Dvina and the Neman rivers. These scientists noted that the continuity and changeability processes of the basic craniological features happened from X to XIX century in the different districts of Belarus with some variability. O. Yemelianchyk continued this anthropological structure study of the Belarusian population in XI-XIX centuries. She measured a lot of new craniological materials from the territory near Polatsk and its border regions. Belarusian land migration problems and the aspects of historical paleodemography have been analyzed. Cases of paleopathological skeleton changes of the ancient population (illustrated by the anaemic stress factor (Lat. cribio orbitalia)) have been studied.