A bioanthropological study of everyday life among steppe pastoralists of iron age Kazakhstan

Abstract

This thesis examines the everyday life of pastoralists of the Eurasian Steppe as reflected in skeletal remains. Scholarship on nomadic pastoralists in this region is mainly shaped by historical and ethnographic literature, which emphasises the prevalence of warfare and violence. Archaeological evidence of violence primarily based on grave goods and human crania has further substantiated the image. Although these grave elements may serve as evidence of violence, they provide only a partial image of lived experiences in the past. Meanwhile, quotidian life activities are best reflected in post-cranial bones, which have long been neglected in archaeological literature on steppe pastoralists. In contrast, bioarchaeological data, including musculoskeletal stress markers, physical trauma, and pathological conditions found on the entire skeleton offer a comprehensive body of evidence to investigate everyday life activities. This thesis examines a skeletal assemblage from an Iron Age Sarmatian community that lived in West Kazakhstan between the IV-III centuries BCE. It considers whether violence was the primary source of stress among pastoralists, and if not, then which non-violent and biomechanical stresses alternatively factored into their daily life. For the project, osteological and paleopathological analyses were conducted on 87 individuals from a single graveyard excavated at the Industrial Zone site in West Kazakhstan. The paleopathological analysis reveals that the majority of adults were exposed to various stressors, with rare cases of physical violence. Instead, the results demonstrate pathologies consistent with habitual pastoral activity and occupational strain, including horseback riding, archery, and physically intensive gendered labor. The findings of my thesis challenge the common notion regarding the frequent engagement of pastoralists in warfare and violent encounters. Instead, they demonstrate that daily life among pastoralists of the Eurasian Steppe during the Iron Age was primarily shaped by pastoral practices and repetitive physical activities associated with mobile life.