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Birds in the Economy and Culture
of Early Iron Age Inhabitants of Ust' Poluisk,
Lower Ob' River, Northwestern Siberia
Olga R. Potapova and Andrei V. Panteleyev
ABSTRACT
The archaeological settlement of Ust' Poluisk, located in the
lower Ob' River basin in northwestern Siberia (66°33'N,
66°35'E), yielded a rich vertebrate fauna with a high ratio of bird
remains (1996 bones). Cultural remains were deposited over several
centuries and were dated by association with archaeological
artifacts to 400-100 BC. Thirty-nine species were identified in the
bird assemblage. Among these species, 10 are represented by rare
breeding and rare vagrant birds, indicating a somewhat warmer
climate at the Ob' River mouth than at present. The remains of
Golden Eagles and White-tailed Eagles excavated from sacrificial
areas of the settlement are of special interest. These findings indicate
special cultural attention to and attitude toward eagles, which
may have been kept in captivity. Based on bird remains, the site
has provided the earliest evidence of eagle worship in Siberia.
Introduction
Humans have been dependent upon nature throughout their
history. The economic lifeways of ancient peoples were mainly
determined by natural conditions. The best evidence of this is
found in the north, where agriculture was absent, the possibilities
of plant gathering were limited, and subsistence activities
were based primarily on hunting and fishing. In northern latitudes,
fowling was an important means of survival. Besides
being a source of sustenance and of feathers (for fletching arrows
and myriad other uses), birds played a significant role in
the cultures of many peoples. Cultural roles included cult ceremonies,
decorations, and subjects in tales, legends, and traditions.
The abundant remains of birds from Ust' Poluisk settlement
in northwestern Asia (Figure 1) provides data on the
Olga R. Potapova and Andrei V. Panteleyev, Zoological Institute,
Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, 199034 Russia.
129
economic, subsistence, and cultural systems of its early Iron
Age human inhabitants.
MATERIALS AND METHODS.—The Ust' Poluisk archaeological
site was discovered in 1932. Bones examined in this study
were collected during excavations conducted in 1935 and 1936
by V.S. Adrianov (Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography
(MAE)), St. Petersburg, Russia. The size of the settlement was
estimated to be about 4000 m 2 . It was surrounded by a kremlin
wall and a trench. About 10% of the site (410 m 2 ) was excavated.
Thirty-six thousand artifacts and bones were recovered
(Adrianov, MSa). For unknown reasons, the excavations were
not completed, and almost all documents from the 1936 excavations
were lost.
The cultural layer of the site is generally 20-30 cm thick, but
it widens to 40-50 cm thick in hollows, indicating its homogeneity
and the long duration of site occupation (Moshinskaya,
1953). Artifacts were dated to 400-100 BC based on artifacts
and tools of the Anan'inskaya and Tagarskaya cultures (Chernetsov,
1953). Discovery of metal knives at the site indicate an
early Iron Age settlement (T.A. Popova, pers. comm., 1997).
Bird bones were apparently excavated from trench number 5,
where remains of two or three dwellings and a sacrifice area
were found. Also located were a hearth with a pile of dog
skulls, reindeer bone fragments, isolated human bones, and numerous
ceramic, bone, and some bronze artifacts (Moshinskaya,
1953). Other faunal remains included squirrel, beaver,
hare, fox, arctic fox, sable, moose, pinnipeds, and some large
fish (Adrianov, MSc). Among nonavian, partly identified bone
remains, reindeer were predominant at the site (Kosintsev,
1997). Beavers were represented by 23 specimens, among
which were 20 young animals and one juvenile (O.R. Potapova,
pers. obs., 1997).
Descriptions of excavation methods are lacking in Adrianov's
1935 report (MSa, MSb, MSc). The authors believe the
deposits were excavated using shovels and knives but were not
screened. The deposits were, however, most likely subjected to