#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. Researchers from the Institute of the History of Material Culture and the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute studied findings at the Zhohov site on one of the islands. They discovered that, approximately nine thousand years ago, the inhabitants of Eastern Siberia already had a highly developed transportation culture.
The results of their research have been published in scientific journals, as reported by vokrugsveta.ru.
At the site, numerous items made from perishable materials have been remarkably well-preserved in the permafrost. These include hunting gear, household utensils, woven and birch bark products, sled components, and even dog bones.
The examination of fragments from ancient sleds and the bone remains of dogs led researchers to propose that developed dog sledding existed in the East Siberian Arctic as far back as nine thousand years ago.
The scientists were able to reconstruct the sizes, design features, and types of ancient sleds, and they detailed the sequence of actions involved in their construction. They also identified the tools that ancient craftsmen used for various tasks. The ancient people utilized lightweight hand sleds that could be pulled by either a person or a dog, as well as larger cargo sleds designed for transporting heavy loads with dog teams.
The authors of the study emphasize that dog sledding provided crucial logistical connectivity between regions and contributed to the formation of large socio-cultural systems. They believe that the phenomenon of transportation through dog sledding had a significant impact on the region’s development.
In related news, This Is Taimyr previously reported that the unusual drift of an ice floe could help improve our understanding of Arctic currents.
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Text: Angelica Stepanova, Photo: Nikolay Shchipko
