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Patterns of Change in a Nenets Landscape: An Ethnoarcheological Study of Yangana Pe, Polar Ural Mts. Russia

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Abstract

Using an ethnoarcheological perspective we examine Nenets site formation, seasonality and landscape usage in controlling reindeer herds in a complex system of more than 20 abandoned campsites and other sites of interest over 100 km2 and a time-span of several decades. We establish a chronology based on more than 150 expiration dates from imported food items, supported by additional seasonal evidence such as presence/absence of newborn reindeer, hearths and other artifacts. We separated the sites into five stages and compared the patterns of change, especially from 1986 to 2003 as the road and railroad connecting the Yamal gas mining fields were constructed nearby. We find that the impact of road and rail construction is reflected in the increase of imported goods upon its completion.

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Acknowledgments

The research was supported by EU grant CZ.1.07/2.3.00/20.0181, Czech grant agency no. GAP504/13/08169S and Program of UD RAS, project no. 12-4-7-035. We thank the Nenets Okotetto families, Vlasta Jankovská, Martin Holub, and our colleagues from the Institute of Ecology of Plants and Animals, Russian Academy of Sciences in Yekaterinburg, and Settlement Administration in Panaevsk at Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region for consultations, advice and collaboration. We are grateful to anonymous reviewers for final comments and suggestions on the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Sandra Sázelová.

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Sázelová, S., Svoboda, J., Kosintsev, P.A. et al. Patterns of Change in a Nenets Landscape: An Ethnoarcheological Study of Yangana Pe, Polar Ural Mts. Russia. Hum Ecol 43, 283–294 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-015-9744-2

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