TY - JOUR

T1 - Inner Asian Agropastoralism Within the Mongol Empire: Multi‐Proxy Investigations at Sel'Ungur Cave, Kyrgyzstan

AU - Brancaleoni, G.

AU - Shnaider, S. V.

AU - Blinnikov, M.

AU - Boxleitner, K.

AU - Mentzer, S. M.

AU - Alekseitseva, V.

AU - Zhilich, S. V.

AU - Chargynov, T.

AU - Alisher kyzy, S.

AU - Parkhomchuk, E. V.

AU - Spengler, R.

AU - Viola, B.

AU - Krivoshapkin, A. I.

AU - Krajcarz, M. T.

N1 - Inner Asian Agropastoralism Within the Mongol Empire: Multi-Proxy Investigations at Sel'Ungur Cave, Kyrgyzstan / G. Brancaleoni, S. V. Shnaider, M. Blinnikov [et al.] // Geoarchaeology. – 2025. – Vol. 40, No. 6. – P. e70032. – DOI 10.1002/gea.70032. – EDN MNWVBI. A special mention goes to Ewa Deput. She was responsible for makingthe micromorphological thin sections used in this study. We would alsolike to thank the entire Sel'Ungur Cave excavation team. Excavationswere supported by the Leakey Foundation (to BV, AK, and TC), as wellas Social Sciences and Humanities Research Fund Insight Develop-ment, and SSHRC Insight grants to BV. The sampling and absolutedating by Golden Valley Laboratory were provided by RSF project 24‐78‐10127. Fecal spherulite analysis was conducted using scientificequipments of the Center for Collective Use "Cenozoic Geochronology"(Zeiss Axio Imager light microscope). The phytolith analysis was pro-vided by the Hellervik Prize of 2024, awarded by St. Cloud State Uni-versity to MSB. The carpological analysis and seeds dating was providedby European Research Council, grant number 851102, awarded to R.S.Geoarchaeological campaigns and micromorphological sample prepa-ration were provided in the frame of the National Science Center ofPoland, grant No. 2018/29/B/ST10/00906 awarded to M.T.K. Interpre-tation was provided in the frame of the ANR PaleoCALM project (ANR‐23‐CE27‐0019). The Leibniz ScienceCampus “Geogenomic ArcheologyCampus Tübingen (GACT)” (Project number: W73/2022) supported bythe Leibniz Association, the Ministry of Science, Research, and the Artsof Baden‐Württemberg and the University of Tübingen funded theresearch stay at the Institute for Archeological Sciences, Department ofGeosciences, University of Tübingen, for GB where she conductedmicromorphological and micro‐analytical analyses of micro-morphological thin sections under the supervision of and in collabo-ration with S.M. Finally, we would like to akcnowledge Editor S.Sherwood for handling our manuscript and the two anonymous refereesfor their comments that helped improved it.

PY - 2025/11/6

Y1 - 2025/11/6

N2 - Agropastoralism has been a widespread subsistence strategy in Central Asia from prehistory to the present. While significant research has aimed at understanding past agropastoral communities in the region, reconstructing a generalized economic model remains challenging due to the complex topographic and ecological conditions, as well as its social and political variability. It is likely that subsistence strategies were flexible and adapted to local conditions. Most of what we know about these communities comes from burial sites, with comparatively less information derived from temporary encampments or occupation contexts. Caves and rockshelters have been readily used by pastoralists for millennia. In this study, we present the results of a multi‐proxy study of a Holocene sequence from one of the most archeologically significant cave sites in Central Asia: the Sel'Ungur Cave of Kyrgyzstan. We combined chronometric dating with phytolith, carpological, and fecal‐spherulite concentration analyses, as well as micromorphological, micro‐XRF, and micro‐FTIR studies. The deposits are primarily composed of charred materials and ash, forming the fumier facies. Micromorphological and micro‐analytical methods have enabled us to identify penning activities and periodic burning as the dominant site formation processes. High‐temperature burning destroyed diagnostic features necessary for more precise identification of herd animals. Notably, “vitrified” dung fragments were observed and inferred through micromorphology and micro‐XRF. Through phytolith and archaeobotanical analyses, we were able to infer that livestock mainly grazed locally. The low abundance of domesticated plants—wheat, millet, and barley—as well as fruit seeds, such as grape, pistachio, and walnut, points toward the use of these as a supplement to the herder's diet. The presence of local and allochthonous domesticated plant species alongside evidence for herding suggests the implementation of a mixed economic strategy, likely combining transhumance and agropastoralism. Chronological analysis of the fumier deposits indicates that Sel'Ungur Cave was used as a pen between the 12th and 15th centuries.

AB - Agropastoralism has been a widespread subsistence strategy in Central Asia from prehistory to the present. While significant research has aimed at understanding past agropastoral communities in the region, reconstructing a generalized economic model remains challenging due to the complex topographic and ecological conditions, as well as its social and political variability. It is likely that subsistence strategies were flexible and adapted to local conditions. Most of what we know about these communities comes from burial sites, with comparatively less information derived from temporary encampments or occupation contexts. Caves and rockshelters have been readily used by pastoralists for millennia. In this study, we present the results of a multi‐proxy study of a Holocene sequence from one of the most archeologically significant cave sites in Central Asia: the Sel'Ungur Cave of Kyrgyzstan. We combined chronometric dating with phytolith, carpological, and fecal‐spherulite concentration analyses, as well as micromorphological, micro‐XRF, and micro‐FTIR studies. The deposits are primarily composed of charred materials and ash, forming the fumier facies. Micromorphological and micro‐analytical methods have enabled us to identify penning activities and periodic burning as the dominant site formation processes. High‐temperature burning destroyed diagnostic features necessary for more precise identification of herd animals. Notably, “vitrified” dung fragments were observed and inferred through micromorphology and micro‐XRF. Through phytolith and archaeobotanical analyses, we were able to infer that livestock mainly grazed locally. The low abundance of domesticated plants—wheat, millet, and barley—as well as fruit seeds, such as grape, pistachio, and walnut, points toward the use of these as a supplement to the herder's diet. The presence of local and allochthonous domesticated plant species alongside evidence for herding suggests the implementation of a mixed economic strategy, likely combining transhumance and agropastoralism. Chronological analysis of the fumier deposits indicates that Sel'Ungur Cave was used as a pen between the 12th and 15th centuries.

KW - Центральная Азия

KW - фюмье

KW - Средневековье

KW - микроморфология

KW - пасторализм

KW - микроаналитические методы

KW - Central Asia

KW - fumiers

KW - Medieval

KW - micromorphology

KW - micro‐analytical methods

KW - pastoralism

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105031710739

UR - https://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=87167764

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/e5492bfd-a24c-343b-8fe9-3e546f0343a6/

U2 - 10.1002/gea.70032

DO - 10.1002/gea.70032

M3 - Article

VL - 40

JO - Geoarchaeology-An international journal

JF - Geoarchaeology-An international journal

SN - 0883-6353

IS - 6

M1 - e70032

ER -