Potential influence of the late Holocene climate on settled farming versus nomadic cattle herding in the Minusinsk Hollow, south-central Siberia

摘要: Prehistoric and early historic human cultures are known to be closely connected dependent on their natural environments. We test the hypothesis that climate change influenced means of subsistence ancient tribes favored agricultural or cattle herding economic strategies. Our study area is Khakass–Minusinsk Hollow, located in foothills Sayan Mountains, south-central Siberia, which was, for a few millennia, buffer zone migrations across Great Eurasian Steppe. Three different methods (the Montane BioClimatic Model, MontBCliM; biomization method; actualizm method) employed reconstruct vegetation taken from fossil pollen sediment cores two mountain lakes at eleven time slices related successive back mid-Holocene. MontBCliM model used inversely convert site paleo-vegetation into paleo-climates. Climate-based regression models developed applied reconstructed climates evaluate possible pasture grain crops these slices. Pollen-based reconstructions fluctuations uncovered several dry periods with steppe forest-steppe wetter forests since 6000 BP. Grasslands increased by an order magnitude during provided extensive open space suitable pastoralism; however, both yields decreased periods. During climates, twofold supported more fixed settlements centered around farming herding. Thus, pastoralist rather than activities. Conversely, practiced agriculture had some advantage wet