David G. Anderson Univ. of Aberdeen NordForsk Researcher Network “Rangifer Domus” site.uit.no/rangiferdomus

 To develop new methods  To broaden collaboration across the Nordic world and internationally  To assist in gathering samples – sharing laboratory facilities 2 Opening seminar, Tromsø Museum, Nov 2011

 Pollen analysis as an aid to geological research  Pollen analysis describing climate change  Trees – Grasses – Cereals – Plants & Animals  Reindeer Husbandry in the past  Milking corrals  Habitation sites  Reindeer Husbandry Today  Milking corrals  Habitation sites 3 Ust’-Nechera, Bodaibo district

 Sampling  Peat myres vs humified peat and calcified soils  Unbroken columns vs. samples from selected strata  Small slivers of soil (1 cc) vs large blocks 4

 Descriptions and Representations  Soil categories: colour and texture vs Troels-Smith  Tilia  Modern plant communities vs palynological communities 5 Novyi Kilgol, S-B district

 New Themes  Landscape ethnoecology 6

 New Themes  Fungal spore analysis 7

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 Ian Hodder - The Domestication of Europe  A symbolic opposition of Domus and Agrios 11 Domus as Centre Agrios as Centre Agrios as periphery Domus as periphery Fig 4.6 The shift in the relative importance of the domus and agrios through time. p. 96

 Botanical Conversations: What plants speak to us of.  Laboratory conversations: Searching for and representing ‘hard’ data that gives voice to landscape forms  Ethnographic Conversations: Tracking the Yearly Round of People, Moose, and Reindeer  Topogenesis: the mutual interest of rangifer and other species in similar places 12

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15 Tilia chart by Edward Schofield, Univ of Aberdeen ‘Paradoxical’ rises in both dry and damp tolerant plants – a possible ecological marker of reindeer grazing

16 Analysis by Elena Bezrukova

Ethnographic Conversations: The Yearly Round Winter in the uplands – shallow snow Winter in the uplands – shallow snow Early spring migration to grass meadows Early spring migration to grass meadows Summer smoke fires (smudges) and shade Summer smoke fires (smudges) and shade Spring and autumn coralling Spring and autumn coralling 17 A mixed economy- porterage, moose hunting, milking, forestry A mixed economy- porterage, moose hunting, milking, forestry

Landscape Ethnoecology Local landscape terminology often does not easily translate into botanical categories. Often these terms mix qualities of agency, biophysical qualities, function, and climate. Examples: Moss as a type of earth; ‘Good’ places Ethnoecologies help to identify problems in how formal science classifies the world 18

Aian - Perevoz Kever – Bazarnaia reka Poliana – Ostrov – Lake Tolondo 19

 Human-Rangifer relationships are an ‘emplaced’ relationship.  This creates complex interstitial categories which complicate geophysical analysis or often appear as ‘static’ or ‘error’.  In adjudicating the debate between climate created space, and anthropogenesis, it seems that both work together to create ‘good’ places  Rangifer are neither wild nor tame. Homo Sapiens is part of the Rangifer Domus 20

21 Ed Schofield, University of Aberdeen Elena Bezrukova, СО РАН Natal’ia Kulagina, СО РАН Mika Lavento, University of Helsinki Peter Jordan, University of Aberdeen The Research Council of Norway The National Science Foundation, USA The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada NordForsk

22 4 Sites: Ozernyi, Ust’-Nichera, Kilgoi, Lake Tolondo strong continental climate mediated by Lake Baikal strong continental climate mediated by Lake Baikal relatively late end to glaciation relatively late end to glaciation high tundra plateaus interspersed with steppe-like refuges high tundra plateaus interspersed with steppe-like refuges Centrally involved in the fur trade from 18th century and gold mining from the mid-19th century Centrally involved in the fur trade from 18th century and gold mining from the mid-19th century

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Zone 1: Vasinium uliginosum Festuca ovina Poa pratanesis Chamaenerion angustifolium Erigeron acris Tanasetum vulgare 24 Ozernyi

Zone 2: Carex cespitosa Comarum palustre Rubus arcticus Geranium sp. Poa pratanesis Trolliuis kytmanovii Swertia obtusa 25 Ozernyi

Zone 3: Vassinium uliginosum Vassinium vitis-idea Lonicera pallisi Festuca rubra Chameenerion angustifolium Calamagrostis epigeois 26 Novyi Kilgol

Conclusions - There is no single marker of either human habitation or reindeer trampling. - However, the concept of a sinantropic (companion) plant community captures the visual feel of a reindeer herding area - This concept overlaps with ethnoecological terminology 27

 Attempt to trace plant-family communities into the past  An attempt to identify bio-indicators of reindeer husbandry  Esp. plant communities distinguished by orders  Coprophilious fungus  High resolution 0.5cm resolution (different than standard practice in Russian archaeology)  Use of Lycopodium markers to measure pollen accumulation rates 28

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30 Tilia chart by Edward Schofield, Univ of Aberdeen

31 Tilia chart by Edward Schofield, Univ of Aberdeen A unique interrupted hydrological event, and marked by fire at the top

32 A classic rise in meadow species Tilia chart by Edward Schofield, Univ of Aberdeen

33 A classic rise in meadow species, with a decline in light shrubs Tilia chart by Edward Schofield, Univ of Aberdeen

34 Sharp rises in coprophillious fungus associated with domestic animals Tilia chart by Edward Schofield, Univ of Aberdeen

 No clear plant marker of reindeer husbandry  Coprophillious fungus provides the best indicator  Model of plant communities provides a second marker – esp ‘paradoxical’ co presence of dry and wet types  Possible occupancy dated to 10 th Century by plant communities, 17 th Century by fungal markers 35

 Potentially interesting interaction with climate caused change  Reindeer herding camps are placed on special ‘interzonal’ places between alpine tundra and taiga, often on an ancient, gravelly moraine  These interzonal places provide ‘affordances’ for a ‘good place’ to live.  Interzonal places if not used by people with deer might well be colonized by migratory wild deer, who in turn attract people  A ‘hearth’ of domestication? 36

 Our group also worked in an international collaborative setting supported by a reindeer herding community.  The project served as meeting point of different methods in archaeology, ethnography and palynology, enskilling the practitioners  Emphasis on fine resolution records  Attention directed to new plant and pollen types  Increased attention to vernacular models of landscape 37

 However, we encountered a severe problem with permafrost requiring the use of ‘dried’ myres – which produces patchy or noisy results.  We continue to debate with colleagues about the impact of large scale climate change on the production of these meadows which afford a place for life. 38

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40 1)A sudden drying of a glacial moraine after a significant hydrological event 2)Meadow grasses exploited by migratory wild reindeer, spring and autumn 3)Domestic reindeer kept on the same meadows 4) In the Russian imperial and early Soviet period, new forms of agriculture including garden plots, haying, pasturing of horses with reindeer 5) In the middle Soviet period, intensive haying and seeding of cereals 6) Extensive industrial impacts, burning, in the late Soviet period 7) A period of decline in the post-Soviet period

41 Chart and analysis by Mika Lavento

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