A man buried in Ukraine in the Neolithic era
The Neolithic Igren Culture is a hypothetical archaeological culture attributed to the Neolithic era, which predates the arrival of the Indo-European peoples in Europe. This culture, like many Neolithic societies, marks a significant transition in human history from nomadic lifestyles to more settled agricultural communities. Here's an extensive and detailed description of the Igren Culture, based on common characteristics of Neolithic cultures, specifically tailored to a Central or Eastern European setting:
Historical Context
The Neolithic period, also known as the New Stone Age, began around 10,000 BCE and is characterized by the development of agriculture, which led to the formation of settled communities. The Igren Culture, emerging around 5000-4000 BCE, represents such an evolution in the region now encompassing parts of Central and Eastern Europe. This period is marked by a shift from hunting and gathering to a more sedentary lifestyle, rooted in farming and animal domestication.
Geographic Location
The Igren Culture is speculated to have flourished in a region characterized by fertile plains, river valleys, and temperate climates. These areas provided rich resources and conducive conditions for agriculture, allowing the society to develop its agrarian economy. Proximity to rivers facilitated trade and communication, fostering interactions with neighboring cultures.
Economy and Subsistence
Agriculture was the mainstay of the Igren economy. The cultivation of emmer wheat, barley, and legumes formed the dietary staples of the population. The domestication of animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats complemented agricultural activities, providing milk, meat, and wool. The combination of crop cultivation and animal husbandry allowed for a diversified economic base and increased food security.
The Igren people also engaged in supplementary hunting and gathering activities. Wild game, fish from nearby rivers, and foraged berries and nuts enriched their diet and augmented food resources during poor harvests.
Settlements and Architecture
Igren settlements were typically composed of round or oval pit-houses, partially dug into the ground to provide insulation. Walls were constructed using wattle and daub techniques, while thatched roofs completed these dwellings. Larger communal structures may have served as gathering halls or storerooms, indicating a degree of social organization.
Villages were strategically located near water sources and arable land, with evidence suggesting a degree of planned settlement patterns that facilitated agricultural practices and communal living.
Social Structure and Culture
The Igren Culture likely exhibited a kin-based social structure. Family units or clans formed the basic social units, with communal cooperation central to agricultural practices. Leadership roles were possibly determined by age, experience, or ability to procure resources.
Cultural expressions of the Igren people are hypothesized to include pottery, textiles, and ritualistic objects. Pottery found in hypothetical archaeological sites would typically be hand-made, decorated with complex geometric patterns or designs reflective of their worldview. Textiles, while less likely to survive archaeologically, would have utilized natural fibers and dyes, embodying the culture's artistic endeavors.
Religion and Rituals
The Igren Culture's belief system probably focused on lunar, solar, and agricultural cycles, reflecting the community’s reliance on nature. Rituals and ceremonies were likely conducted to ensure bountiful harvests, healthy livestock, and protection from natural calamities. Burial practices may have demonstrated beliefs in an afterlife, with grave goods suggesting care for the deceased’s journey beyond.
Technological Innovations
The Igren people are assumed to have crafted tools and implements from stone, bone, and wood. Polished stone tools, such as axes and sickles, would have aided in agriculture. Innovations in tool-making, along with a mastery of fire, support the notion of increasingly sophisticated technology.
Art and Symbolism
Art, primarily in the form of pottery and possibly petroglyphs, served not only aesthetic purposes but also functioned as a medium for conveying cultural identity and spiritual beliefs. Symbols and motifs on artifacts possibly represented deities, natural phenomena, or clan insignias.
Legacy
The Igren Culture, like many Neolithic societies, contributed to the cultural and technological tapestry preceding the Indo-European expansions. Their innovations in agriculture and settlement organization set the stage for subsequent cultural developments and provided a foundation for the more complex societies to follow.
Overall, the Neolithic Igren Culture exemplifies the dynamic changes of the Neolithic era, showcasing humanity's ingenuity in adapting to and transforming its environment.
Ancient genetic admixture analysis compares the DNA profile of this individual (IGR001) with present-day reference populations. These results show what percentage of the individual's genetic makeup resembles ancient populations from different geographic regions.
Modern genetic admixture analysis compares the DNA profile of this individual (IGR001) with present-day reference populations. These results show what percentage of the individual's genetic makeup resembles modern populations from different geographic regions.
These results complement the ancient ancestry components shown in the previous section, offering a different perspective on the individual's genetic profile by comparing it with modern reference populations rather than prehistoric ancestral groups.
The G25 coordinates for the sample IGR001 are as follows. You can analyze its admixture using G25 Studio.
IGR001,0.11865594,0.09191234,0.08696366,0.0793018,0.02684418,0.02765712,0.0077744,0.01527796,-0.00290004,-0.0326018,-0.00052818,-0.00906734,0.0198867,0.00989186,-0.0032544,0.00629102,-0.0016537,-0.00026676,0.00034072,0.0072481,0.0083795,-0.00079126,0.0033973,0.00118394,0.0052971
Palaeogenomics of Upper Palaeolithic to Neolithic European hunter-gatherers
Modern humans have populated Europe for more than 45,000 years1,2. Our knowledge of the genetic relatedness and structure of ancient hunter-gatherers is however limited, owing to the scarceness and poor molecular preservation of human remains from that period3. Here we analyse 356 ancient hunter-gatherer genomes, including new genomic data for 116 individuals from 14 countries in western and central Eurasia, spanning between 35,000 and 5,000 years ago. We identify a genetic ancestry profile in individuals associated with Upper Palaeolithic Gravettian assemblages from western Europe that is distinct from contemporaneous groups related to this archaeological culture in central and southern Europe4, but resembles that of preceding individuals associated with the Aurignacian culture. This ancestry profile survived during the Last Glacial Maximum (25,000 to 19,000 years ago) in human populations from southwestern Europe associated with the Solutrean culture, and with the following Magdalenian culture that re-expanded northeastward after the Last Glacial Maximum. Conversely, we reveal a genetic turnover in southern Europe suggesting a local replacement of human groups around the time of the Last Glacial Maximum, accompanied by a north-to-south dispersal of populations associated with the Epigravettian culture. From at least 14,000 years ago, an ancestry related to this culture spread from the south across the rest of Europe, largely replacing the Magdalenian-associated gene pool. After a period of limited admixture that spanned the beginning of the Mesolithic, we find genetic interactions between western and eastern European hunter-gatherers, who were also characterized by marked differences in phenotypically relevant variants.