New Craniological Data on the Medieval Population of the North-Estern Black Sea Region
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24852/2587-6112.2026.1.96.105Keywords:
archaeology, paleoanthropology, craniometry, the Middle Ages, the Adygs, the Circassians, Black Sea regionAbstract
The article presents the results of a study on a craniological series from an XI-XIII century burial ground located near the village of Yuzhnaya Ozereevka, part of the city of Novorossiysk. Using a craniometric program, 12 male and 4 female skulls were analyzed, revealing the morphological homogeneity of the group. The presence of a minor Mongoloid admixture cannot be excluded, potentially due to the influence of settlers from the Golden Horde; however, this hypothesis remains open pending a detailed analysis of the burial inventory. A comparison using Student’s t-test between the Yuzhnaya Ozereevka sample and two other series from nearby burial grounds also near Novorossiysk showed no significant morphological differences. A more recent series from the Muslim monument of Katusvin Krivitsa differs from the medieval population by exhibiting a longer braincase and a shorter face, though its female subgroup remains morphologically similar to the medieval series. Overall, the analysis suggests that a morphologically consistent population inhabited the region within the current municipalities of Anapa and Novorossiysk, maintaining its appearance into modern times.
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