The Skeletal Research Of Jilintai Reservoir Cemeteries, Yili County, Xinjiang Province

The burials for this study were excavated as part of a salvage archaeology project in response to the building of the Jilintai dam and subsequent reservoir. The seven cemeteries excavated for this project are located near the village of Nileke. These cemeteries are located on both sides of the Kashi River, a tributary of the Yili River. The seven cemeteries are named: Qiongkeke No.1, Tuohai, Jialegesihayinte, Bietebasitao, Akebuzaogou, Tiemulike, Caiqiaomen. These excavations are the largest project completed in northern Xinjiang Province. This project is considered the most important archaeological excavation from the Yili River vicinity.Several physical anthropology methods were used in this dissertation research including, demography, dental anthropology, cranial metrics, human osteology, paleopathology, and statistics. These methods were used in conjunction with archaeological data to gain an understanding of the lifeways of the populations buried within these seven cemeteries.This dissertation is comprised of seven chapters.Chapter one will introduce the seven sites excavated from the Jilinati Reservor, their location, geological setting, and archaeological culture. This chapter also summarizes previous research on the population history of Xinjiang Province and the direction of this present dissertation research.Chapter two focuses on the sex ratio, age distribution, and life expectancy of the populations. Chapter three uses dental nonmetric traits to determine the population affinities of the Jilintai Reservoir population samples. Nineteen dental nonmetric traits were used to determine of the Jilintai Reservoir samples were closer to European or Asian dental complexes. The Jilintai Reservoir samples were found to have European and Asian dental traits, however they were closer overall to European population samples. Using mean measure of divergence statistics, the Jilintai were found to be closest to the samples from Xinjiang Province (Yanghai, Yingpan), western Mongolia (Xiongnu, Chandman), and Central Asia (modern day Afghanistan and Pakistan). The results show the eastward migration of the Jilintai Reservoir people stops in Xinjiang Province, before entering Han Chinese territories in Qinghai Province (Taojiazhai) and Shaanxi (Longxian). There is evidence of population migration north into western Mongolia (Xiongnu, Chandman) and west into Central Asia (Afghanistan and Pakistan).Chapter four uses statistical methods to determine the population structure of each cemetery in the Jilintai Reservoir. Statistical methods used include standard deviation, mean sigma, and coefficient of variance. Each cemetery was found to have a heterogeneous population. Cranial metric traits were used to compare the Jilintai Reservoir sample to Caucasoid and Mongoloid population samples. The Jilintai samples were between the Caucasoid and Mongoloid samples, but more similar to the Caucasoid samples. T-tests were used to separate the seven cemeteries into two large groups. While the skull shape is similar between these two groups, the facial features are different.Chapter five uses cluster analysis and principal component analysis to compare the two Jilintai groups to Bronze and Iron Age samples from Xinjiang Province, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia. During the Bronze Age, the two groups from Jilinati are more similar to each other than to all the other samples. This implies a high degree of heterogeneity between populations during the Bronze Age. The early Iron Age results show a large amount of population movement and admixture, changing the population makeup at Jilintai. The Jilintai group one sample had admixture from neighboring Caucasoid populations. The Jilintai group two sample had admixture from neighboring Caucasoid and Mongoloid populations. The Mongoloid populations were from north of Jilintai, possibly originating in Mongolia or Siberia. The Mongoloid populations were not from the central plains of China.Chapter six is on paleopathology. This chapter uses trauma, cranial deformation, oral health, pathology, and developmental defects. These processes can help gain understanding on interpersonal violence, social status, diet, health, and kinship relationships. Based on the trauma results, interpersonal conflict was fairly high among males. The practice of cranial deformation entered Xinjiang Province from the West. Oral health results support a diet high on meat products and low on carbohydrates. The high rate of porotic hyperostosis may have been caused by a deficiency of fruits and vegetables in the diet. Developmental defects show that familial groups are buried within the cemeteries. Chapter seven summarizes all of the previous chapters'research. The population history of these people is complex. During the Bronze Age these people entered Xinjiang Province from the West. In the Iron Age many new people entered this region, settled, and intermarried. After this period these populations migrated westward into Central Asia.