Mobility of nomads in Central Asia: Chronology and 87Sr/86Sr isotope evidence from the Pazyryk barrows of Northern Altai, Russia

In this study we report the first 87Sr/86Sr isotopic data and mobility analyses of the Pazyryk culture in Central Asia. Throughout prehistory the Altai Mountains represent a unique cultural frontier characterised by a perpetual state of transition, resulting from highly mobile nomadic inhabitants. We analysed human skeletal remains from barrows in the Manzherok region of the Altai Republic, Russian Federation. The analysis was based on 160 measurements of 87Sr/86Sr from Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (TIMS), in tandem with environmental samples and comparative animal material. The combined dating evidence and strontium isotopic values indicate that after the 5th century BC, residential mobility amongst Altaic nomads is rising, especially long-distance female mobility, leading to contact acquisition with extrinsic territories of Central Asia. The 87Sr/86Sr isotopic evidence from Manzherok suggests that members of the Altaic population might have been buried in Scythian tombs located in Tuva and Khakassia, most notably in the Arzhan barrows. •Isotopic analyses have revealed several patterns of residential mobility among nomads in Altai during Scythian Iron Age.•The 87Sr/86Sr isotopic evidence suggests inter-tribal alliances of Altaic nobility, notably links with the remote territories of Tuva and Khakassia.•This study reports a correlation between the volume and quality of grave goods and the long-distance mobility of nomadic females.•A new theoretical model of nomadic mobility in arid and semi-arid territories is presented.•Strong consistency between 86Sr/87Sr measurements in Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (TIMS) is reported.