Migrations in the late Neolithic – Eneolithic in the Volga-Ural region: archaeology, chronology, paleoclimate

The Volga-Ural region draws attention of experts because of the Khvalynian Eneolithic spreading across this territory. Archaeologists consider autochthonous, migration and combined hypotheses for this culture. The findings of anthropological and paleogenetic analyses support the combined hypotheses. The components that comprise the basis of the Khvalynian tribes are determined in this region. The investigations in the field of natural sciences establish two components including the northern and southern hunters. Archaeologists face the problem of cultural attribution of these subjects. Analysis of ceramics and stone tools allow us to consider the following. Due to the deterioration of climatic conditions, the carriers of the earlier stage of Nizhnedonskaya culture moved to the Northern Cis-Caspian region. There is no evidence of cattle breeding among carriers of this culture. They possessed such innovations as comb ornamentation of wares, bifacial processing of heads and replaceable blade tool-making technique. Interaction with the local Late Neolithic (Tenteksor) culture led to the Cis-Caspian culture emerging in the last quarter of the 6th millennium BC. The substrate base is characterised with motifs and compositions of pottery ornamentation that will become typical for the migrants. There is no evidence of a production economy in the Tenteksor culture. In the Cis-Caspian culture, some early features of cattle breeding are found. Therefore, the Cis-Caspian culture people can be attributed as southern hunters. Driven by aridization, they moved to the border of the steppe and forest-steppe of the Low Volga region. Contacts between these tribes and the local Neolithic Srednevolzhskaya culture led to the Samarskaya culture forming. The superstrate component gave this culture vessels with collars, bifacial heads and their shapes, and replaceable blade stone tool-making technique. These tribes can be considered northern hunters. It needs to be taken into consideration that the Srednevolzhskaya culture goes back to the earlier Elshanka culture, therefore, this component has a stable local tradition. Caucasian elements in the Neolithic and Eneolithic materials are not found. The new data allow us to claim the climatic factors to drive the migration processes rather than the type of economy. The climatic conditions drove cultural groups in the Khvalynian culture period as well.