History of the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in the eastern Baltic region and its implications for the origin and immigration routes of the recent northern European wild reindeer populations

Abstract

History of the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in the eastern Baltic region and its implications for the origin and immigration routes of the recent northern European wild reindeer populations PIRKKO UKKONEN, LEMBI LÕ UGAS, ILGA ZAGORSKA, LIGITA LUKŠ EVICA, ERVINS LUKŠ EVICS, LINAS DAUGNORA AND HÖ GNE JUNGNER BOREAS Ukkonen, P., Lõ ugas, L., Zagorska, I., Lukševica, L., Lukševics, E., Daugnora, L. & Jungner, H. 2006 (May): History of the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in the eastern Baltic region and its implications for the origin and immigration routes of the recent northern European wild reindeer populations. Boreas, Vol. 35, pp. 222 Á/230. Oslo. ISSN 0300-9483.A total of 45 subfossil reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) antlers and bones Á/ artefacts excluded Á/ have been found over the years in the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The relatively high number of specimens suggests a stable residence of the species in the eastern Baltic region. For the first time, 12 of these finds were radiocarbon-dated. The ages of the samples range between 12 085 and 9970 14 C yr BP (14 180 Á/11 280 cal. yr BP), and cover the Lateglacial and early Holocene, a time period during which climatic conditions shifted from periglacial to temperate. The dates suggest a rapid colonization of the area during the deglaciation period and a local extinction around the Pleistocene Á/Holocene boundary. The results of the study do not support the theory that the recent wild reindeer populations of northern Europe had their origin in the Late Weichselian reindeer populations of the eastern Baltic region.

The Scandinavian reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.) after the last glacial maximum: time, seasonality and human exploitation

“…12 500 BP as a marker of the true 'first occurrence' of the reindeer in Scandinavia is supported by a likewise first occurrence in the deglaciated Eastern Lithuania around 12 100 BP (Ukkonen et al, 2006) and in Western Norway at the site of Blomvåg around 12 700e12 200 BP (Lie, 1986(Lie, , 1990Mangerud, 1977). Taking the palaeogeographical situation around 12 500 into account (see e.g.…”

Dating Late Paleolithic Harpoons from Lake Lubāns, Latvia

“…All four harpoons date to the mid-10th millennium cal BC, in the early Preboreal period, and are broadly contemporary with the reindeer antlers from Lake Lubāns dated by Ukkonen et al (2006) and Zagorska (2012) (Figure 4). The calibrated dates relate to the lifetime of the animal concerned, not to when the artifacts were actually made, but there is no reason to assume that the harpoons were made using old bones (cf.…”

“…A minimum age of ~9800-9300 cal BC is given by the dates of reindeer antlers from the lakebed (Hela-607, 9980 ± 70 BP: Ukkonen et al 2006;Poz-26786, 9990 ± 50 BP: Zagorska 2012: Table IV). In 1937In -1940, after the lake level was artificially lowered to create new agricultural land, a unique collection of ~3500 bone and antler stray finds came to light.…”

Outlines of the Quaternary geology of Latvia

“…Ukkonen et al 2006;Arppe and Karhu 2010), and results obtained by TL, OSL (e.g. Zelčs et al 2011;Saks et al 2012) and ESR (Molodkov et al 1998) dating techniques.…”