Welcome to history class! In today's video, we'll explore the prehistory and early history of Siberia, a vast northern Asian region eventually conquered by the Russians. Siberia's geography is incredibly diverse, featuring mountains, lowlands, river basins, and varying climate zones. To the west, it's bounded by the Ural Mountains, extending eastward to the Yenisei River.
Siberia is renowned for its extreme climate, with Yakutia, northeast of the Lena River, being one of the coldest places on Earth, experiencing temperature fluctuations from -50°C in winter to over +20°C in summer. Rainfall is notably scarce in this region.
The text also highlights the different biomes in Siberia. It includes the northernmost tundra with minimal vegetation, the extensive taiga (northern coniferous forests), transitioning to forested steppe in the southwest, and further south to grass steppes and the central Asian desert.
Archaeological discoveries in Siberia are briefly mentioned, ranging from Lower Paleolithic findings in eastern Kazakhstan to Upper Paleolithic remains in the Urals, Altai, and areas west of Lake Baikal. Notably, some sculptures and figurines reminiscent of the European Upper Paleolithic have been uncovered in Siberia.
The text provides a historical timeline for Siberia, from the Neolithic period marked by the introduction of pottery and bronze usage, through the Chalcolithic era, to the emergence of the Andronovo culture with distinct local variations. Urbanization in Siberia is noted, with settlements like Arkaim, Olgino, and Sintashta as early evidence.
The middle Bronze Age saw the expansion of the Andronovo culture to the east and its influence on the Yenisei Valley. Crucial changes in pottery and bronze working occurred during the late Bronze Age, especially in the Baikal region, where chalcolithic culture was replaced by a bronze-working pastoralist society.
The Iron Age began in Siberia, marked by local ceramic styles continuing on the Ob. However, the central Asian steppe underwent significant transformation as mobile horse nomads came to dominate, impacting sedentary cultures and leading to shifts in art, social structure, and more.
In the damper northern steppes, sedentary pastoralist cultures developed under nomadic influence. Proto-urban settlements like Tshitsha formed during the late Irmen culture in west Siberia. While evidence gaps exist in some transitional periods, the rise of Turkic groups in the Central Asian steppes is detectable from the 5th century.
Over the following centuries, these Turkic groups expanded to the north and west, eventually gaining control over southern Siberia. In regions further north, inhabited by Uralic and Paleosiberian language speakers, information remains limited.
The Mongols had historical interactions with Siberian peoples, with Lake Baikal's tribes speaking Mongol while those to the west spoke Turkic, Samoyedic, or Yeniseian languages. Genghis Khan's conquests in the 13th century brought Mongolia and southern Siberia under his rule, and Western Siberia came under the Golden Horde.
After the Yuan dynasty army, led by Kublai's Kipchak general Tutugh, reoccupied Kyrgyz lands in 1293, they began controlling large portions of Central and Eastern Siberia. As the Golden Horde disintegrated in the late 15th century, the Khanate of Sibir was established, centered in Tyumen. In the early 16th century, Tatar fugitives from Turkestan subdued loosely associated tribes in the Ural Mountains' eastern lowlands.
Agriculturists, merchants, tanners, and Muslim clerics from Turkestan were brought in, leading to the emergence of small principalities on the Irtysh and Ob rivers. The next significant historical transition in Siberia was the Russian expansion into the east, commencing in the late 15th century and culminating in the 19th century, marking the onset of modernity in the region.
Geographical Diversity: Siberia is described as an area with significant geographical diversity, including mountain ranges, lowlands, river basins, and different climate zones. It is bordered by the Ural Mountains in the west, and it extends to the Yenisei River in the east.
Extreme Climate: Siberia is noted for its extreme climate. It mentions Yakutia, northeast of the Lena River, as one of the coldest places on Earth, with temperature variations ranging from -50°C in winter to over +20°C in summer. Rainfall in Siberia is generally very low.
Biomes: The text highlights the various biomes found in Siberia, including the tundra in the northernmost section, the taiga (northern coniferous forests) in most parts, forested steppe in the southwest, and grass steppes in the south.
Archaeological Discoveries: The text briefly mentions archaeological findings in Siberia. These discoveries range from Lower Paleolithic finds in eastern Kazakhstan to Upper Paleolithic remains in the Urals and Altai. It also notes that sculptures and figurines reminiscent of the European Upper Paleolithic have been found in Siberia.
Siberian History Timeline: The text outlines a historical timeline of Siberia, starting from the Neolithic period with the introduction of pottery and the use of bronze, to the Late Bronze Age marked by significant cultural changes. It also mentions the influence of horse nomads in Central Asia and their impact on the region, ultimately leading to the Russian expansion into Siberia.
