Introduction. This article continues the series of articles devoted to the study of the collection of photographic images of representatives of the peoples of the Kuban region, collected by E.D. Felitsyn for the Anthropological Exhibition of 1879 and stored in the collections of the D.N. Anuchin Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology of Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Materials and methods. The research was based on archival photographic images of the Abadzekhs, which were presented at an Anthropological exhibition in Moscow in 1879, and then became part of the general collection of photographic images of representatives of the peoples of the Kuban region, collected by E.D. Felitsyn.

Results. A description of the collection is given, which includes 7 photographic images of Abadzekhs who lived during the preparation and holding of the Anthropological Exhibition in Moscow in 1879 in the Maikop district of the Kuban region, in the villages of Khadzhimukovsky and Blechepsin. The photographs are pasted on branded photographic letterheads and belong to photographer A. Starzhevsky. The size of the photo is 11 x 16 cm, the size of the cardboard is 18 x 22 cm. On the front and back sides there are inscriptions containing information about the name of the county, tribe, village, the name of the person depicted, their age and height. The photos show 3 men and 4 women aged 8, 18, 30, 33 and 60 years.

Discussion. The article analyzes the literary information devoted to the problems of studying the origin, ethnic history, socio-cultural traditions of the Abadzekh, as well as data on the study of their anthropological features.

Conclusion. For the first time, photographic images of the Abadzekhs were published, which are part of the collection provided by E.D. Felitsyn for the Anthropological Exhibition of 1879. Their scientific and documentary value and significance allows us to introduce into scientific circulation information about the details of the material and spiritual culture of the Abadzekh ethnic group. Digitized and studied photographs can be used as an independent source of research, the advantage of which over written sources is its clarity and visual way of preserving information over time. © 2025. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. This article reviews the scientific legacy of the eminent Russian anthropologist
Y.Y. Roginsky. His research had a significant impact on the subsequent development of the theoretical underpinnings of Russian anthropology. This work aims to identify the central tenets of Y.Y. Roginsky's concepts regarding the origin, evolution and differentiation of humanity, and to assess their significance for modern science. It examines his views on the initial stages of hominin formation and the role of Neanderthals in human evolution, as well as the factors that led to the success of modern humans. The hypothesis of «broad
monocentrism», which explains the origin of human races, is also discussed briefly. Particular attention is paid to the scientist's ideas about the psychological and social differences between Neanderthals and early modern humans, including intragroup aggression, and the significance of art as an indicator of Homo sapiens' cognitive uniqueness.

Materials and methods. This study is based on Y.Y. Roginsky's writings, recollections of him, personal diaries and contemporary publications on topics related to his work. Using the historical method and a comparative approach, the theoretical constructions of Y. Y. Roginsky could be compared with contemporary concepts.

Results. Y.Y. Roginsky's interdisciplinary scientific approach is based on the comprehensive application of data from morphology, paleoanthropology, archaeology, ethology and psychology. Y.Y. Roginsky's theoretical concepts are united by one central theme: the study of patterns in the formation of modern humans and how they differ from other ancient human species. His works address issues such as the earliest origins of humans, the reality of the «Neanderthal phase» in human evolution, mono- and polycentrism in the differentiation of Homo sapiens into separate races, the reconstruction of potential differences between modern humans and their ancestors, the Upper Paleolithic art, and the uniqueness of the human personality.

Conclusion. The structure, content and interdisciplinary nature of modern anthropology, as well as the broad range and depth of issues studied, are largely based on the scientific concepts and methodological approaches of one of the most notable anthropologists of 20th century, Yakov Yakovlevich Roginsky. © 2025. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. The paper presents craniometric data for a sample from the Mordovian Levzha cemetery, discovered in 2020 during the construction of a highway in the village of Ruzaevka in the Republic of Mordovia. The research conducted by archaeologists and ethnographers has revealed the presence of groups of burials presumably having different ethnocultural origins. These groups have been identified and characterized as Mordovian subethnoses of Erzya and Moksha. In the northern part of the cemetery, the heads of the buried individuals were oriented to the south (supposedly Moksha), and in the south part — to the north (supposedly Erzya).The hypothesis tested in the study is that the individuals buried according to different funeral traditions are also morphologically different.

Material and methods. A total of 286 crania (137 male and 149 female) were analyzed. They were measured according to the standard craniometric protocol. The measurement program included 35 linear traits, 10 angles, 16 indices, and 6 descriptive characteristics. The variability of the sample was also tested for asymmetry and kurtosis. At the final stage, the principal component analysis was used to visualize the data, study the structure of intra-group variability, and identify the most significant features influencing variation.

Results and discussion. An analysis of the morphological characteristics of male and female samples allows us to identify a single morphological complex with several common characteristics for both groups. Both male and female crania are characterized by mesocranial cranial vault and narrow and high facial skeleton. The most notable differences between the two groups are found in the facial morphology. Female crania are characterized by a combination of orthognathism with a tendency towards prognathism in the alveolar region, while male crania have a moderate protrusion of the facial skeleton and less pronounced protrusion in the alveolar region. Overall, the skulls from the Levzha cemetery are of the mesomorphic type of the European ancestry without specific craniometric features.

Analysis of the craniometric characteristics of individuals with different head position did not reveal any statistically significant differences between the groups. This is supported by the results of the Fisher's exact test and the Student's t-test. © 2025. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. The following review concerns the research of Eurasian climate history during the last 1500 years.

Materials and methods. The results of paleoclimatological studies published during the last 15 years are examined and compared, including the brief outline of the methods of the reconstruction of past climates employing various proxies, including pollen, tree rings and ice cores.

Results and discussion. The recent reconstructions of the climate of the Europe and Eastern Asia during the most important climatic events of the past millennium – the Medieval Warm Period (10^th–13^th cc.) and the Little Ice Age (15^th–19^th cc.) are described. The influence of the climatic conditions of these time periods on the lives and economic activities of the human populations in Europe and China.

Conclusion. The comparison of the reconstructions originating from the various regions of Eurasia demonstrates the global extent of the warm and cold periods and the existence of the connections between perennial meteorological events in Europe and Asia. © 2025. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license