Shorena Laliashvili

Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University.

Institute of History and Ethnology.

Scientific Employee of the Anthropological Research Laboratory.

Tbilisi, Georgia

shorena.laliashvili@tsu.ge,  ORCID

Polymorphism of surnames and morphological and genetic composition of the population
Abstract
The analysis of the distribution area of surnames is increasingly used in modern anthropological research, as there are certain parallels between historical and genetic similarities of populations. The reconstruction of the formation of an ethnic group is based on various (archaeological, anthropological, ethnological, linguistic, historical, etc.) sources. Modern surnames belong to this series, as they are indicators of those specific anthropological characteristics, bearers of which are an integral part of an ethnos and create its history; they provide genetic polymorphism, are transmitted from generation to generation and are formed as genetic markers. The surname is one of the most significant tools for studying the variability of genetic and demographic indicators, as they are characterized by the variability in quantity over time, as well as a decrease or increase in the number of surname carriers, which makes it possible to judge changes in the genetic composition of populations and the different contributions of different surnames in the preservation of genetic diversity (polymorphism) of an ethnos.
The very high morphological similarity between Abkhazians and Georgians, obtained on the basis of anthropological systems, was explained by the analysis of the morphological appearance and common surnames (about 80 % of which are considered Georgian and common in various regions of Georgia) of Abkhazians from Ochamchire, Gudauta and Gagra, which were studied on the basis of data from various branches of anthropology. This is a clear illustration of the importance attached to surnames in anthropological research. The surname, like the DNA markers of the Y chromosome, is passed down from generation to generation along the paternal line and is equal to the information received by one codominant genetic system. Thus, the surname is, on the one hand, a social formation, and on the other, an analogue of a genetic marker. It, like genes (or, more correctly, together with genes), shifts in space, changes in time (for example, it gives rise to new surnames, etc.). In contrast to genes, it is not subject to mutation. It remains the carrier of the same genetics, only increasing the spectrum (quantity) of the surname. It also gives us information about marital relations (marriage migration), allows us to study marital preferences, determine genetic and morphological polymorphism of the population, and identify possible inbreeding. It is believed that the number of surname carriers in a population is subject to genetic drift. Genealogical studies of surnames, in which the surname with its system of marriages and gene pool is considered a genetic marker, provide us with valuable information on each component of ethnogenesis. They also greatly help to interpret the results of DNA marker studies in terms of identifying the frequency, original area and direction of distribution of individual Y-chromosome haplogroups, as well as establishing family ties between different surnames. Such studies are relevant and promising.
Keywords: Morphological and genetic polymorphism, surnames, DNA markers, marriage migration.

Paleodemography of the Late Bronze-Early Iron Age Populations
of the Southern Caucasus in a Comparative Study

This paper is the first to examine the demographic profile has the aim of examining demographic profiles and trends in the populations of South Caucasus in the Late Bronze-Early Iron Ages.
Here are represented by populations from the burial grounds of Doglauri (n=32), Safar-Kharaba (n=39), Tserovani (n=44) from Georgia and Bardzryala (n=44), Bover (n=55) and Bageri Chala (n=32) ) from Armenia. The cemeteries of Doglauri and Tserovani are located on the territory of Shida (Inner) Kartli in the Karelian and Mtskheta municipalities, respectively, and sSafar-Kharaba in the Tsalka municipality of Kvemo (Lower) Kartli. Unlike the Georgian cemeteries Bardzryal, Bover and Bageri, three Armenian necropolises are located in the Lori region of Armenia.
The comparison of this material from such a distant period is extremely interesting for us because in antiquity the sites belonged to the same territory with no modern geographical borders to separate the two countries. Paleodemographical studies provide important information about ancient populations, such as the sex and age structure of the population, mean age at death, life expectancy, sex ratio, life expectancy at birth. In addition to the mortality of all age groups of the population, the probability of survival, generation length, average family size, and infant mortality, can also be estimated.  The demographic profile of the populations and their socio-cultural adaptation in the South Caucasus in antiquity can be judged estimated from these parameters.
In this study, we compared the demographic characteristics of the inhabitants buried in the cemeteries of Doglauri, Safar-Kharabа, Tserovani, as well as in the cemeteries of Bardzryal, Boveri and Bageri Chala, and finally, we determined the demographic profile of the Late Bronze-Early Iron populations of the South Caucasus. research has shown that there is a very large variation in some parameters: in the distribution of mean age at death, both considering and not considering child mortality, in life expectancy at birth, in mean family size, in the percentage of individuals aged 15 years and older, as well as in the percentage of individuals over 50 years of age; in the percentage of child mortality and, within narrower limits (25-28 years), in the variation in generation length. There is a general trend: the probability of death increases with age, and the probability of survival, on the contrary, decreases The survival and mortality curves mentioned are of the same type, but these processes proceed at different rates in all populations.
It is also worth noting that the Lori populations buried in the three different cemeteries are similar in several demographic characteristics, as are the Doglauri, Safar-Kharaba and Tserovni populations, although the Tserovani and Bardzryal populations are the closest to each other. This interesting fact could be explained in the light of archaeological context and genetic data, which is a task for future research.

Keywords: Paleoanthropology, Paleodemography, Late Bronze-Early Iron, South Caucasus.