Reindeer antler trimming in modern large-scale reindeer pastoralism and parallels in an early type of hunter-gatherer reindeer herding system: Evenk ethnoarchaeology in Siberia

Antler trimming is an integrated part of modern large-scale reindeer pastoralism. Ethnoarchaeological observations from Siberia indicate that this may also have been the case in the oldest known type of hunter-gatherer reindeer herding still practised in Siberia. Evidence of antler trimming in prehistoric contexts may therefore serve as an indicator of prehistoric reindeer domestication and possibly also reveal which transportation methods were used locally. This paper outlines the basic practical/ideological features that are related to the early type of hunter-gatherer reindeer herding, because they deviate significantly from modern economic concepts.