Nomads South Siberia
The Pastoral Economies of Tuva

Sevyan Vainshtein describes the economy of the nomadic pastoralists of Tuva, a region on the borders of Mongolia and the USSR.

Vainshtein (Author)

9780521107105, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 2 April 2009

300 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.7 cm, 0.44 kg

There are few, if any, detailed first-hand accounts of Inner Asian pastoralism available to Western readers. Drawing on archival sources and his own extensive fieldwork Sevyan Vainshtein describes the economy of the nomadic pastoralists of Tuva, a region on the borders of Mongolia and the USSR. It is a detailed account of the migratory movements, the husbandry of the different herds, the reindeer economy and the hunting, fishing, agriculture and technology of the peoples of the region. Dr Vainshtein includes a section on the history and social structure of the nomads and reaches some conclusions on the rise of the State among the nomads of Central Asia. The main aim of the book is to acquaint readers with accurate and detailed field material on the economy of Inner Asian nomads - a subject which has invited much speculation hitherto, but usually on the basis of inadequate data. It will be invaluable to all anthropologists and to specialists in Soviet and Asian Studies.

Preface: an introduction to the peoples and history of Tuva
Introduction: Tuva - the natural setting
1. Pastoralism and forms of nomadism
2. Forms of travel and migration
3. Sayan reindeer-herding and the origins of reindeer-herding in Eurasia
4. The agricultural tradition of the nomads
5. Appropriative economic forms among the Tuvinian nomads in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries
6. Domestic crafts and exchange in Tuva. The nature and importance of craft technology for the nomads
7. Social relations
Notes
Principal archive sources and museum collections
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Anthropology [JHM]