# Novosibirsk archaeologists reconstruct Tagar culture diet from ancient dental calculus

- Published: 2026-11-14 02:14 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Biology & biochemistry
- Tags: Tagar culture diet, dental calculus analysis, ancient plant DNA, starch grains, Minusinsk Basin, IAET SB RAS, phytolith atlas, Siberian archaeology
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-25dd9390e10fbd75a76570c9_novosibirsk_archaeologists_reconstruct/

**Researchers at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography SB RAS extract plant starch and DNA from fossilized dental calculus to learn what Minusinsk Basin people ate.**

![Novosibirsk archaeologists reconstruct Tagar culture diet from ancient dental calculus](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/be7ddf86e0f3a6ee.jpg)
*pravda.ru*

Archaeologists at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IAET SB RAS) in Novosibirsk are reconstructing the diet of the Tagar culture with dental techniques, according to pravda.ru. The Tagar people lived in the Minusinsk Basin thousands of years ago. The team studies fossilized dental calculus from their remains and recovers data that was previously considered irretrievably lost [1].

## Method: calculus as a data archive

Dental calculus is treated as an archive that preserves the DNA of plants the people ate. Researchers grind fragments of calculus into powder and isolate microscopic starch particles from it. The analysis restores not only the menu but also the ways the food was processed and cooked [1].

According to research engineer Ksenia Burashnikova, the method makes it possible to test long-standing hypotheses. In particular, the team wants to establish whether the cereals found in the Tagar diet came from their own farming, from gathering wild forms, or from imports from other territories. Statistics collected from hundreds of samples show the overall dietary picture of ancient populations [1].

## Results: root plants and orchids

Senior researcher Snezhana Zhilich of IAET SB RAS said the results were unexpected: the diet included a wide range of root-storing plants. Among them are aquatic plants such as cattail, and members of the lily family: Siberian dog's-tooth violet (kandyk) and martagon lily (saranka). Traces of rare orchids were also found; they may have been used as food and as medicinal plants [1].

To identify ancient DNA reliably, the scientists built an extensive reference collection. It includes modern plants gathered on expeditions in the Minusinsk Basin and the Baraba forest-steppe, as well as in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan [1].

With a grant from the Russian Science Foundation, the Siberian researchers plan to systematize the findings and create a large atlas of starches and phytoliths for Siberia and Central Asia. According to the report, this database is intended as a tool for the international scientific community, helping archaeologists study the daily life and economy of other ancient cultures more precisely [1].

## Sources

1. [pravda.ru](https://www.pravda.ru/news/districts/2442369-dental-calculus-tagar-culture-diet-siberia-archaeology)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-25dd9390e10fbd75a76570c9_novosibirsk_archaeologists_reconstruct/