Abstract
The article presents the first results of dietary isotopic analysis of the population of the Tasmola culture (8th-5th centuries BC) of Central Kazakhstan. Samples from 30 objects, including 27 human and 3 faunal bones were used for the analysis. Stable nitrogen (⁵N) and carbon (C) isotope analysis was carried out at the 14Chrono Centre for Climate, the Environment and Chronology, using standard methods of collagen preparation by an ultrafiltration method. The results for humans vary widely in both C and ⁵N. The variety of carbon isotope values in humans suggests that their diet included С₄ plants, apparently millet, which is specifically evident from four humans with the highest C ratios from the sites of Koitas, Taldy-2, Akbeit and Karashoky. This indicates the existence of millet in Central Kazakhstan in the form of a seed culture or an imported product at the beginning of the Iron Age. The data shows that millet was consumed in this period in certain sites of Central Kazakhstan, but not everywhere. For further conclusions, larger sample (including faunal) is needed.