Book
English
ID: <
10670/1.hjo7o5>
Abstract
This article explores the role of seasons in the nomadic and pastoral practices of two Turkish-speaking pastoralist populations who live in large areas of Inner Asia with marked continental climates: the Yakuts in alaas of the Eastern Siberia taiga forest region, and the Kazakhs in the steppes of Central Asia. Different forms of pastoral mobility are practiced with the aim of softening the seasons and prolonging their best moments. Over the past century, these populations have adapted with flexibility to historical changes, creating original forms of sedentary life. The calendar of pastoral activities is marked by a strong degree of seasonality, linked to the reproductive cycle of livestock. A dichotomy separates two contrasting halves of the year: the warm season being largely devoted to preparing the harsh season which will follow.