Explication for Strategy of Adaptation to the Extreme Environment and Climatic Variation by Nomadic Herders across Western Mongolia

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K02047
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Area studies
• Research Institution: Kyoto University (2019-2022); Waseda University (2017-2018)
• Principal Investigator: SOMA Takuya 京都大学, 白眉センター, 特定准教授 (60779114)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: アルタイ山脈 / 西部モンゴル遊牧民 / 伝統知（TEK) / オーラルヒストリー / ヒューマン・エコロジー / 生存戦略 / 狩猟 / 草原世界

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study empirically elucidated the adaptation strategies of Arctic Mongolian nomads to extreme environments through field research. In particular, this study enables to record a vast amount of oral histories of survival strategies and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of disaster reduction passed down from ancient times, through a total of 10 times of field survey trips (total about 200 working-days) and interviews with more than 300 people. In particular, the study was able to collect high-quality empirical data in all three parts of the research tasks described in the research plan: T1: recording and collecting traditional knowledge for survival in extreme environments; T2: identifying livestock behavior and pastoral productivity; and T3: quantifying and visualizing livestock management methods and labor input.

Free Research Field

人文地理学／生態人類学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、西部モンゴル遊牧民（モンゴル系・オイラート系・カザフ人）の草原適応の知と技法（家畜飼養術・在来植物利用法・狩猟技術・資源利用など）の伝統知について、網羅的かつ科学的記録を実施した。その一部は、モンゴル人およびカザフ人の無形文化遺産の定義の情報源や、辞書などにも収録されている。