AltSU scientists presented the results of archaeological excavations at the international congress in Kazakhstan
The congress gathered over 200 scientists from 29 countries of the world, who for three days discussed topical issues of early metal archeology, the era of early nomads, medieval nomads and cities, the history of the nomadic empires of Eurasia, ancient and medieval art, worldview, as well as the preservation of cultural heritage and history of archaeological discoveries.
The delegation of Altai State University included Professor Sergey Dashkovsky, Professor Sergey Grushin, Director of the Museum of Archeology and Ethnography of Altai of Altai State University Yaroslav Frolov, an associate professor Elena Shershneva, and a lecturer Valeria Alekseeva. In addition, the congress was attended by experts from the REC "The Greater Altai" - a leading researcher at the Institute of Archeology named after A. Kh. Margulan of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aleksey Rogozhinsky and a scientific secretary of the Institute of Archeology named after A. Kh. Margulan of the Republic of Kazakhstan Ilya Merts.
Sergey Grushin, Professor, an expert of the REC "The Greater Altai" of AltSU, spoke about the work at the congress:
– The face-to-face format of participation allowed archaeologists from different countries to most productively present the results of their research and get acquainted with the work of colleagues, discuss the organization of joint events and scientific projects with universities in Central Asia. REC of Altaic and Turkic Studies "The Greater Altai" of AltSU presented reports on the results of research within the framework of the project "Turkic World of the Greater Altai". The reports caused a lively discussion. As a result of the work of the congress, the organizers published five volumes of scientific research: this is an important contribution to the development of Eurasian archeology. I hope that the congress will become a good stimulus for further cooperation in the Eurasian scientific and educational space.
“At the congress, I moderated the section “The Phenomenon of the Early Nomads of Eurasia,” says Professor Petr Dashkovsky. “During the speeches, the congress participants could both present the results of the latest archaeological research and discuss issues of ethno-cultural interaction, social organization and worldview of nomadic and agricultural peoples in Central Asia.”
Religious studies scholars of Altai State University presented a report on the results of studying a unique burial at the burial ground of the Scythian-Saka era Khankarinsky Dol.
“The burial was discovered during the work of the Krasnoshchekovskaya archaeological expedition, which I have been leading for more than 20 years, in the North-Western Altai,” commented Professor Petr Dashkovsky. “Among the excavated barrows, barrow No. 34, which belongs to the so-called Korgantas type, is of particular importance. This type of burials was recorded during the study of the sites of Sayano-Altai and Kazakhstan and has analogies at the sites of Northern China. During the excavation of the mound, a burial of a man was found in a stone box, laid in an extended position on his back and oriented with his head to the east. A horse skull and three sheep skulls were found behind the eastern wall of the stone box. Based on the study of artifacts, mound No. 34 of the Khankarinsky Dol burial ground was dated to the 5th–4th centuries BC, possibly the second half of the 5th - beginning of the 4th centuries BC. The appearance of this type of burials in the Altai Mountains, including at the Khankarinsky Dol burial ground, is associated with the penetration of a certain group of the population from the eastern area of the nomadic world, probably from Northern China-Transbaikalia. The resulting artifacts also made it possible to reconstruct the equipment of the horse and the characteristics of the material culture of this group of nomads.”
Professor Dashkovsky added that during the trip to Turkestan, AltSU scientists discussed with colleagues the issues of further cooperation in the direction of studying the history of nomadic cultures and publishing their author's works in the international journal "Peoples and Religions of Eurasia", published by AltSU, which has a section "Archaeology and Ethnocultural history.