Scientists of Altai State University and Germany are reconstructing the life support system of ancient societies in Altai

The established contacts of the staff of the Department of Archeology, Ethnography and Museology of Altai State University with the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Jena made it possible to officially sign a Memorandum confirming the mutual desire for cooperation and strengthening interactions between individual scientists and research teams, as well as for the establishment, development and expansion of academic partnerships.

The ongoing research projects are aimed at studying the initial stages of breeding domestic sheep, goats and cattle in Central and Inner Asia and their subsequent distribution in this largest historical and cultural zone. They are based on already obtained archaeological materials and the widespread use of modern natural scientific methods in the field of genomics and metagenomics. An important result should be conclusions related to migration and adaptation processes (identification of the initial migration areas, local food supply, causes of morbidity, selection, etc.).

Another basic project has the code name "Dairy Cultures". It allows us to reconstruct the multifaceted aspects of the manufacture, consumption and economic use of various dairy products in the initial and subsequent periods of the development of animal husbandry (from the Eneolithic to the Early Iron Age).

Within the framework of these directions, the implementation of a typical program of modern archaeological research based on a multidisciplinary approach is planned. Internships, lectures, and the involvement of other research teams from Russia, near and far abroad, with which productive collaborations have already been created, are planned.

The indicated directions will continue the deeper development of the topic related to the reconstruction of life support systems for ancient societies in Altai and adjacent territories.