"Lessons of the Past – Milestones of the Present" Archaeological Exhibition

The National Central Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in collaboration with the A. Margulan Institute of Archaeology, held an exhibition from the museum's archaeological fund titled "Lessons of the Past – Milestones of the Present."

The exhibition is dedicated to a significant date – the 80th anniversary of the Central Kazakhstan Archaeological Expedition (CKAE), one of the first academic expeditions that laid the foundation of modern archaeological science in Kazakhstan.

In 1946, on the initiative of the outstanding scientist and the first President of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR, Kanysh Imantayevich Satpayev, the first academic archaeological expedition was organized. It was led by the legendary Kazakh scientist Alkey Khakanovich Margulan – historian, archaeologist, ethnographer, philologist, and folklorist, whose name the Institute of Archaeology bears today.

The creation of the CKAE was dictated by the urgent need for a comprehensive study of Central Kazakhstan and the northern regions of the republic, where industrialization was actively developing. Central Kazakhstan, rich in ore deposits, was becoming a powerful industrial center of the country. The expedition's activities are inextricably linked with the establishment and development of archaeological science in Kazakhstan, as well as the history of the archaeology sector (department) at the Institute of History, Archaeology, and Ethnography of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR, now the A. Kh. Margulan Institute of Archaeology.

Over the years of its work, the Central Kazakhstan Archaeological Expedition has gathered invaluable knowledge about the region's past. The expedition was led at various times by prominent Kazakhstani archaeologists: A. Kh. Margulan, M. K. Kadyrbayev, and Zh. K. Kurmankulov. It was here that the founders of the modern Kazakhstani school of field archaeological research, such as A. M. Orazbayev and K. A. Akishev, were established. Prominent scientists such as G. I. Patsevich, A. G. Maksimova, T. N. Senigova, L. R. Kyzlasov, G. V. Kushayev, Kh. A. Alpysbayev, and many others also participated in the expedition.

The purpose of the exhibition is to demonstrate to the general public the significance of the CKAE, Kazakhstan's first academic expedition, as a key event in the formation of national archaeological science, and to showcase its contribution to the study of the region's ancient history and the formation of national identity.

The exhibition featured unique materials obtained during excavations in Central Kazakhstan. The first acquisitions by the museum were related to artifacts from the settlements of Atasu I, Atasu II, Buguly I, and II, excavated between 1946 and 1949 and transferred by A. Kh. Margulan in 1957. The exposition material is divided into three thematic complexes:

Complex I – The Bronze Age. Materials from settlements and burial grounds such as Akshatau, Buguly I-II, Baibala I, Komagal, Kanattas, Aishrak, Sanguru II, Bylkyldyk I, II, III, Sherubai-Nura, Karabiye, Aksu-Ayuly II, Ortau II, Begazy, Atasu, Myrzhik, and Ulytau are presented. Visitors will see exquisite jewelry, such as amulets in the shape of predator fangs and bronze beads, unique ceramics depicting a swastika, as well as items of horse equipment and weaponry.

Complex II – The Early Iron Age. This section features horse harness equipment of the early nomadic era from the Akmustafa burial ground, dating back to the 8th–7th centuries BC, artifacts from the local group of monuments of Central Kazakhstan known as the Tasmola culture, as well as items from the Karamurun and Tolagai burial grounds. These finds vividly illustrate the daily life, culture, and warfare of the ancient nomadic tribes that inhabited the steppes of Kazakhstan.

Complex III – The Middle Ages. The final section of the exhibition transports visitors to the Middle Ages, demonstrating stone sculptures (balbals), elegant ceramic vessels, and unique architectural tiles from the mausoleums of Syrlytam, Bolgan Ana, and Jochi Khan. These exhibits testify to the high level of development of art and architecture in medieval Kazakhstan, as well as the rich cultural heritage of the region.