AP26194541 "East Kazakhstan Tin Mines in the System of Ancient Eurasian Metallurgy"

The name of the competition within which the program is being implemented: Competition for grant funding for scientific and (or) scientific-technical projects for 2025-2027 (Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan).

Program Manager: Evgeny Vodyasov, PhD, senior researcher of the Great Altai museum.

Identifiers::

• Scopus Author ID: 56437756300
• https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=56437756300.

The research group of the project

Project summary:

The project is aimed at a comprehensive interdisciplinary study of the East Kazakhstan tin mining center and identifying its role in the history of ancient Eurasian metallurgy.

For the first time, all known archaeological and radiocarbon data on tin mines in the region will be systematized. In addition, archaeological excavations of the oldest tin adits are planned. Three-dimensional scanning of mining sites based on aerial photogrammetry and LiDAR technology will make it possible for the first time to reconstruct mining volumes and assess the significance of East Kazakhstan mines in a broader Eurasian context.

During the project it is planned to conduct comprehensive geochemical studies (XRF, SEM-EDS, ICP-MS) of ancient metal products, slags and ores from archaeological sites of East Kazakhstan. Geochemical studies will be the basis for reconstruction of genesis and development of bronze casting technologies.

In addition, obtaining an isotopic signature for East Kazakhstan may bring the scientific community closer to resolving the long overdue question about the geography of tin supply and the degree of globalization of the Ancient World.

Goal:

To reconstruct the scale and characteristics of tin extraction in Eastern Kazakhstan and to determine its role within the Eurasian Bronze Age metallurgical system.

Expected and achieved results of the project: