An international expedition from the Greater Altai Scientific and Educational Center of the Altai State University and the J. Balasagyn Kyrgyz National University, led by Professors Alexey Tishkin, Vadim Gorbunov, and Temirlan Chargynov, conducted research in Kyrgyzstan. The researchers examined medieval monuments from the Turkic period and expanded the digital archive for the virtual museum “Greater Altai – the Homeland of the Turks.”
The main discovery of the field trip was the discovery of a previously unknown Turkic stone statue in the Juuku River valley on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul. The statue is located next to a complex of nine Turkic enclosures. Scientists conducted photogrammetry and recommended transferring the artifact to the Orgochor village museum to protect it from destruction and vandalism.
The researchers also conducted work at major museums in the republic. At the Burana Tower complex, specialists performed the first 3D scanning of a fragment of a stone stele from a Buddhist temple featuring a clear relief of two intertwined dragons. Similar depictions are known in Central Mongolia, but for Kyrgyzstan, this is a unique find in its state of preservation, shedding light on the cultural ties of the ancient Turks.
The material collected during the expedition will form the basis for scientific publications, catalogs, and the creation of 3D models. Digitalization of the monuments allows for the preservation of the cultural heritage of the Greater Altai and a detailed comparative analysis with similar finds from Altai, Mongolia, Tuva, and Xinjiang.
