Volunteers in    Kazakhstan     

Talgar     

Talkhir (Talgar) is a well-known name: This is a name for the tallest peak in the Za-Ili Ala-Tau mountain range, a rapid mountain river  and a modern town . This assumption called for a search of an ancient town and it was found. The predecessor of today's  Talgar was located on the rite bank of the Talgar river, where the river leaves a mountain ravine and enters a valley.

In the 9-th century, a fortified camp emerged on the spot  of the future town. There merchants  and craftsmen settled. At first, the served the lord and his court but soon started  to produce goods for the surrounding settled and nomadic population.

This was a gradual process of town formation - it slowly became an administrative power center as well as that of crafts and trade.  The Great Silk Road played an immense role in the growth of the town, one route of which crossed the Ili Valley leading east to China and Japan , or west to Central Asia , Iran and Byzantine.

Many interesting find of metalwork production (agricultural tools, weaponry (sables, daggers, knives), blacksmith's tools (anvils, hammers, pincers), original iron lamp) and diverse ceramic   ware prove the high development level of craft in Talgar. As a result of international trade on the Great Silk Road, Luxury items and masterpieces of art of faraway countries (magnificent of art of faraway countries (magnificent copper dish, medallions, China bowls, bronze lamps and mirrors, Buddha figurine from India, glaze ceramics from Aphrasiab and a lot of copper and silver coins were found during the excavation.

This is an overview of Talgar - a capital of a vast region in the period of the 8-th - 13-th centuries. Not all of its interesting history is eat known and there is still a lot of discover. For this reason, archaeologists continue come to the town's ruins  every year...

We invite you take part in search the evidences, which sheds light on many earlier unclear details of the life of medieval Talgar.

Volunteers will stay in archaeological base near ancient history of Talgar and will learn method of research urban culture: simultaneous cut in the big square. Volunteers should  bring a sleeping bag, sweater, rain clothes, boots.