Archaeological museum

The museum was organized in 1994. The materials were received as a result of excavations by V.D. Kubarev, V.A. Mogilnikov, V.I. Soyonov, A.V. Ebel, and others. A big part of the ethnographic collection of the museum consists of everyday objects donated by professor N.N. Surazakova.

The museum exposition is arranged chronologically and consists of sections reflecting an archaeological periodization of Gornyi Altai from the Paleolithic epoch up till the ethnographic time.

The Paleolithic epoch is presented with little enders, scrapers, cutters, knife-shaped plates, blanks for tools and flakes characterizing the stone industry of the Altai Mountains.

The historical periods, including the Neolithic, Eneolithic, and Bronze epochs, are presented by materials made from stone (arrow tips, ornaments, grain bruiser, and so forth), clay (sharp-bottomed and round-bottomed vessels, decorated with “a fur-tree” ornament), and bronze (daggers, tips of copies, etc.).

The early iron age is widely represented: bronze daggers, knifes, bone and bronze tips of arrows, decorated bone cheek-pieces, bronze mirrors, etc.

The Hunno-Sarmatian time and the Middle Ages are represented by weapons (bone overlays on bows, tips of arrows, iron knifes); household objects (ceramic and wooden ware); and equestrian equipment (iron stirrups, buckles, bone fasteners).

The ethnographic collection includes everyday objects and instruments of labor of Altaians and Russians of Altai Mountains.

The museum collections are annually replenished with new materials discovered during the archaeological and ethnographic expeditions of students and faculty.

The archeology museum carries out a scientific-educational function. It strives to deepen the students’ knowledge of the archeology and ethnography of the Altai Mountains and to create conditions for the satisfaction of student needs as they increase their level of professional and cultural knowledge. At the archaeological museum, students also conduct their museum practice. It acquaints students with cameral processing and storage of collections, drawing up of inventories, reconstruction of ancient objects, and so forth.

Updated 07.10.2019 by N. Yurkova