October 1, 2019, Director of “Rukhaniyat” A.U. Aupenova took part in the work of the museum forum on the results of the research project “The origins of the big metal of Central Kazakhstan”, which was held in the framework of the state program “Rukhani Zhangyru” of the State Enterprise “Temirtau city history museum” of the Department of culture, archives and documentation of Karaganda region.
In 2019, as part of the project, the regional akimat initiated a research expedition to the ancient settlement of Alat metallurgists in Karkaralinsky district. The purpose of the expedition was a set of experimental research activities to collect and promote the history of formation of metallurgy in Central Kazakhstan. The participants of the expedition included museum research workers, archaeologists, metallurgical engineers, a group of professional artists, photographers and videographers.
During the expedition were reconstructed metallurgical furnaces of the Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age on the mother plateau, where more than 3000 thousand years ago were the workshops of ancient metallurgists. For the first time in history of the Kazakhstan experimental archeology have spent unique fusion of bronze and iron simultaneously, taking into account production technologies of that time.
A special role in the project was given to artists: for visualization and reconstruction of paintings from a life of ancient metallurgists on stories of archeologists they created plot works, and photo- and videoperators fixed all processes of research work.
The results of three years of research work are presented at the forum:
- The created zone of historical reconstruction “Settlement of ancient metallurgists” with a metallurgical furnace on melting of iron of an early Iron Age on the area before the museum;
- a documentary film about the history of formation of ancient metallurgy of Central Kazakhstan, which is based on materials collected in the course of the research project;
- a book-album “The Origins of the Big Metal of Central Kazakhstan”, which included scientific researches – articles of specialists in archeology and metallurgy; photographic materials on reconstruction of smelting bronze; pictures of artists, visualizing the life of ancient masters of metallurgy; stories in pictures for the youngest readers;
a series of postcards depicting the artists’ paintings created under the project;
-collection “History in pictures” for visual study of the history of metallurgy of Central Kazakhstan.
Printed editions published under the “Origins of Big Metal of Central Kazakhstan” project can be found at the SRC “Rukhaniyat”.
The result of three years of research activities with documentary, archival materials, the results of experimental expedition work was a new exposition area “Settlement of ancient metallurgists”. It is located on the square in front of the museum: it is an industrial metallurgical site of the early Iron Age with a furnace for melting metal, a hearth for charcoal furnace and a domestic canopy.
Thanks to the project activity, the museum published a book-album “Origins of the big metal of Central Kazakhstan”. It included scientific researches – articles of experts in questions of archeology and metallurgy, photographic materials on reconstruction of melting of bronze, pictures of the artists visualizing a life of ancient masters-metallurgists. The cartoonist created “stories in pictures” in the style of comics, visualizing the technology of melting metal in different periods – from the Bronze Age to modern metallurgical production Temirtau. These works were included in the book and also published as a separate book-collection in three languages.
In addition, the museum has issued a series of postcards depicting paintings by artists created under the project. As for the material shot during the expedition, it formed the basis for a documentary film, which was included in the museum’s collection and will be used for display as part of exhibition and excursion activities.
