On July 23, an online scientific meeting was held at the State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Saraishyq” to discuss the study of ancient DNA samples obtained from human skeletal remains excavated at the Saraishyq settlement. The meeting was conducted via the Zoom platform.
The meeting was attended by Kazakh geneticist Ainash Erkenovna Shildebayeva, Associate Professor at the University of Texas (USA), Madina Seiduali, a doctoral student at the same university, as well as archaeologists from the museum-reserve.
During the online meeting, the researchers presented the preliminary results of the ancient DNA analyses conducted on samples collected from Saraishyq. In turn, the archaeologists provided information on the archaeological context of the human remains, burial characteristics, and other significant findings, while also answering the researchers’ questions.
The participants emphasized the importance of integrating genetic research findings with archaeological evidence. Such an interdisciplinary approach will enable a deeper understanding of the genetic history, ancestry, and population connections of the inhabitants of medieval Saraishyq.
The meeting also addressed plans to compare the genetic research results with archaeological data and to prepare a comprehensive scientific article dedicated to the ancient genetic history of the population of Saraishyq.
For the museum-reserve, this scientific collaboration represents an important step toward studying the archaeological heritage of Saraishyq using modern research methods and promoting its integration into the international scientific community.
