On October 5, 2023, at 11:00 a.m., the Botai Museum-Reserve held an international scientific and practical conference in both online and offline formats at the House of Culture in the village of Saumalkol, Aiyrtau District. The conference was dedicated to the topic: “Archaeological Research in Kazakhstan: History, Trends, Problems, and Prospects.”

The event was organized in honor of the 5th anniversary of the State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Botai,” which operates under the Committee of Culture of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The first part of the conference was opened with an exhibition titled “Botai: At the Origins of Steppe Civilization,” as well as an exhibition from the Berel Museum-Reserve featuring artifacts from the Early Iron Age, along with exhibits from the Bronze Age provided by the Kostanay Regional Museum-Reserve. In addition, master classes were held on the production of ceramics and stone discs, which are interactive elements of the ancient Botai Culture.

Following this large-scale event, a plenary session was held. It was joined online via ZOOM by several speakers, including Doctor of Chemical Sciences, member of the National Academy of Sciences of Georgia, and President of the DNA Genealogy Academy — Anatoly A. Klyosov; Professor of Archaeology at the University of Exeter — Alan Outram; and Alexander Proye. Representatives from the museum-reserves of Bozok, Berel, Otyrar, the Center “Ұлы Дала Елі” in the city of Turkistan, the museum-reserve “Тараз Ескерткіштері,” and the museum-reserve “Сарайшык” also participated. In addition, archaeologists, scholars from domestic universities, representatives of historical and cultural heritage organizations, research staff and specialists from conservation and operation centers, as well as professionals from the education sector — including history and geography teachers — took part in the scientific conference.

In the second part of the conference, two sections were held. In the first section, the following topics were discussed: “The study and popularization of Kazakhstan archaeology” and “The importance of the protection and use of historical and cultural heritage sites.” In the second section, titled “The role of museums in the education of the younger generation,” the topic of popularizing historical and cultural heritage sites was discussed specifically for teachers, thereby contributing to the upbringing of the younger generation in a spiritual, moral, and patriotic spirit.

At the international scientific and practical conference, participants also discussed the exchange and presentation of scientific results from foreign and domestic archaeological expeditions, as well as the development of Kazakhstan’s archaeological science through research laboratories, institutes, and museum activities.