ISAW Hosts An Exhibition to Examine Ancient Nomadic Culture of Kazakhstan

The Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University (ISAW) will present the first U.S. exhibition to provide a comprehensive overview of the fascinating nomadic culture of ancient Kazakhstan.

On view from March 7 through June 3, 2012, Nomads and Networks: The Ancient Art and Culture of Kazakhstan focuses on the peoples of the Altai and Tianshan regions, which are located in the eastern part of the country, from roughly the eighth to first centuries BC. With nearly 250 objects on loan from Kazakhstan's four national museums, the exhibition provides a compelling portrait of nomadic culture, challenging the traditional view of these societies as less developed than sedentary ones.

Artifacts on view in the exhibition range from bronze openwork offering-stands, superbly decorated with animal and human figures; to petroglyphs marking important places in the landscape; to dazzling gold adornments that marked the social status of those who wore them. A highlight is recently excavated, never-displayed material from a fourth–third century cemetery near the Russian/Chinese border, where permafrost conditions enabled the preservation of organic materials. Included here are such objects as saddles and expertly carved horse trappings that display fascinating hybrid mythical animals, among a variety of other artifacts.

http://isaw.nyu.edu/