Exploring the Tea Road to Alaska through Workshop Participation, Archaeological and Archival Investigations in Irkutsk and Kiakhta, Russia

该奖项支持美国和俄罗斯学者参加在俄罗斯恰克图举行的关于俄罗斯美国的小型国际会议的旅行。 相关的合作活动以及学生参与的机会包括在恰克图进行考古测试、对恰克图档案中的历史文献进行表征、从伊尔库茨克附近的 18 世纪塔尔辛卡玻璃厂收集考古玻璃样本进行化学分析，以及对博物馆藏品进行机会性检查。尽管西伯利亚和阿拉斯加之间在地理和历史上有着密切的联系，但在历史考古学方面却很少有合作工作。 该项目通过多方面的方式，促进古代门户城市恰克图的信息交流和科学研究，中国的茶叶和耐用品通过这个城市进入俄罗斯，在整个帝国范围内分销，包括北美的殖民定居点。 该项目还允许在伊尔库茨克及其附近继续进行研究，伊尔库茨克是西伯利亚的行政中心，美国探险队就是从这里组织的。来自恰克图和伊尔库茨克的数据可以通过阐明运往俄属美洲的货物的来源和性质，帮助我们更好地理解美国历史的这一章。拟议活动的优点在于促进由学生、调查人员和文化资源管理者组成的国际社区，致力于对俄属美洲时期俄罗斯和美国的共同历史进行联合研究。 它还为美国学者在多民族布里亚特共和国建立工作关系提供了机会。该项目通过传播知识和发展国际合作伙伴关系，拓宽了对俄罗斯美洲殖民地及其与中国和西伯利亚中部的历史联系的了解。学生的参与鼓励了该地区联合研究的长期开展。 该项目还强调俄罗斯和美国博物馆之间通过“姐妹博物馆”概念进行合作。

This award supports travel that will allow U.S. and Russian scholars to participate in a small international conference on Russian America in Kiakhta, Russia. Related collaborative activities, with opportunities for student involvement, will include archaeological testing in Kiakhta, the characterization of historical documents in the Kiakhta archives, the collection of archaeological glass samples for chemical analysis from the 18th century Tal'tsinka glass factory near Irkutsk, and the opportunistic examination of museum collections.Despite close geographic and historic ties between Siberia and Alaska, there has been little cooperative work in historical archaeology. Through a multi-faceted approach, this project advances information exchange and scientific research in the ancient gateway city of Kiakhta, through which Chinese tea and durable goods entered Russia for distribution throughout its empire, to include colonial settlements in North America. The project also allows for the continuation of research in and near Irkutsk, the administrative center of Siberia from which expeditions to America were organized. The data from Kiakhta and Irkutsk may help us to better understand this chapter of U.S. history by elucidating the origin and nature of goods shipped to Russian America.The merit of the proposed activity lies in the promotion of an international community of students, investigators, and cultural resource managers dedicated to conducting joint research on the shared history of Russia and the U.S. during the time of Russian America. It also presents an opportunity for U.S. scholars to establish work relations in the multi-ethnic Republic of Buryatia. This project broadens the understanding of colonial Russian America and its historical connections with China and central Siberia through the dissemination of knowledge and development of collaborative international partnerships. The involvement of students encourages the perpetuation of joint research in the region. The project also emphasizes cooperation between Russian and U.S. museums through a "sister museum" concept.