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

该奖项支持允许美国和俄罗斯学者参加在俄罗斯基赫塔举行的关于俄美关系的小型国际会议的旅行。有机会让学生参与的相关合作活动将包括在Kiakhta进行考古测试，Kiakhta档案馆历史文件的特征描述，从伊尔库茨克附近的18世纪Tal‘tsinka玻璃厂收集用于化学分析的考古玻璃样品，以及对博物馆收藏品的机会主义检查。通过多方面的方法，该项目促进了古代门户城市基赫塔的信息交流和科学研究，中国茶叶和耐用品通过基赫塔进入俄罗斯，在其整个帝国进行分销，包括北美的殖民地。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，组织了前往美国的探险。来自Kiakhta和Irkutsk的数据可能有助于我们通过阐明运往俄罗斯美洲的商品的来源和性质来更好地了解美国历史的这一章。拟议活动的好处在于促进了一个由学生、研究人员和文化资源管理人员组成的国际社区，致力于联合研究俄美时期的俄罗斯和美国的共同历史。这也为美国学者在多民族的布里亚蒂亚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合作的国际伙伴关系，扩大了对殖民时期的俄罗斯美洲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永久化。该项目还强调了俄罗斯和美国博物馆之间通过“姊妹博物馆”的概念进行合作。

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with opportunities for student involvement, will include archaeological testing in Kiakhta, the characterization of historical documents in the Kiakhta archives, the collection of archaeological glass samples for chemical analysis from the 18th century Tal'tsinka glass factory near Irkutsk, and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.