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

该奖项支持旅行，将允许美国和俄罗斯学者参加在俄罗斯恰克图举行的俄罗斯美国小型国际会议。 相关的合作活动，有机会让学生参与，将包括在恰克图考古测试，恰克图档案中历史文件的特征，从伊尔库茨克附近的18世纪世纪塔尔钦卡玻璃厂收集考古玻璃样品进行化学分析，以及对博物馆藏品的机会性检查。尽管西伯利亚和阿拉斯加之间有着密切的地理和历史联系，在历史考古方面，合作的工作很少。 通过多方面的方法，该项目促进了古代门户城市恰克图的信息交流和科学研究，中国茶叶和耐用品通过恰克图进入俄罗斯，在整个帝国中分销，包括北美的殖民地定居点。 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，从那里组织了前往美国的探险。来自恰克塔和伊尔库茨克的数据可以帮助我们更好地了解这一章的美国历史，通过阐明货物运往俄属美洲的起源和性质。拟议的活动的优点在于促进国际社会的学生，调查人员和文化资源管理人员致力于进行共同研究俄罗斯和美国在俄属美洲时期的共同历史。 它也为美国学者提供了在多民族的布里亚特共和国建立工作关系的机会。该项目通过传播知识和发展国际合作伙伴关系，扩大了对俄属美洲殖民地及其与中国和西伯利亚中部的历史联系的理解。学生的参与鼓励了该地区联合研究的持久化。 该项目还强调俄罗斯和美国博物馆通过“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with opportunities for student involvement, will include archaeological testing in Kiakhta, the characterization of historical documents in the Kiakhta archives, the collection of archaeological glass samples for chemical analysis from the 18th century Tal'tsinka glass factory near Irkutsk, and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.