|
The rich history of
daily life in Russia's colonial settlements in America is poorly
understood and has been only marginally addressed in school curricula
and public interpretation. Warming relations between Russia and
the U.S. over the last two decades, and the development of a
Beringian Heritage International Park Program by the National
Park Service, have promoted increasing cooperation between Alaskan
and Siberian archaeologists on such topics as prehistoric human
migration, trade, and cultural relationships in the Bering Strait
region. Recent years have also seen collaboration on blockbuster
museum exhibitions that have featured important artworks, religious
artifacts, and treasures of the royal family. Most recently,
investigators from the State of Alaska and East Carolina University
collaborated with NOAA scientists on the investigation of the
Kad'yak
(1851-1860), the first Russian-American Company shipwreck to
be discovered in U.S. waters.
In the context of broader studies, there has been far less focus
on the archaeology and public interpretation of daily life in
the 18th and 19th century settlements of Siberia and Alaska.
Moreover, there has been a general scarcity of work in historical
archaeology in the arctic and sub-arctic when compared with other
regions. IASRA seeks to promote communication and cooperation
between Russian and American scholars to better understand and
interpret this aspect of Russian America. IASRA seeks to build
an international community that includes students, investigators,
cultural resource managers, and Native American groups influenced
historically through Russian contact. Strong historical ties
between the colonial Russian settlements in the United States
and those in the Irkutsk region of central Siberia, along with
a rich body of universities, museums, and cultural institutions,
make this city an ideal partner for the cultivation of collaborative
educational and research opportunities.
|
