On Archaeology and More: two letters by A.V. Schmidt to Gero Von Merhart
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24852/2587-6112.2026.2.8.19Keywords:
archaeology, Gero von Mergart, A.V. Schmidt, Russian correspondents, personal archive, correspondence, Siberian archaeology, Maly Koytas burial ground, Bronze Age on the YeniseiAbstract
The personal archive of the well-known West European archaeologist Gero von Mergart, held at Marburg University, contains his voluminous correspondence with Russian colleagues. The documents include a draft letter from Mergart to Aleksey Viktorovich Schmidt, plus two of Schmidt's handwritten letters in German. The first message dates to 19 June 1925; the second was dispatched two years afterward, in November 1927. These letters address a broad array of issues: in the first, the discussion centers mainly on the Maly Koytas burial ground in western Kazakhstan, concerning the specification of finds from this monument. Mergart's focus on this subject arises from his interest in the Andronovo culture, which—in his view—occupies a distinctive position among the cultures of Northern and Central Asia. The main focus of the second letter is the release of Mergart's monograph “Bronze Age on the Yenisei” (1926), along with reviews from his Russian colleagues. Both messages are characterized, firstly, by a large number of personal names (the names of employees of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (V. M. Lemeshevsky, E.F. Karsky), Siberian researchers (B.E. Petri, N.K. Auerbach, A.Ya. Tugarinov, S.A. Teploukhov, M.P. Gryaznov), famous Russians (A.A. Spitsyn, P.P. Jefimenko, G.I. Borovka, etc.) and foreign (A.M. Tallgren) specialists, secondly, businesslike tone and informativeness.Both feature, firstly, a significant number of personal names (referencing employees of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography—V.M. Lemeshevsky, E. F. Karsky), scientists from Siberia (B.E. Petri, N.K. Auerbah, A.Ya. Tugarinov, S. A. Teplukhov, M P. Gryaznov), notable Russians (A.A. Spitsyn, P.P. Efimenko, G.I. Borovka) and foreign (A.M. Tallgren) experts, and secondly, a professional tone with high informational value.
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