The Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to France held a meeting with KazNU scientists

Experts from the ZooStan Archeozoological Center for the Study of Central Asia (KazNU–CNRS) are taking part in international archaeological excavations at the Chez-Pinaud Jonzac Mustier era site located near Bordeaux (France).

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to France Gulsara Arystankulova paid a working visit to the monument, who met with Kazakhstani scientists and got acquainted with the progress of research.

The She-Pinot Jonzac site was discovered in 1997 and is considered one of the largest Paleolithic sites in Western Europe. Excavations resumed in 2019 under the leadership of William Randu, now director of the ZooStan Center. Today, large-scale work is underway here to study the stratigraphy of the monument: 22 archaeological layers have been identified containing artifacts of the Mousterian culture of the Kina type, whose age reaches 70 thousand years.

The excavations are carried out using modern methods of 3D fixation and photogrammetry. Archaeologists are studying in detail the stone industry, paleofauna and spatial organization of the site.

According to the dean of the Faculty of History of KazNU, Professor Dosbol Baygunakov, in 2025, the center's specialists also conducted field research in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, which indicates that the center has reached the international level and actively cooperates with colleagues from Central Asian countries.

The ZooStan Center performs an important educational function: undergraduates and doctoral students undergo internships at its base, gaining access to international scientific practice and dialogue.

Gulsara Arystankulova noted the importance of such projects for Kazakhstan and wished further success to the participants of the archaeological expedition.

Press-service of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University