First Practical Session on Prehistoric Bone Technology Held at Al-Farabi KazNU

As part of the “Prehistoric Bone Technology” special course at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, the first practical session was successfully conducted. The session was led by Dr. Malvina Baumann, PhD, an associated researcher at the University of Liège and the ZooStan Laboratory (CNRS–KazNU).

During the session, participants were introduced to zooarchaeological methods for identifying animal bones, including anatomical features and species-specific traits. They also learned how to detect surface modification traces — such as cutting, scraping, and polishing — using traceological techniques.

Students from the 1st to 4th year of the Faculty of History actively engaged in hands-on analysis, working with actual specimens to master scientific approaches to bone material interpretation. This practical session marked an important step in understanding the role of bone tools in archaeological research.