PhD Student from the Department of Archaeology and Ethnology Successfully Completed a Research Internship at the McDonald Institute, University of Cambridge

Karlyga Adilkyzy Zhumadilova, a PhD student majoring in "8D02208 – Archaeology and Ethnology" at the Faculty of History, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, has successfully completed her international research internship at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge (Cambridge, United Kingdom).

The 30-day international internship, conducted from September 27 to October 27, 2026, was structured in both offline and online formats. As part of the research curriculum, the PhD candidate carried out extensive scientific inquiries for her doctoral thesis titled "Nature Worship in the Worldview of the Turkic Peoples of Eurasia". Her domestic supervisor is Ulan Umitkalievuly Umitkaliev, Candidate of Historical Sciences and Associate Professor at the Department of Archaeology and Ethnology; her foreign academic advisor is Prof. Dr. Anıl Yılmaz from Izmir Katip Celebi University (Turkey).

At the international scientific conference "New Directions: Understanding Ancient Interactions Across Eurasia", organized by the McDonald Institute at the University of Cambridge, K.A. Zhumadilova presented a paper titled "Nature Worship in the Worldview of the Turkic Peoples of Eurasia: Archaeological Context and Semantic Analysis" and successfully defended her research outcomes before the global scientific community. The presentation systematically analyzed the semantic structure of nature worship rituals in the traditional worldview of Eurasian nomads, the system of spiritual and cultural values, and their manifestations within the archaeological context, receiving high commendation from international experts.

During the internship, specialized working consultations were held with Dr. Liliana Janik, Associate Professor in Archaeology and Heritage at the Department of Archaeology, Fellow of Girton College, and Deputy Director of the Cambridge Heritage Research Centre, as well as Dr. Rebecca C. Roberts, Internship Program Coordinator. Valuable advice regarding contemporary methodological approaches to studying archaeological sites and worldview concepts was obtained from these leading scholars.

The scientific research made extensive use of the rare collections and digital archives of the Cambridge University Library and the Haddon Library. Fundamental foreign academic publications and monographs focusing on sacred geography, traditional worldview concepts, and the semantics of rock art among Eurasian nomads were systematically analyzed.

Furthermore, the PhD candidate conducted academic visits to the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, The Fitzwilliam Museum at the University of Cambridge, and the world-renowned British Museum in London, gaining direct insights into artifact semantics, cognitive archaeology, and methodologies for ancient artifact preservation and study.

During the online phase of the internship (October 17–27), continuous remote communication was maintained with foreign advisors via Zoom and email. Empirical materials, archival data, and semantic analysis results were cataloged electronically, further reinforcing the theoretical and conceptual framework of the doctoral dissertation.

The comprehensive research activities and achievements accomplished across both offline and online stages were documented in strict compliance with the academic and methodological regulations of the university. Upon completion of the internship, K.A. Zhumadilova was awarded an official international certificate of completion and a positive evaluation from the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge.