Irina Arzhantseva and Heinrich Härke at Princeton

At the end of April this year, Dr. Arhzantseva and Prof. Härke flew to the USA to attend a workshop at the famous Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton. The workshop was entitled Climate, Archaeology and History in the Eurasian Middle Ages, and it was organised by Prof. Nicola DiCosmo, a renowned expert on early historical nomads and their interaction with China and other civilizations.

Dr. Arzhantseva presented a paper on 'Seismic events and climate in the archaeological record of the Uighur Kaganate: the case of Por-Bazhyn'. This is a special research interest of hers: while traces of earthquakes can clearly be traced at the Uighur palace and monastery site of Por-Bazhyn (Tuva).

Prof. Härke contributed a paper on 'Water and climatic factors in early medieval culture changes on the Lower Syr-Darya'. In between papers and formal discussions, there was sufficient time for informal talks with colleagues from Britain, Germany, Hongkong and the USA, and for walks around the campus to soak up the atmosphere of this elite institution which was originally founded for Albert Einstein when he was exiled from Nazi Germany.