Kazakh scientists have reconstructed
the image of a medieval man from the Golden Horde era. The clothing is
recreated with fine detail at the Umai International Laboratory for
the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage at the Margulan Institute
of Archaeology. The chapan and men's boots were found in the Talmas-Ata
mausoleum. The entire concept of visualizing the image of a buried man is based
on his footwear. The process of creating an exact replica of the boots involved
using ancient techniques.
“These are the original boots
from the Golden Horde era with an interesting decoration. There are plans to
carry out their conservation. We have already made a replica with modern
leather, preserving everything except heels and soles. We took measurements,
studied all the seams, and restored the boots using the techniques that were
originally applied here,” said Tatyana Krupa, Umai International Laboratory manager
at Margulan University.
In order to fully depict the
medieval man, scientists applied special cranial plasticity techniques. They
also studied ancient materials and paints, which were later used to restore the
outer garments of the Golden Horde resident.
“The clothing has not been
preserved so we chose material, which is the most similar to the original one.
A golden silk brocade was used for the upper part of the robe. The entire
clothing was made of silk, including pants, a shirt, and a robe. Initially, I
chose white silk for the shirt and lining to create a bridge between modernity
and the use of ancient techniques. Then, I dyed it with pigments to match the
colors from the Golden Horde era,” Krupa added.
According to the scientists, the
reconstruction work will continue, and the obtained result will be preserved to
ensure its conservation for future generations.