On February 28, 2023, scientists of the Ch.Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology met under the leadership of the Director, Corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Z.E. Kabuldinov with the Rector of Turan University, Doctor of Economics, Professor Rakhman Alshanovich Alshanov. During the meeting, Alshanov presented to the audience his book “Secrets of twenty Millennia: searches and discoveries”, published in 2021, and then delivered a lecture “Genetic History of the Kazakhs”, where he outlined the main provisions of the book.
The paper summarizes the results of many years of research by scientists and specialists from many countries to unravel the super-powerful meteoroid attacks of the Earth twenty thousand years ago, which led to catastrophic consequences. The special place of “Avesta” in the culture of the ancient Aryans, the birth of Zarathushtra in the territory of modern Kazakhstan is emphasized. According to the author, Kazakhs have preserved customs, traditions, the origins of which are also reflected in the “Avesta”, for example, the meeting of Nauryz, as well as rites of sacrifice. R.A. Alshanov outlined the achievements of Kazakh geneticists in the study of mitochondrial DNA haplogroups from bone remains from ancient and medieval burials, in which an influx of genes from Far Eastern nomadic groups was detected, as well as minor admixtures of Iranian-speaking populations were found.
The lecture aroused keen interest among historians, who actively asked the author questions and noted the importance of an interdisciplinary approach in historical science.
The participants of the meeting received a copy of the book from the author, and the book also replenished the fund of the Institute’s library.