On 07 December 2023, Leading Researcher of the Institute of Archaeology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Tserendagva Yadmaa, Ph.D. was awarded Mongolia’s highest state honor, the Order of the Polar Star (Алтан гадас одон).
Dr. Tserendagva was born in Bayankhongor aimag and has focused his career on the study of the Paleolithic archaeology of that province. For the past several years, he has conducted intensive reconnaissance in the Mongolian Altai Range and has discovered numerous surface exposures of Paleolithic artifacts. Additionally, he is Co-Director of the Mongolian-American archaeological project in southeast Mongolia’s Ikh Nartiin Chuluu Nature Reserve, where he and his colleagues are seeking to understand Holocene human adaptations to changing environments.
One of the founding members of JMRAAE, he has participated in excavations of Tsagaan Agui Cave since 1995. We are very proud of Tserendagva-guai: this highest recognition of his contributions to Mongolian archaeology is richly deserved!
The JMRAAE team now includes three recipients of the Order of the Polar Star: Byambaa Gunchinsuren, John W. Olsen, and Ya. Tserendagva. We are shining like the Gobi night sky!
Photo credit: Institute of Archaeology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences
PaleoMongolia 