Tserendagva Yadmaa

Senior Researcher

Ph.D. – Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, 1999 (Archaeology). Leading Researcher in the Institute of Archaeology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Ulaanbaatar. He is an Investigator on projects studying Middle and Upper Paleolithic sites in the Gobi Altai region. Dr. Tserendagva has been an integral member of the Russian-Mongolian-American team since its inception in 1995 and has participated in field studies at Tsagaan Agui Cave, Chikhen Agui Rockshelter, and the Chikhen-2 site as well as numerous reconnaissance and survey efforts.  In the 2010s, he studied Neolithic and Bronze Age remains in the Gobi Desert in collaboration with Prof. Joan S. Schneider. He also does intensive work in rescue archaeology, including later prehistoric sites like khirigsuur monuments and petroglyphs.  Since 2021, he has been Co-Investigator of the JMRAAE project aimed at a new study of Tsagaan Agui Cave in the Gobi Altai region. His research interests include hominin dispersals in the Altai Mountain corridor from southern Siberia to China as well as reverse West-East hominin migrations through the Mongolian Altai during the Pleistocene; lithic industries, specifics of lithic artifact exposures; petroglyphs are Tserendagva’s particular research interest. He is the author of several books, including a handbook of Paleolithic archaeology for students published in Mongolian.