On January 20, 2023, the Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the law "On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the Preservation and Reproduction of Kazakh Dog Breeds". On this occasion, the President noted: "The Tazy greyhound is a special animal.
This dog was considered one of the seven treasures by the Kazakhs. We must popularize the Tazy and Tobet breeds in the international arena. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must also join this work. Tazy requires special care and attention, and a professional approach is important in this matter. For this, we have adopted a special law."
Today, scientists from Al-Farabi KazNU are carrying out fundamental research work on the topic "AP14869303 - Ethnozooarchaeological Study of the Role of the Wolf and Dog in the Ancient and Modern Culture of Kazakhstan". The scientific director of the project is Professor of the Department of Archeology, Ethnology and Museology of KazNU, Candidate of Historical Sciences Tattiguly Kartayeva.
Currently, a database of ancient dog breeds has been created. The project includes paleozoological and zooarchaeological laboratory studies of the remains of sighthounds found during archaeological excavations: Derkum 1 - Eneolithic; Turgen 1 - 4-3 centuries BC, early Iron Age; Sortobe - 8 century AD; Arna - 12 century AD; Kastek - 11-12 centuries AD; Bozok - 11-12 centuries BC; Kultobe - 18-19 centuries BC. Foreign executors of the project, responsible for the expert laboratory research, are P.A. Kosintsev, Hermes Taylor.The document "Archaeological information on ancient greyhounds of Kazakhstan" (Archaeological evidence on the most ancient greyhounds of Kazakhstan) has been compiled to include the "tazy" cadastre in the World Dog Database, the International Cynology Database.
The authors of the document, foreign executors of the project, specialists of the Research Institute "Archaeology and Anthropology" of the university - Renata Sala and Jean-Marc Deom. In the petroglyphs of the Almaty region (Akkaynar, Burisholak, Matibulak, Espe, Karashagyl), Zhambyl region (mountains Karatau, Kulzhabasy, Dolankara, Kushoky), Kyzylorda region (Sauskandyk gorge) a search for new images of greyhounds, scientific interpretation of images of greyhounds on rocks is underway. The search for new petroglyphic images continues.
As a result of ethnoarchaeological and ethnographic research, the "Historical Ethnography of Greyhounds" was created. The project's executor, young scientist Bagashar Kozhakhmetov, was assigned the topic of his PhD dissertation "The Cult of Dogs in the Kazakh Worldview: Genesis and Historical and Cultural Continuity", and the dissertation paper was titled "The History of Greyhounds". (Specialty 8D02221 - Ethnology and Anthropology). At the suggestion of KazNU scientists, the organizers of the project, the name "Kazakh Dog Breed: Tazy and Tobet" was included in the "National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage" and "National Brand of Kazakhstan", and documentation was compiled.
A collective illustrated scientific book and museum exhibition "Ancient and Modern Fanged Animals of Kazakhstan and Central Eurasia" are being developed. Also, scientists - T. Kartaeva, R. Sala, D. Jean-Marc, A. Beisegulova, B.Kozhakhmetov - joined the National Commission for the Breeding and Protection of the Kazakh Greyhound Breed.
translated by Qazalem