The Altai yatga / Altai - bow harp ( 7-8th century )
This instrument has used 1400 years ago
The original Altai Yatga (Altai - bow harp) musical instrument was found in 2008, in Mankhan soum of Khovd province, Mongolia. It lay beneath the head of a person of some rank in a cave high on Jargalant Khairkhan Mountain. The instrument was in remarkable condition having lain undisturbed for an estimated 1400 years. It is the only musical instrument of its kind ever found.
Mongolian cave burials are mainly found in the Altai Mountains, although they are quite rare. When burials are found, the grave artifacts are often in extraordinarily fine shape owing to the region´s low humidity. Wood, cashmere, leather, bark, silk, bone, snakeskin and metals also show minimal biodegrading as the dry caves are usually located as Mongols say, “in the sky” – well above the level of local flora and reach of wild animals.
Soon after discovering the Altai Yatga from information given by a local herder, Mongolian archeologists collected it along with many other artifacts found in the burial site and sent the Altai Yatga to Germany for restoration. While it was being repaired by expert scholars at Bonn´s Landesmuseum, German researcher Susanna Schulz and Mongolian researcher Ganpurev Dagvan separately worked on restoring the musical instrument.
The particular model is Mr. Ganpurev´s version of the restored Altai Yatga. An authority on native instruments. Additionally, Mrs. Munkh-Erdene, one of Mongolia´s most famous Yatga players, offered her contribution in the practical details on how the Altai Yatga might “make musical sounds and music playing technique”. The first modern-day Altay Yatga was produced by the Egshiglen Magnai Company with the production master Mr. Baigaljav Purevdavaa.
The Altay Yatga has five strings. The resonating sound it produces is ideal for singing Mongolian epics and praise songs and is especially suitable to Altai epic songs and khuumii (throat singing).
An accomplished performer can make beautiful melodies on the Altai Yatga.
Its public musical debut took place at the Mongolian National Circus on May 16, 2014 in honor of the owner of the Altai Yatga, Churee.
Churee´s name was written on the back of the instrument in an ancient runic alphabet found in Mongolia.
The original Altai Yatga is kept at the National Museum of Mongolia in Ulaanbaatar.
