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PhDr. Lumír Jisl, CSc. (April 18, 1921, Svijanský Újezd – November 22, 1969, Prague) was a leading Czechoslovak archaeologist whose research encompassed both domestic investigations and international excavations, particularly in Mongolia. In 1958, he led the first successful Czechoslovak archaeological expedition abroad, which focused on the exploration of the memorial of the Turkic prince Kül Tegin. In addition to archaeology, Lumír Jisl specialized in Buddhist art in China, Tibet, and especially Mongolia, making him one of the first Czechoslovak scholars of Buddhism with field experience. His insights in this area were drawn from his stays in China and Mongolia (1957–1969), as well as from the study of museum collections in Prague and across Europe. He published the results of his fieldwork and research in museum and private collections in monographs and scholarly journals, in Czech, German, English, French, Polish, and Chinese. As a pioneer of Czechoslovak research in Mongolia and China, Lumír Jisl passed away prematurely on November 22, 1969, in Prague at the age of only forty-eight. He left behind a rich and largely processed scholarly legacy, carefully preserved by his two daughters. This scientific archive includes manuscripts, research notes, travel reports and diaries, professional correspondence (both domestic and international), literature excerpts, and a substantial photographic archive documenting his stays in Mongolia and China. The lecture will focus on why and how he came to these distant regions—and, above all, what he did there.
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