Sanctuary with “Kalguty” Style Images in Northwestern Mongolia (Preliminary Data)
https://doi.org/10.17746/1563-0110.2024.52.1.058-069
Abstract
This article presents the first results of a detailed study of a key rock art site with the earliest petroglyphs in the Mongolian Altai—Baga-Oigur-5 (Right Bank). Basic data on its location, the surrounding environment, etc. are provided. The main groups of petroglyphs are characterized and attributed. The most numerous group, that of the “Kalguty” style, is examined in detail. This style was previously attributed by the current authors to the Final Upper Paleolithic. Bronze Age and medieval petroglyphs are also present at the site. The most informative panels show single horses, bulls, sheep, and deer rendered in the “Kalguty” style, as well as compositions including these animals. Among the earliest local rock art, for the first time, a nonfigurative sign has been found, resembling a grid, connected with the figure of a horse in a manner that is typical of prehistoric art. The analysis of a multilayered composition—one of the most important—confirms the hypothesis that “Kalguty” style petroglyphs predate the Bronze Age. The unusual natural context of Baga-Oigur-5 (Right Bank) is addressed in detail: a restricted area with available flat rock surfaces standing out against a background landscape with convex boulders. The arrangement of rock carvings within the site is unusual: animal figures on various surfaces combine in a nearly compositional manner. A tentative conclusion is made that the site was a sanctuary.
Keywords
Supporting agencies: This study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, Project No. 23-18-00424 “Multidisciplinary Studies of the Spiritual Culture and Prehistoric Art of the Population of Western Siberia and Central Asia in Ancient Times”.
About the Authors
V. I. Molodin
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090
N. Batbold
Institute of Archaeology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences
Mongolia
Mongolia
Peace Avenue, MAS building-1, Ulaanbaatar, 13330
L. V. Zotkina
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090
D. V. Cheremisin
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090
Y. V. Nenakhova
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090
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Review
For citations:
Molodin V.I., Batbold N., Zotkina L.V., Cheremisin D.V., Nenakhova Y.V. Sanctuary with “Kalguty” Style Images in Northwestern Mongolia (Preliminary Data). Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia. 2024;52(1):58-69. https://doi.org/10.17746/1563-0110.2024.52.1.058-069
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