SOME NEW QIPCAQ STATUES FOUND IN SARY-ARKA

Abstract

The paper introduces 9 Qipcaq statues (middle 9th – early 13th centuries) newly found in Sary-Arka (Kazakh low mountain land), 6 of them having been found as parts of ritual structures, ‘sanctuaries’. Iconographic features of the published statues are analyzed; similarities between Qipcaq and Polovtsian statues, which are relevant for solving the problem of Polovtsian sculpture origins, are revealed. Besides, the paper raises the question of natural factors forcing the statues upwards, in particular, the force of frost heave.

Keywords

• qipcaq statues
• sary-arka
• polovtsian sculpture
• natural factors