Archaeoastronomy and Ancient Technologies (Jul 2016)
The dakhmas of Khakassia
Abstract
In 2005 in the Ordzhonikidze district of Khakassia during an exploratory archaeological work was found "Temple of the Creation of the Universe" sanctuary of Fedorovo (Andronov) culture in Khakassia with cosmogonic petroglyphic compositions. The study of the petroglyphs of the "Temple of the Creation of the Universe" and the shadow-to-light pattern when the composition is illuminated by Sun revealed that these petroglyphic images are "moving depictions" which sacral semantics and the order of reading are determined with the sequence of the images of heroes' illumination by the rays of the rising and setting sun in the astronomically significant days of seasonal cycles. Disclosure of the semantics of mythological content of the "Temple of the Creation of the Universe" compositions determined by the dynamics of the shadow-to-light pattern demonstrated that two rocky planes of the "Temple's" central altar are "multi-page treatise" enabling them to consistent and coherent reading of the myth of the universe creation depicted in it. Attribution by us the semantic content of the petroglyphic compositions as an illustrations of the "proto-Zurvan-Mazdean and proto-Rigvedean" origins of the creation mythologem was artifactually confirmed by the discovery of a temple complex of two dakhmas at the top of the mountain used for the excarnation. This confirmed again the correctness of the semantic understanding of the mythologem depicted in the "Temple's" petroglyphic compositions. The astronomical principle of spatial distribution of the Dakhmas of the "Temple of the Creation of the Universe" was identified in the process of their studying. It is theologemically related with the dichotomous nature of the semantics of "proto-Zurvan-Mazdean myths" depicted in the petroglyphic compositions of the twin myth in the "Saratsk sanctuary" which is directly visible from the "Temple of the Creation of the Universe". On the rocky planes framing two central altar compositions of the "Temple of the Creation of the Universe" more than thirty previously unpublished compositions petroglyphs of Andronovo, Karasuk and Tagar cultures of Khakassia were discovered and copied. These chronologically different petroglyphic images semantically complement the central altar of the "Temple" with mythologemic content specific to each of the above cultures. In addition to multi-temporal petroglyphic compositions in the immediate vicinity of the "Temple of the Creation of the Universe" a number of cult places were found which were created by the above native cultures of Khakassia. Obviously that these religious objects were added in chronological order in the sacred structure of the temple complex, which was originally formed by two petroglyphic compositions depicting "The Creation of the World Egg from the source of chaos", two altar planes and monumental statues of the Moon and the Sun located at the foot of the "Temple of the Creation of the Universe".
Keywords
