Petroglyphs of the Ala-Tei Mountain (New Discoveries of Rock Art in the Upper Reaches of the Yenisey River)

Abstract

The article introduces into scientific discourse the new petroglyphs of the Ulug-Khem Depression in the Republic of Tuva. The main focus of research is a new monument of rock art - the sanctuary of the Ala-Tei sacred mountain. Rock images from Ala-Tei have many direct analogies in the rock art of Tuva and other re­gions of Central Asia, and Southern Siberia, at the same time being unique, and some petroglyphs has no direct parallels among the petroglyphs of the Ulug-Khem Depression, or the Sayan Gorge of Yenisei. The following items were found during the exploration: two humanoid figures with plot of the «Sacred Marriage», images of stags and oxen, images of horns, astral and cosmogonic symbols and tamgas. There are many images of the beasts of the Bronze Age, Scythian and Ancient Turkic periods. The purpose of the author’s scientific work is to shed light on the history of the Ala-Tei sacred mountain, and its sacral rock art.

Keywords

• archaeology
• central asia
• southern siberia
• tuva
• yenisei
• western sayans
• ala-tei
• bronze age
• scythian period
• hunno-sarmatian time
• ancient turkic period
• tagar culture
• petroglyphs
• scythian-siberian animal style
• mongol-transbaikal style
• sanctuary
• ancient magic
• astral symbols