Sanctuary with “Kalguty” Style Images in Northwestern Mongolia (Preliminary Data)

Bibliographic Data

ID6037672
AuthorsViacheslav Molodin (0000-0002-3151-8457, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, corresponding author), Natsag Batbold (0000-0002-8081-7613, Mongolian Academy of Sciences), Lydia Zotkina (0000-0002-1912-3882, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography), D V Cheremisin, Dmitrii Cheremisin (0000-0002-1184-4044, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography), Y V Nenakhova (Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography)
Year2024
Volume51
Issue1
Pages58-69
Publication date2024-04-04
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueArchaeology Ethnology and Anthropology of Eurasia (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1563-0110 • E-ISSN: 1531-832X
PublisherInstitute of Archaeology and Ethnography SB RAS (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.17746/1563-0110.2024.52.1.058-069
OpenAlexW4393952118
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited10

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

Archaeology · Cartography · Geography · Physical geography · Remote sensing · Style (visual arts · Ancient and Medieval Archaeology Studies · Geological Studies and Exploration · Soil and Environmental Studies · Geology