Petroglyphs of Mount Dyalbak, Eastern Altai

Abstract

This study focuses on a petroglyph site of Mount Dyalbak in the northeastern part of Balyktuyul village, in the Ulagansky District, Altai Republic. Images are engraved mostly on horizontal planes of the Devonian limestone of which the mountain slope is composed. We give a detailed description of the documentation methods. Photography was carried out under the oblique natural light, though certain areas of the planes were photographed using fl ash. Engravings were copied mostly on a tablet computer. On the basis of visual observations, the condition of planes with petroglyphs is described, conclusions regarding the principal threats are given, and measures aimed at the preservation of the site are proposed. Rocks and planes with engravings are described in detail. Most images date to the Early Middle Ages. Their motifs and characters have numerous parallels in Central Asian art. There are scenes of hunting, armed fi ghting, and separate pictures of bows and quivers, relating to the cult of weapons and militarism. Two depicted warriors are holding spears with banners. Images of animals include those of mountain goats, reindeer, and boars. Some motifs are unusual: yurts and a pair of Siberian stags, male and female, related to the fertility cult. Some images, such as that of a chariot, date to the Late Bronze Age, while others, like those engraved on a separate small stone, are recent.