New petroglyphs of Middle Lena (according to the materials of the expedition of N.N. Kochmar in 2001)
https://doi.org/10.21285/2415-8739-2025-2-27-49
EDN: KLGCTD
Abstract
In 2001 N.N. Kochmar organized an archaeological survey in the area of the Middle Lena from the town of Olekminsk to the village of Bulgunnyakhtakh in the Olekminsky and Khangalassky Districts of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) to inventory and search for petroglyphs discovered and studied in the 1920-1940s by G.V. Ksenofontov, A.A. Savvin and A.P. Okladnikov. The purpose of these works was to clarify the data, including the location, and assess the current state of the petroglyphs. In the terri-tory of the Olekminsky District, 3 new petroglyphs, 2 ritual sites with Mentaia-idols were discovered, and data on two points discovered by A.P. Okladnikov were clarified. Two of them were discovered 30-40 km from the town of Olekminsk, below the mouth of the Olekma River: the Meteger petroglyph, located on the left bank of the Lena River, and the Khara-Chai petroglyph on the right bank of the Lena River. The third new point - the Markhachanka petroglyph was discovered approximately 6,5 km below the mouth of the Markhachan River, near the former village of Markhachan, at the Markhachanka stream mouth, 20,5 km below the village of Markha in the Olekminsky District of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The Markhachanka point is located near the petroglyphs “Markhachan, Magan-Chai” discovered by A.P. Okladnikov. Ritual sites with Mentaia-idols were also discovered here. All the sites are quite small in size. Meteger and Markhachanka are represented by fragmented rock paintings. The Meteger pet-roglyph with images drawn with black dye cannot yet be determined in age. Of particular interest is the Khara-Chai petroglyph, dating back to the Early Middle Ages, practically the only petroglyph on the Middle Lena, located on the right bank, which is graffiti with a combined technique of knocking out, rubbing and carving (scratching). The Markhachanka petroglyph is preliminari-ly dated to the Neolithic age. Of interest are the finds of the Mentai idols, encountered on the middle Lena for the first time. The idols are short sticks, with minimal processing, leaning at a rock.
Keywords
Middle Lena,
petroglyphs,
rock paintings,
graffiti,
Meteger,
Khara-Chai,
Markhachanka,
Markhachan I,
Mentaya-idols,
Yakutia
Supporting agencies: The research was carried out as part of the implementation of the research plan of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences: «No FWZG-2025-0010 “The Stone Age of Northern Asia: Cultural and Environmental Context”».
About the Author
A. D. Stepanov
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Aleksandr D. Stepanov, Researcher, The Yakut Complex Laboratory of Archeology of the Far North (ArcheoFarN)
17, Academician Lavrentyev Ave., Novosibirsk 630090
References
1. Alekseev A.N., Kochmar N.N. (2003) Re-study of the Middle Lena petroglyphs. Bulletin of the International Academy of Higher Education Sciences. No. 1(23). P. 101-122. (In Russ.). EDN: YFPINJ.
2. Alekseev A.N., Kochmar N.N. (2006) Ancient sanctuaries of the Toyon-Ary historical and cultural region on the Middle Lena. Drevnosti Yakutii: Iskusstvo i material'naya kul'tura: Sbornik nauchnykh trudov = Antiquities of Yakutia: Art and Material Culture. Novosibirsk: Nauka. P. 56-101. (In Russ.). EDN: TGVDVJ.
3. Alekseev A.N., Kochmar N.N., Pen'kov A.V. (2002) Toyon-Ary petroglyphs (Lena River): New field materials and new semantic assessments of a widely known composition. Istoriya i kul'tura Vostoka Azii: Materialy mezhdunarodnoi nauchnoi konferentsii, Novosibirsk, 09–11 dekabrya 2002 goda = History and Culture of East Asia Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference, Novosibirsk, December 9–11, 2002]. Novosibirsk: IAET SB RAS. Vol. II. P. 6-15. (In Russ.). EDN: TIDHUR.
4. Alekseev P.S. (1900) Along Siberian rivers (excerpts from a travel journal). Sailing along the Lena. Russian Bulletin. Moscow: Izd. M.M. Katkov; T-vo tipo-litografii V. Chicherin. Vol. 265. No. 1. P. 225-248. (In Russ.).
5. Anisimov A.F. (1949) The Evenki’s Views on Shingeken and the Problem of Origin of Primitive Religion. Collection of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography. Moscow; Leningrad: Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Vol. XII. P. 160-194. (In Russ.).
6. Vasilevich G.F. (1969) Evenks. Historical and ethnographic essays (XVIII - early XX century). Leningrad: Nauka. 304 p. (In Russ.).
7. (1972) Geology of the USSR. Vol. XLII. South Yakutia. Geological description. Moscow: Nedra. 496 p. (In Russ.).
8. D'yachkova A.N. G.V. (2000) Ksenofontov: scientist and public and political figure. Yakutsk: Yakutsk State University. 201, [2] p. (In Russ.).
9. Zaika A.L. (2013) Masks/faces of the Lower Angara. Krasnoyarsk: Krasnoyarsk State Pedagogical University. 178 p. (In Russ.). EDN: TPMACV.
10. Kochmar N.N. (1994a) Rock-drawings of Yakut. Novosibirsk: Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography SB RAS. 263 p. (In Russ.).
11. Kochmar N.N. (1994b) Petroglyphs of the Sinyaya River. Archaeological discoveries of 1993. P. 171-172. (In Russ.).
12. Kochmar N.N. (2002a) Study of ancient sanctuaries in the Middle Lena basin. Science and Technology in Yakutia. No. 1 (2). P. 32-36. (In Russ.). EDN: XVIZSX.
13. Kochmar N.N. (2002b) Research of altars of Middle Lena petroglyphs. Peoples and Cultures of Siberia. Interaction as a Factor of Formation and Modernization. Irkutsk: Ottisk. P. 57-65. (In Russ.).
14. Kochmar N.N., Kir’yanov N.S. (2004) Petroglyphs of the Late Middle Ages on the Middle Lena Based on Field Materials from 2001-2003. Traditional Cultures and Societies of Northern Asia from Ancient Times to the Present: Proceedings of the XLIV Regional (with International Participation) Conference of Students and Young Scientists, Kemerovo, March 31 - April 3, 2004. Kemerovo: Kompaniya Raduga. P. 385-388. (In Russ.). EDN: TGJHET.
15. Kochmar N.N., Kir’yanov N.S. (2005) Pisanitsa Toyon-Aryy II: the Most Ancient Sanctuary on the Middle Lena. Origins, Formation, and Development of Eurasian Multiculturalism. Cultures and Societies of Northern Asia in the Historical Past and Present: Proceedings of the I (XLV) Russian with International Participation Archaeological and Ethnographic Conference of Students and Young Scientists (RAESK-XLV, Irkutsk, April 12-16, 2005). Irkutsk: Radian. P. 396. (In Russ.).
16. Kochmar N.N., Pen’kov A.V., Knurenko P.S. (1999) Expositions of petroglyphs of Yakutia and astroarchaeological aspect of interpretation. Archaeology of North-East Asia. Astroarchaeology. Paleometrology. Novosibirsk: Nauka. P. 214-229. (In Russ.).
17. Ksenofontov G.V. (1927) Images on the rocks of the Lena River within the Yakut District. Buryat Studies. No. 3-4. P. 64-70. (In Russ.).
18. Mazin A.I. (1984) Traditional Beliefs and Rituals of the Evenks-Orochons. Novosibirsk: Nauka. 201 p. (In Russ.).
19. Mazin A.I. (1986) Taiga Artifacts of the Amur Region. Novosibirsk: Nauka. 259, [1] p. (In Russ.).
20. Mazin A.I. (1994) Ancient Sanctuaries of the Amur Region. Novosibirsk: Nauka. 241 p. (In Russ.).
21. Maksimova M.V., Penkov A.V., Sharaborin A.K., Zhirkov E.K. (2012) Suruktakh-Khaya Sanctuary, Yakutia, Revisited: Tentative Results and Prospects. Archaeology, Ethnology and Anthropology of Eurasia. No 2. P. 55-66. DOI: 10.1016/j.aeae.2012.08.006. EDN: RFZRFP.
22. Mel'nikova L.V., Nikolaev V.S., Dem'yanovich N.I. (2011) Shishkinskiye petroglyphs. In 2 volumes. Vol. 1. History and Methods of Study, Problems of Museification, Description of Petroglyphs. Irkutsk: Institute of the Earth's Crust SB RAS. 426 p. (In Russ.).
23. Mel'nikova L.V., Nikolaev V.S., Dem'yanovich N.I. (2012) Shishkinskiye petroglyphs. In 2 volumes. Vol. 2. Natural Conditions of Formation of Planes, Main Plots and Dating, Semantics of Ancient Images and the Object as a Whole. Irkutsk: Institute of the Earth's Crust SB RAS. 286 p. (In Russ.).
24. Okladnikov A.P., Zaporozhskaya V.D. (1972) Petroglyphs of the Middle Lena. Leningrad: Nauka. 271 p. (In Russ.).
25. Okladnikov A.P., Mazin A.I. (1979) Petroglyphs of the Aldan River Basin. Novosibirsk: Nauka. 152 p. (In Russ.).
26. Pisarchik Ya.K. (1975) On sepiolite rocks in the Cambrian of the southern Siberian platform. Lithology and Useful Minerals. Moscow: Nauka. No. 4. P. 128-134. (In Russ.).
27. Ponomareva I.A. (2021) The earliest rock art in East Siberia: discoveries and perspectives. Creator of Culture. Material Culture and Spiritual Space of Man in the Light of Archeology, History and Ethnography. St. Petersburg: Institute of the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. P. 507-522. (In Russ.). DOI: 10.31600/978-5-907298-22-4.507-522. EDN: KGDDUG.
28. Sabitov A.A., Galiakhmetov R.G., Trofimova F.A., Ruselik E.S., Nikolaeva L.M. (2015) Sepiolite clays of Meteger occurrence (Sakha-Yakutia Republic) - a new type of industrial minerals in Russia. Exploration and Subsoil Protection. No. 4. P. 29-34. (In Russ.). EDN: TOVFKP.
29. Sabitov A.A., Galiakhmetov R.G., Trofimova F.A., Ruselik E.S., Teterin A.N., Nikolaeva L.M. (2018) Sepiolite clays of Yakutia - from forecast to deposit. Exploration and Protection of Subsoil. No. 9. P. 31-36. (In Russ.). EDN: XZIVAT.
30. Sokolov A.D. (2013) In the footsteps of the sovereign's coachmen. Yakutsk: Yakutskii krai. 245 p. (In Russ.).
31. Stepanov A.D. (2015) Petroglyphic drawing site Sinskaya on Middle Lena river: problem of verification of “black drawings”. Reports of the Laboratory of Ancient Technologies. No. 1. P. 35-43. (In Russ.). EDN: VKURDN.
32. Stepanov A.D. (2023) Lost and endangered petroglyphs of the Middle Lena: to the problem of preservation of ancient monuments of rock art. East Asia: Problems of Studying and Preserving the Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Region: Proceedings of the Scientific and Practical Conference, Blagoveshchensk, April 16-20, 2023. Blagoveshchensk: Center for the Preservation of the Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Amur Region. P. 116-136. (In Russ.). DOI: 10.34757/nasledieamur.2023.99.25.015. EDN: GSLCZZ.
33. Stepanov A.D., Kochmar N.N. (2017) The plot of the “Eternal Pursuit” on the Oi-Muran petroglyphs (Middle Lena). Universum Humanitarium. No. 2. P. 130-137. (In Russ.). DOI: 10.25205/2499-9997-2017-2-130-137. EDN: XOBNHF.
34. Ponomareva I.A. (2021) Change and Continuity in the Prehistoric Rock Art of East Siberia: An archaeological and anthropological exploration into ethno-cultural identity, belonging, and symbolism. Oxford: British Archaeological Reports Limited. 202 p.
35. Rozwadowski A. & Кnurenko P. (2002) Reconsidering the rock paintings at Sinsk Village, Middle Lena River (Yakutia). In: Spirits and Stones: Shamanism and Rock Art in Central Asia and Siberia. Poznań: Instytut Wschodni UAM. Pp. 163-172. (In Polish).
Review
Views:
6
Email this article 