There two known archaeological sites with rock paintings on the territory of the Oka Plateau (Eastern Sayan Ridge, the south of the Eastern Siberia). One of these sites is situated in the Jom-Bolok River Valley and is named Mongoljin Rock. Paintings on the rocks are made with the mineral pigment – ochre. For the first time, Mongoljin rock paintings are mentioned in the published report of the P.A. Kropotkin on the results of the expedition in 1865. Detailed investigations of the Mongoljin site occurred in 2019. In a hundred years after the expedition conducted in the 19th century, A.P. Okladnikov, based on the P.A. Kropotkin publication, supposed that Mongoljin rock paintings are the depiction of the stylized masks reflected ritual activity of the Oka Plateau’s ancient population. Further, A.V. Tivanenko, having also drawn on the P.A. Kropotkin’s publication, put an idea of resemblance between the Mongoljin paintings and Buddhist symbols. This article offers the last data on the Mongoljin rock paintings’ investigations and proposes to interpret the paintings as reflections of eruptions of the volcanoes located in the upper part of the Jom-Bolok River Valley. According to the series of studies, volcanic activity in the upper Jom-Bolok valley started in the final stage of the Pleistocene and finished in the beginning of the II millennia AD. There are several Neolithic encampments under the western edge of Mongoljin Rock, where were discovered fire places interpreted as ritual. Pieces of ochre with colors similar to those used in the paintings were found near the hearths. This suggests that the Mongoljin rock paintings were made in the Neolithic age.
Key words: ancient art, rock paintings, ochre, volcanic activity, Eastern Sayan Mountain Ridge, Oka plateau, Southern Siberia
DOI: 10.22250/20728662_2023_3_5
About the authors
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Vasiliy I. Tashak – PhD (History), Leading Researcher at the Institute of Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies of SB RAS; 6 Sakhyanova Str., Ulan-Ude 670047, Russia; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
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Yuliya E. Antonova – Junior researcher at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of SB RAS; 17, Acad. Lavretiev Avenue, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |