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813_PAST 56:PAST 56 11-2-07 03:52 Page 2 vessels. This tradition of painterly expression, as it note that in this period there was a complete spread through the Balkan peninsula, dominated in transformation in the typology of painted vessels, as the decorated compositions on pottery vessels, well as in the structure of the compositions, which although the remains of wall decoration can be seen now included new kinds of motifs. The motifs were inside some of the houses in this area. painted in brown and black; now only a small percentage was white. Painted compositions usually Regarding the painted decoration on the Early consisted of extended triangles, spirals, vertical and Neolithic vessels from Macedonia, a wide range of oblique lines and egg shaped motifs which were white motifs were employed, creating unique and precisely disposed across the structure of the rarely repeated compositions. These usually composition. There are few other motifs, nor are AST consisted of zig-zag lines, stair-like ribbons, there variations of previously mentioned ornaments, NUMBER 56 July 2007 triangles, dots and so called vegetal motifs. Some so it can be assumed that the Middle Neolithic researchers consider that the choice of motifs relate population from this region developed its own THE NEWSLETTER OF THE PREHISTORIC SOCIETY to the function of the vessels, indicating for example firmly-defined iconography that was reflected in Registered Office University College London, Institute of Archaeology, 31–34 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0PY pots in which herbal remedies were prepared or various different types of material culture. http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prehistoric/ which were used during particular ceremonies in dwellings or settlements. Exceptionally important Recently, there have been several attempts to study THE PETROGLYPHS OF Rock art exists throughout the varied landscape of are the local styles these motifs create which indicate the function of the vessels and the significance of P Kazakhstan, certain concentrations of known sites TAMGALY, KAZAKHSTAN that, across the wider area of Macedonia, several their decoration. Because of their petrographic extending into neighbouring countries. The local communities were established, using features, as well as the time and skill invested in the petroglyphs have a wide date range from the late As a result of the interest shown in the article on the third millennium BC to the recent past, but each decoration as an element of mutual visual production of these vessels, it has been suggested 56 identification. Although there appear to have been that they were exceptionally important for the ‘deer stones’ of Mongolia, published in PAST 54, I period has its own style. Such is the international one or more waves of demographic expansion in the communities that inhabited these Neolithic offer some information on a fascinating rock art site interest in the central Asian sites that a number of earliest phases of the Neolithic, in its later stages it settlements. It is therefore assumed that they had a in Kazakhstan that is also the site of an excavated collaborative teams of local and foreign can be seen that distinct regional traditions emerge ceremonial or symbolic character, and that they were ‘deer stone’. archaeologists have been working concertedly in which are reflected in differences in material culture. used during domestic celebrations, holidays, recent years to document and protect them. The Hence, there are remarkable differences between festivities and rites. Furthermore, the wide range of initiatives include participants from France, Early Neolithic decoration in the Skopje region ornaments painted on these vessels were also present Germany, Norway, Poland and the USA, as well as (northern Macedonia), the Ovce Pole region (eastern on the figurines, stamp seals, altars and on the walls Britain, as Ken Lymer has previously reported in Macedonia) and in Pelagonia (southwest of shrines dating to the same period, and it is PAST (Nos 9 and 23). Arguably the most significant Macedonia). therefore thought that they symbolized ideas of rain sites are in the eastern and southern parts of the and regeneration. country, but it is Tamgaly, a complex with more than 3000 individual petroglyphs, which I wish to Whatever the case, these objects and their decoration describe. undoubtedly indicate that the people of the Early and Middle Neolithic in this region had a high level of technical and artistic accomplishment. Their Tamgaly is an isolated valley in the dry steppe and ability to produce these vessels and to paint them so desert landscape that embraces the low foothills of precisely surely proves that in this period, the level of the southeastern Chu-Ili Mountains, themselves an visual perception, geometrisation and organization extension of the Northern Tienshan range. It is of micro-space was highly developed. This way of situated about two and a half hours’ drive west of creating and maintaining the painterly tradition Alamty, the country’s capital. Extensive rock art was therefore established specific visual communication discovered here by chance in 1957 by A. A. Popov, a and symbolic interaction between members of one photographer from an archaeological team working community, as well as between several communities under the direction of À. G. Màximova who across the wider region. excavated a local Bronze Age cemetery. The first account of Tamgaly, published the following year by Middle Neolithic vessels from the Republic of Macedonia: Madjari: Màximova, used the study of a site in neighbouring 1-5; Gorobinci: 6 Goce Naumov, University of Skopje, Institute for History of Art and Archaeology, The Republic of Kyrgyzstan (Saimaly-Tash) to attribute the artwork Macedonia to a number of different periods. Subsequently, more The situation in the Middle Neolithic changed Email: [email protected] detailed recording has been undertaken, while significantly. The decoration on the vessels found in excavations at cemeteries in the area have discovered settlements across the eastern half of Macedonia is Acknowledgements petroglyphs within graves, which help to date the very similar, so that identical ornaments can be I am grateful to the Prehistoric Society for different styles represented on the open rock faces. found in the Skopje and Ovce Pole regions, and also supporting this research through the Research Fund in other parts of the east of the country. This award. My special thanks to Joanna Brück for The copy date for PAST 57 is 1 October 2007. Contributions to Joanna Brück, School of Archaeology, Newman suggests that local Early Neolithic communities were helpful comments and corrections on an earlier draft Building, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. Email: [email protected] Contributions on disc or as e-mail attachments are preferred (either word 6 or rtf files) but hardcopy is also accepted. Illustrations can be sent gradually assimilated into one bigger grouping of this article. I would also like to thank to my as drawings, slides, prints, tif or jpeg files. The book reviews editor is Dr Mike Allen, Wessex Archaeology, Portway which in the Middle Neolithic developed new colleagues from museums in Macedonia for allowing House, Old Sarum Park, Salisbury, Wilts, SP4 6EB. Email: [email protected]. Queries over subscriptions and elements of visual communication. It is interesting to me to work on previously excavated material. membership should go to the Society administrator Tessa Machling at the London address above. 16 PAST PAST 1 813_PAST 56:PAST 56 11-2-07 03:52 Page 4 Tectonic movement has caused localised uplift and More can be learned about Tamgaly mattock heads; bone awls and scrapers. The site also splitting of the sandstone bedrock, and the exposed from Dr Rogozhinsky’s 2004 book revealed a glimpse of the social and religious lives of rock faces bear a dark patina. Indeed, the continuing (www.Igakz.org/Publications), and from an excellent Mesolithic people: beads made from shale, amber, tectonic movement combined with the sharply synthesis published in Samarkand (Tashbayeva, K., bone and animal teeth were found, as were the continental climate has led to the shattering of many Khujanazarov, M., Ranov, V. and famous ‘antler frontlets’ - headgear made from the of the decorated faces. Consequently, since the early Samashev, Z. 2001. Petroglyphs of Central Asia, skull cap and antlers of red deer, which Clark 1990s, considerable effort has been put both into ISBN 9967-20-776-0). suggested may have been masks for use in ritual multi-disciplinary studies of the site’s context under (even shamanic) dances. the supervision of Dr Alexei Rogozhinsky and, most Andrew J. Lawson importantly, its conservation. The results of this The site has attracted much attention since its research include the largest sequence of radiocarbon NEW EXCAVATIONS AT STAR excavation and has been reinterpreted several times dates seen in the country and a palynological record over the past 50 years. Clark, for example, suggested that spans the Bronze Age to Late Medieval periods. CARR the site was a residential base camp occupied by Since 1998, further research has concentrated on the three or four families. However subsequent theories location of associated settlements, while safeguards Star Carr is the best known site of Mesolithic date in have suggested it may have been a specialist site for have been put in place to protect the complex. Britain - if not Europe. The site was excavated tanning hides,