The Rock Art of Transbaikalia: New Sites from the Uda River Basin
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International Federation of Independent Rock Art Researchers Quarterly, Vol. 20, September 2019, pp. 11 – 37. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.334159 | Copyright CC BY 4.0, the author | Open Access The Rock Art of Transbaikalia: New Sites from the Uda River Basin Sergey Fedorov * The Uda River has its source on the Vitim Plateau in Transbaikalia and, after 467 km, it flows into the Selenga. To the north and west, the catchment basin of the Uda is bordered by the Ulan- Burgasy Ridge; to the east by the Vitim plateau and, to the south, by the Tsagan-Khurtey and Tsagan-Daban Ranges. Map of the Uda River Basin (the lower reaches and tributaries of the river not covered). Blue dots indicate famous and well-documented rock art sites. Unknown rock art sites (N1 - N18) are marked in red. The orange dots mark known rock art sites (N 19/N20) which are also included in this survey. The history of rock art research in the region covers 21 locations which were documented in a handful of surveys from the late 19th and early 20th centuries (Davydov, 1856; Kastren, 1860; Popov, 1928;) and augmented by a number of recent publications (Okladnikov and Zaporozh- skaya, 1969, 1970; Tivanenko, 1979, 1990; Khamzina, 1982; Lbova and Khamzina, 1999; Tsybiktarov, 2011; Tashak, 2011, 2013; Antonova and Tashak, 2013). Between June and August 2019, we have discovered and documented 18 additional rock art sites (N1 – N18). We have also examined and described two previously known sites (N19/20). In this report, a brief description of the abovementioned sites is provided (pp. 12 – 20), followed by the tracings of the rock art discussed (N1 – N13, pp. 22-28; N16 – N18, pp. 29-32; N19 and N20, pp. 32-33). In addition, a few photographs and enhanced D-Stretch images are also at- tached (N2-2, N2-3, N13-5 and N5-5; pp. 34-37). _________________________ * Independent researcher, IFIRAR; corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] 12 The Rock Art of Transbaikalia N1 (p. 22) The site is located 300 m to the north of the bridge across the Kurba River, on the western outskirts of Tegda village, in the Khorinsky District of the Republic of Buryatia. The drawings are situated on the south-eastern face of a small cliff, on a single rocky surface (N1-1). They are painted with red mineral pigment (ocher). At a height of 1.1 m, an anthropomorphic figure (N1- 1) is depicted and, above it, at a height of 1.8 m, a figure in the shape of an inverted letter Y (N1- 2). N2 (p. 22) The rock art site is located at a distance of 4 km - in a straight line - southwest of the village of Udinsk, in the Khorinsky District of the Republic of Buryatia. We have counted at least 4 rock faces with ochre-painted images: ▪ N2-1 is situated on the south-eastern side of the rock face, centrally located and at the sole of the rock under it. Dimensions: 0.5 x 0.6 x 0.45 x 0.2 x 0.5 x 0.6 m. In the center of the composition there are two bird-like (ornithomorphic) figures, one above the other (the lower right part of the rock face). Above them, 4 cross-shaped figures, and figures of strange shapes, including two possibly anthropomorphic figures. All images are drawn with dark crimson ocher. ▪ N2-2 is located 0.4 m to the left of N2-1. Oriented to the southwest, its size is 0.7 x 0.3 x 0.6 x 0.25 m. The depictions, from left to right, are of an ornithomorphic figure, an an- thropomorphic figure, a tiger-like zoomorphic figure, and ‘fences’ with dots inside. ▪ N2-3 is located at a distance of 0.6 m to the left and above N2-2 and it is oriented to the southwest. Dimensions: 1.15 x 0.7 x 1.2 x 0.55 m. A circle with four lines extending from it is depicted. ▪ N2-4 is at another 0.6 m to the left and above N2-3 and is similarly oriented to the southwest. Dimensions: 1.3 x 0.4 x 1 x 0.3 m. A circle surrounded by more than 30 dots is depicted. Inside the circle there is another dot. N3 (p. 23) The site is at 5.5 km – as the crow flies – to the north-northeast, in the northern outskirts of the village Bayan-Gol, in the Khorinsky District of the Republic of Buryatia. It is at a distance of 150 m to the north of a farm, on a mountain that locals associate with shamanistic traditions. We have discovered 3 rock faces with red ochre images: ▪ N3-1 is located in the middle of the cliff, if you look at it from the southeast, which is its orientation. Dimensions: 1.5 x 1.3 x 1.4 x 1.2. The figures are situated in the lower-right part of the rock face, at a height of 0.15 - 0.5 m. Two rectangular ‘fences’ with dots inside are shown next. In the first, six rows of 9 - 10 (?) dots, while in the second ‘fence’ - which is to the right of the first - 3 rows of 4 – 5 (?) dots. Above the first ‘fence’, under the white sag, 2 presumably ornithomorphic (bird-like)/anthropomorphic figures can be depicted. ▪ N3-2 is 2 m to the right of N3-1 and is similarly oriented to the southeast. Dimensions: 0.6 x 0.7 x 0.5 x 0.4 x 0.7 m. The figures are traced in the upper-right part of the rock face, S. Fedorov New Sites from the Uda River Basin 13 at a height of 0.7 - 0.9 m. Two anthropomorphic figures and a zoomorphic image above them are depicted. ▪ N3-3. Located 0.7 m to the right of N3-2 and it is oriented toward the south. Dimensions: 0.6 x 0.9 x 0.5 x 1.0 x 0.3 m. The figures are in the upper and middle parts of the face, at a height of 0.4 - 0.9 m. Two ornithomorphic figures are depicted, one above the other. Near the cliff there are tiled graves, one at 5 m to the south, and two more at 15 m to the south- east. It is interesting to note that the latter denote the number of the ‘fences’ on N3-1. A further 105 steps southeast of the cliff there is a masonry built in the form of the number "8". N4 (p. 24) The rock art site is located 6 km north of the village Bayan-Gol, in the Khorinsky District of the Republic of Buryatia, on the right bank of the Khan-Zhargalan River. At least 3 rock faces with ocher-made images were counted: ▪ N4-1. Oriented to the east. Dimensions: 1.2 x 1.25 x 1.6 m. ▪ N4-2. Situated at 19 m to the right of N4-1 and oriented to the southeast. Dimensions: 0.9 x 1.1 x 1 x 1.4 x 0.9 m. A figure resembling the shape of a tree is depicted. Above it is a figure that approximates the shape of an inverted letter «Y», and poorly preserved hori- zontal lines. ▪ N4-3 is to the right of N4-2 and it is oriented to the southeast. Dimensions: 1.4 x 0.3 x 1.1 x 0.25 x 0.7 m. On the hillside, under the rock, there are artificial masonry remains (of the «Slab Grave Cul- ture»), and a chipped stone made of black siliceous tuff and transparent chalcedony was also found. N5 (p. 25) The site is located 8.9 km - in a straight line – to the north of the village Bayan-Gol, in the Khorinsky District of the Republic of Buryatia, on the right bank of the Khan-Zhargalan River, in the northern part of the rock massif, above the reservoir (see map, p. 11). Here, at least 6 rock faces with red ocher images were counted: ▪ N5-1. At a height of 1.2 - 1.3 m above the ground and with a south-southeast orientation. Dimensions: 1.3 x 1.5 m. A cruciform figure is depicted in the lower right. Dots can be depicted at the top of the image. ▪ N5-2. 1 m to the right, at a height of 0.5 m. Oriented south-southeast, its dimensions are 1.5 x 0.7 m. At the bottom there is an ornithomorphic figure with dots. In the upper part, there is probably a point or dot. ▪ N5-3. At 0.3 m to the right of N5-2, at a height of 1.25 m and oriented south-southeast. Dimensions: 1.0 x 0.9 m. In the center of the composition there is a cow moose and a small moose, with its head turned to the left. Between them is an ornithomorphic- and an anthropomorphic figure. Apparently, an additional zoomorphic figure is also depict- IFIRARQ 20 14 The Rock Art of Transbaikalia ed. The composition is surrounded by dots. Above and to the left, a cruciform figure is drawn. On the surface there are white smudges that overlap the image. ▪ N5-4 is 0.3 m below and to the right of N5-3, at a height of 0.8 m from the rocky base under it. Oriented south-southeast, its size is 0.9 x 0.55 m.