Study of rock carvings in Semirechye and southern Kazakhstan

The petroglyphic group of the Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR, with the State Hermitage Museum and the Department of Archeology of the Kemerovo University, continued the study of rock art in the Alma-Ata and Dzhambul regions.

On the northern slope of the Trans-Ili Alatau, in the Kargaly gorge, near the village of Chemolgan, Kaskelen district, Alma-Ata region, several rock paintings were examined, including figures of mountain goats, deer, bulls, and people.

Complete copying of the petroglyphs of the Karasai Gorge (western tip of the Kirghiz Range) and rocks on the Ters River (Small Karatau Range) has been completed, targeted searches have begun in the Talas River basin.

The dominant part of the drawings probably belongs to the Late Bronze Age. The central motifs of the rock carvings of this time are wild bulls with winding or arcuate horns pointing forward, zebu-like animals with accentuated humps, horses, large cat predators with long twisted tails, camels, bustards, anthropomorphic creatures in bird and animal masks, etc. Images of two Karasuk shaped knives were found for the first time.

An extensive series of images of the Arzhan-Mayemir type has been discovered, represented by figures of deer, cat predators, and other animals.

Medieval graffiti drawings were discovered in the eastern part of the Talas Alatau. These are battle scenes with mounted spearmen and standard-bearers; scenes of adoration, sitting and kneeling characters in two- or three-horned headdresses (or without them, but with hairstyles or pigtails), in short caftans and boots; mythical syncretic creature - senmurv; trident signs, etc.