Petroglyphs of Boralday

A detachment of the Chimkent Regional Museum of Local Lore in the Algabas district of the Chimkent region searched for rock carvings in the Big and Small Tur of the Boraldai ridge, known among the local population under the name "Stolovye" mountains. Several hundred rock carvings have been carved on limestone rising like a ridge near the water's edge. Petroglyphs are found on fairly flat rock outcrops facing south and southeast. The technique of continuous knockout dominates, but there are also contour images. The sizes of the drawings are from 3 to 40 cm. Images of animals predominate (goats, argali, deer, horses, hounds). There are images of people: archers hunting argali and goats, horsemen. There are solar and horseshoe-shaped signs, tamgas of individual clans of the Kazakhs of the Elder Zhuz.

According to the content, style of performance, romanization, several groups of rock carvings can be distinguished. The most ancient belong to the Bronze Age. These are few, rather deeply engraved silhouettes of bulls and horses. Realistic and dynamic images of the Saka time (goats, deer).