Solar-Headed Figures from Karakol Burials

The burial practice of the Karakol population of the Bronze Age (second half of the 3rd - early 2nd millennium BC) from Altai attracts much attention by the expressive ritual rites and artistic manifestations related with decoration of the stone cists in the burial mounds. For construction of the cists in the burial mounds slabs bearing petroglyphs were re-used, re-arranged on their sides in graves and paintings were made above the petroglyphs, all slabs were perfectly reshaped to fit the frame of the cist. So, petroglyphs often acquire the inverted position and upon them new diverse images were worked in black (soot) and red (different ochres) paint depicting participants of the burial ceremony. These figures in various ritual headdresses and complex garments were equipped with different attributed. Finally, the edge of stone cists was outlined with wide red band. Solar-headed figures were important for the Karakol imagery. Analyses based on re-documentation of the solar-headed figures revealed various technical approaches. Scratching of the patinated dark surface of the stone, fine engraving followed by painting of lines, use of paint singly and in combination with engraving was employed for two images of solar-headed figures from slab 1 (grave 2, burial mound 2 of Karakol). To paint in details solar-headed figures on the slab from burial 5 artists used liquid and suspended stuff applies by thin brush. For modern recording of the Karakol art was employed different techniques, including RTI: reflection transformation imaging is a computational photography method based on relations between degree of light reflection and materials property. So, the flatter surface after the stone polishing looks different rather than rough untreated slab. The key stage of the RTI image processing is a building of normal map that helps to understand the real relief of the surface. On that images engravings of different depths visually differ. Near infrared photography was used for the documentation of very thin engravings which were not appeared at the visible light photos. special software for the colour enhancement of the faded paints was also used. It allowed to confirm the absence of red paint on the body of the right figure. Modern recording techniques provide new information on the prehistoric art from Karakol.

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