Spatial organization of the ancient sanctuary Barun-Alan-1 in Western Transbaikal

At this time some hundreds of petrogliphs painted or embossed on the rock are known on the territory of Buryatia Republic. According to some researcher's opinion all ancient petrogliphs were applied on the rocks in the places of performing cult ceremonies. But considering rocks with paintings as sacral places of antiquity researchers haven't concerned the question about spatial organization of them. As a rule the rock itself with the paintings and a local plot of land beneath it have been referred with a sacral object. Sequential solution of the problems concerned spatial organization of ancient sacral objects of Transbaikal is carried out by works of the Buryat Complex Palaeolithic expedition of the Institute of Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan studies SB RAS beginning with 2000 year. In the course of the expedition's works earlier unknown cult objects of Bronze and Iron ages have been revealed. The investigation of this objects let proceed to elaborating questions of ancient sacral objects' spatial organization. The Barun-Alan-1 site is one of such objects and is located on the spurs of Hengerecte Mountain in Khorinsk Region of Buryat Republic (Western Trans-baikal). This site represents a complex of archeological objects: multilayer settlement started functioning in the Middle Paleolithic period; rock paintings; stone mounds less than two meters in diameter; stone circle-shaped settings. All archeological elements of the site are associated with landscape's elements - rocky walls. The rocky wall faced to the south is covered petrogliphs painted with the red ochre. The ground under the rock is enclosed by small stone mounds which are situated in sets through a circular arc. Carried out investigations show that petrogliphs on the rock, ground beneath it, stone mounds bounding the ground compile the unified sacral complex. One more construction of stones put in a circle has been revealed in 120 m to south-east from the rock. Four stones are laid down pair-wise around this setting. The line between one pair of the stones passes through the centre of the setting and indicates the point of the Sunset behind the rock in 22 June - in the day of summer solstice. Further research works at the territory in vicinity of the rock with paintings show that separated stone mounds have been placed on flat knolls towards to south and west from the rock. So, ritual complex of Barun-Alan-1 covers the territory of 400 by 150 m. At present it is should be considered as ascertained fact that the performance of religious rites on Barun-Alan-1 and the organization this sanctuary itself were related with those time cycles which can be observed by the Sun.

Keywords

Authors

References