AltSU archaeologists study the “deer” stones of Altai using digital technologies

A team of archaeologists from Altai State University worked this summer in the Kosh-Agach district of the Altai Republic. The subject of research was the so-called "deer" stones - ancient sculptures with images. Head of the Department of Archeology, Ethnography and Museology of the Institute of International Relations of Altai State University, Professor Alexei Tishkin spoke about the progress and results of the expedition.

The expedition was organized within the framework of the Russian Science Foundation grant "The World of Ancient Nomads of Inner Asia: Interdisciplinary Studies of Material Culture, Sculptures and Economy". In total, there are 10 people in the project team - researchers from Barnaul, Moscow, Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk.

Altai State University, in addition to the project manager and Head of the Department of Archeology, Ethnography and Museology of the Institute of International Relations, Professor Alexei Tishkin, was represented by Professor of the Department of Archeology, Ethnography and Museology Vadim Gorbunov, a researcher Olga Likhacheva, a teaching and learning specialist Olga Styazhkina and a teacher of the Department of Oriental Studies, postgraduate student Georgy Kazakov.

In the summer, archaeologists visited the Yustytsky archaeological microdistrict, which is a large concentration of archaeological sites in the Yustyt river valley in the Kosh-Agachsky district of the Altai Republic. The main task was to monitor the "deer" stones, a smaller amount of which remained in situ (in their original position), while others were transferred, reused in the construction of Turkic fences, or destroyed.

- “Deer” stones are steles of different heights (from 50 cm to 5 m high), having an anthropomorphic appearance. They often depict the attributes of warriors - belts and weapons (chasing, dagger, bow, battle ax, shield, etc.). Flying deers are carved on many of these obelisks - hence the name "deer" stones was fixed, although there were other designations,” said Alexei Tishkin.

Part of the “deer” stones are placed on ancient burial mounds (hereksurs), which are quite numerous in the Yustyt valley. But one of the archaeological sites is of greatest interest to scientists.

- We have fixed, in my opinion, the northernmost memorial complex associated with the ancient militant nomads who lived at the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. Conventionally, this community is now called the culture of Khereksurs and “deer” stones. The studied complex consisted of "deer" stones placed in a row, and numerous memorials were located nearby. It is these objects that are a good marker to confirm my concept of the existence of the most archaic nomadic empire in Inner Asia. From the spurs of the Pamirs to the east of Mongolia and from southern Siberia to the northern deserts of China, huge mounds are found - evidence of the life and work of these nomads. The largest Khereksur is located on the territory of the Mongolian Altai and is clearly visible from space. In diameter, it reaches about 300 meters and more than 20 meters in height.

The listed monuments are on Yustyt, which means that the southeastern part of Altai was also part of the archaic nomadic empire. Scientists have found out an important point: throughout the empire, part of the “deer” stones were used by ancient people to create memorial complexes similar in purpose to those made in memory of the soldiers who died in the Great Patriotic War. The ancient buildings of the nomads are direct evidence that the empire had a certain ideology built on the veneration of warrior heroes. Legends were made about them, such monuments were made for them, which then became a place for memorial ceremonies and sacrifices.

Most of the expedition work concerned the fixation of "deer" stones at the most modern level. Yuri Svoisky, an engineer at the Higher School of Economics, a specialist in the field of documenting objects using high-precision equipment, performed photogrammetry, i.e. detailed photographing of an object from all sides for further building a 3D model. For one "deer" stone, you need to take from 500 to 1500 photographs.

Based on all the materials received, an electronic catalog of 3D models of ancient sculptures will be created. The scientists plan to prepare methodological recommendations on how to carry out this work so that other groups, including from foreign researchers, will join the project. Also, archaeologists, using modern geoinformation technologies, recorded the location of objects on the ground.

"For an archaeologist, an expedition is like working in a laboratory for chemists. But instead of test tubes and microscopes, we have other equipment - from a shovel to ultra-modern navigation systems. Previously, we made sketches of “deer” stones with a pencil, measured with a ruler, used mica paper to get etchings and night shooting with backlights to bring out the smallest details of images. Now we are introducing the most advanced level of documentation of archaeological sites using digital technologies, as well as using various devices. For example, in this expedition we used a special device that captures the color of the stone, its various shades, as well as the remnants of the paint that was not always visible to the eye, which was used to paint the statues. The work was carried out in an experimental mode, but the results are impressive," says Professor Tishkin.

As already noted, within the framework of the project it is planned to create a catalog of 3D models of "deer" stones. It will allow studying objects without leaving the area and without visiting the museums in which they are located. The work of documenting archaeological sites is very important. According to Aleksey Tishkin, no major surveys of the Altai “deer” stones have been carried out before, they were usually fixed indirectly during excavations, exploration, or found by chance. In the 1970s, the well-known archaeologist Vladimir Kubarev began to deal specifically with this topic. In 1979 he published a small monograph, then he wrote a number of publications devoted to the study of "deer" stones. In one of the articles published in 2004, he noted that there are about 100 such archaeological sites in Altai. At the beginning of the RSF project, scientists have so far managed to fix about 30 stones, including previously unknown ones.

- In Yustyt we did not find some of the stones published by V.D. Kubarev. During the monitoring, a serious problem emerged. "Deer" stones are being destroyed. For example, at Yustyt, we found completely fresh and purposeful spalls on the upper surface of three statues. Previously recorded chips disappeared. Perhaps this is a manifestation of neo-shamanism when they try to "neutralize" the ancient statues associated with the world of dead people. We do not know yet who is doing it. In general, we often have to deal with the fact that some representatives of the modern population mythologize archaeological objects, interpret them for the sake of their ideas. There is no point in dealing with these situations. They have always appeared before. The task of archaeologists is to provide objective information on the basis of which unwritten history is reconstructed, notes Alexey Tishkin.

These facts make the research of archaeologists even more relevant and timely. The project work is ongoing. This year it will be carried out mainly in the museums of our country.