Древнейшие петроглифы Рашаан-Хада (Монголия): новые наблюдения

Археология, этнография и антропология Евразии. 2025. Т. 53. № 3. С. 45–52.

Svoyski Y., Леванова Е. С., Романенко Е. В., Уранчимэг Д., Амарсанаа Г., Улзийбаяр Д.

We present preliminary fi ndings relating to the Rashaan-Khad (Arshan-Khad, Mongolia) petroglyph site studied by 
the Russian-Mongolian expedition in 2016 and 2023. Special attention is paid to petroglyphs that, in A.P. Okladnikov’s 
words, appear archaic and those that can with various degree of certainty be interpreted as representations 
of Late Pleistocene mammals such as woolly rhinoceros or mammoths. Okladnikov wrote that six petroglyphs 
stand out mostly by their large size, carved outlines, “primitivism”, and robustness. Our study has revealed eight 
fi gures that could be interpreted as those of large Upper Paleolithic animals or archaic-looking ungulates, but one 
of the fi gures published by Okladnikov has not been found. We discuss the correlation of such images with wavy 
lines, groups of intertwined lines, and what can be seen as a representation of a “bear paw print”. Despite the 
limited time for fi eldwork, we were able to identify panels especially relevant to the chronology of the site, refi ne 
the trace-drawings, obtain new data on already known images, and detect new ones. Comparison of petroglyphs 
published by Okladnikov in the 1980s with 3D-models and curvature maps based on them demonstrated yet again 
the need for and effi ciency of advanced digital documentation in the study of rock art and the re-documentation 
of already known sites.

Keywords: 3D-моделирование, Mongolia, Монголия, 3D-modeling, петроглифы, наскальное искусство, petroglyphs, верхний палеолит, rock art, 3D-modeling of surfaces, Rashaan-Khad, Рашаан-Хад, Upper Paleolithic