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Deer stones of Mongolia

Deer stones of Mongolia
Deer stones of Mongolia
Deer stones of Mongolia

General information

Deer stones date back to the Bronze and Iron Ages and are one of the unique monuments of ancient nomads. They differed in that they depicted deer on high pillars. For this reason it is called “deerstones”. The main dates of memorial and ritual monuments, such as “deer stones” - with the image of a person, the sun, the moon, etc. belong to the XIV-VIII centuries. BC. and coincide with the chronology of the giant Kereksur mounds. Of the 1,500 deer stones discovered in Eurasia, 1,200 are located in Mongolia. In addition, 20 such stones were discovered in the Sayan Mountains, 80 in Altai, and 20 in Central Asia. Round, dotted lines in the upper part of the stele indicate a person’s head, earrings, necklace, and in the lower part - a belt, weapons and other objects. Thus, the general appearance of this deer stone suggests an image of a person. Deer stones were grouped closely and placed in certain places at regular intervals. Obviously, these are unique ritual complexes dedicated to persons of power and the veneration of leaders and ancestors who rule certain tribal unions.

Literature

Савинов Д.Г. Оленные камни в культуре кочевников Евразии. -СПб., 1994. 

Цэвээндорж Д. Монголын эртний урлагийн түүх. -Улаанбаатар, 1999. 

Волков В.В. Оленние камни Монголии. -М., 2002. 

Цэвээндорж Д., Баяр Д., Цэрэндагва Я., Очирхуяг Ц.  Археология Монголии. - Улаанбаатар, 2008. -239. -87-92. 

Төрбат Ц., Баярсайхан Ж., Батсүх Д., Баярхүү Н. Жаргалантын амны буган хөшөөд. -Улаанбаатар, 2011. Гантулга Ж., Ерөөл-Эрдэнэ Ч., Магай Ж. Хойд Тамирын буган хөшөө. -Улаанбаатар, 2016. 

Монголын буган хөшөө // Монголын археологийн өв. Цуврал зурагт цомог, II боть. Эрхлэн хэвлүүлсэн Ц.Төрбат. -Улаанбаатар, 2016. 

Монголын археологийн сонгомол өв. Archaeological Selected Relics of Mongolia. II.-Улаанбаатар, 2016. – 110-114.