THE ETHNOGRAPHIC SIGNIFICANCE OF BRONZE AGE ROCK PAINTINGS

Abstract

The unique Bronze Age petroglyphs of Central Asia and Siberia constitute an important subject of scholarly research. At the same time, the semantics of the so-called “sun-headed deities” remain a matter of academic debate. This article examines the semantic content and historical-cultural significance of these images and proposes an authorial hypothesis concerning their origins and underlying worldview.

Petroglyphs are regarded by scholars as a distinctive form of “visual folklore” reflecting mythological concepts, ritual practices, and elements of the ancient epic tradition. In this context, the article attempts to identify possible interrelations between the rock art of Central Asia and Siberia, the heroic epics of the Turkic peoples, and the tradition of poetic contests between improvisational poets — aitys.It is hypothesized that anthropomorphic figures with rays emanating from their heads may have represented not only mythological characters but also exceptionally gifted members of the sacred sphere — shamans who combined the functions of poet, musician, healer, and diviner. The ray-like depiction of the head may have symbolically conveyed their special spiritual status and extraordinary abilitie

Particular attention is paid to the main gallery of the Tamgaly petroglyphs. A pair of large “sun-headed” figures is interpreted as a possible representation of a contest between a young woman and a young man — a prototype of a poetic duel. Dancing masked figures and images of domestic animals form, together with the central figures, a unified festive and ritual composition.

The study employs graphic-analytical and descriptive methods. It is proposed that aitys, rock-art narrative, and heroic epic be considered interconnected components of a unified cultural and semantic system.