petroglyphen im valle del encanto - StoneWatch

Fig. 4.2: Drawn copy of the „sacrifice
scene“ showing one human with an axe
in his raised hand, one anthropomorphic
figure in motion (dance?), one unspecified
„sacrificial animal“, one dog, two
snakes and four axes beside linings and
cup-marks (Draft: P. Pohle)
animal style from the time of the
Skythians. This specific artistic style
from the middle of the first millennium
B.C. is known also as the Eurasian
animal style for it occured all over
Eurasia (see NOWGORODOWA,
1980:172). Rock art of this particular
style is widely spread over Central
Asia (cf. JETTMAR, 1980, 1984;
NOWGORODOWA, 1980). One of
the oldest motifs in Kak Nyingba, at
least typologically, besides „solar
discs“, is the hoofprint (Fig. 6), which
figures 238 times. This particular
motif is also common in the rock art
of Central Asia (e.g. Mongolia, Inner
Mongolia, Siberia and Tibet), whereas
no parallels exist in Indian rock
paintings and engravings. In eastern
Mongolia one rock art site (Arsaan
Chad) with numerous petroglyphs of
hoofprints has been described by
Fig. 5.2: Drawn copy of the blue sheep looking back at a labyrinth
(or trap?). The motif has been artistically engraved into rough
sandstone (Draft: P. Pohle)
NOWGORODOWA (1980:51). A very fortunate situation for
the dating of these petroglyphs was the discovery of one rock
30
Fig. 5.1: Photograph of the blue sheep engraving with
a labyrinth (or trap?) (P. Pohle)
with hundreds of engraved pictures - including numerous
hoofprints - whose lower part was covered by a cultural layer
from a Neolithic workshop. Therefore, the petroglyphs must
be older than the Neolithic settlement (a Mesolithic age was
presumed). The hoofprints are very similar to the petroglyphs
of Kak Nyingba, not only in terms of their typology,
engraving style and technique used, but also in size and the
high number of engravings, as well as in their combination
with other motifs (e.g. squares, semicircles).
Origins
The rock engravings themselves give no direct clues as to the
ethnic origin of those who created them; however, several
features suggest that the engravings were the products of permanent
residents rather than of travellers passing by, such as:
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the sacred character of the petroglyph
site,
the engravings of hunting scenes
with native wild animals (e.g.
blue sheep),
the great effort in terms of time
and experience which was necessary
to engrave complex scenes
into a sandstone whose very hard
weathered rock surface was difficult
to work with.
Function of the place
A great deal of evidence indicates
that the rock art site was used for cult
or ceremonial purposes. Some evidence
is listed as follows:
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the placement of a large number
of the same motifs together (e.g.
hoofprints, footprints, solardiscs“,
snakes), which is usually interpreted
as an expression of cult or ritual
activities in rock art research;
the existence of a rock niche covered
in soot, in which fire sacrifices
were presumably made, located
close to the engraving of the
„sacrifice scene“ (Fig. 4.1 & 4.2);
the engraving of the „sacrifice scene“ itself;
the large number of cup-marks and bowls connected to
each other by grooves which may have been used for
liquid sacrifices, and
the more recent engravings of Tibetan Buddhist symbols
and inscriptions.
The petroglyph site and the deserted settlement
Although investigations into the relationship between the
rock engravings and the nearby deserted settlement of Kak
Nyingba have not been completed yet, we can assume that
the petroglyph site was formerly used by the inhabitants of
the village. A mortar hole testifies to this, as well as several
rock engraved game boards of ramarildok, a Tibetan game