Petroglyphs and ancient writing of Siberia

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

I have already written about the finds in Siberia of the 17th century and about the destroyed cities of Dauria according to the descriptions of Nikolaas Witsen from his book "Northern and Eastern Tartary". But there is also such an album by GI Spassky: "Album of views, drawings of buildings and ancient inscriptions in Siberia", which presents the destruction of ancient structures found in Siberia.

This album is an appendix to the author's work "On the ancient ruins of Siberia" in the journal "Siberian Bulletin", 1818, No. 3. This article contains a description of rock paintings and inscriptions found in Siberia:

Since the images were not attached to the text, I tried to fill in the missing information found on the Internet. So far, only about the inscriptions, so as not to overload the article with information. From Spassky's opening remarks:

« The peoples have disappeared, disappeared from the observing eye of History and their existence remained almost in only one of these monuments, hitherto preserved from the exterminating scythe of time. They are located in different parts of Siberia, most of them in its midday part and consist of styles and inscriptions; from mounds, or graves; from ruins, dissimilar buildings and military fortresses; from the remnants of mining operations, or the so-called Peipsi mines, produced for the extraction of ores, and from other items … “But of all these monuments, the carvings and inscriptions depicted in paint on the stone cliffs that make up the banks of some rivers, on gravestones and similar places, showing, among other things, a certain higher degree of education and folk art, deserve to be the first in the notes I offer”

Further, the author describes the drawings found in Siberia, amazed at the inaccessibility of the places in which they are located:

"The variety of these styles and the difficulty with which the creation of their on the terrible and almost non-abrupt steepness of many cliffs, lead to the surprise of the traveler and to the thought that these were not carved for amusement by some people loitering in these deserted places; but they were faithfully left by the primitive inhabitants, in order, through these signs, to convey to posterity about any, according to the then concept of things, memorable events."

My opinion: hardly a primitive person could think about descendants, and about some kind of eternal memory left by him about himself. Either these signs were created by primitive people not for future generations, but were relevant to them personally, or they were created for future generations, but not by primitive people. Although, there may be a third option: the creators were not primitive, and they did not paint all this for future generations. We just do not know now and cannot understand the motives of their actions. And we come up with something that is closer to us in comprehension. Thus, modern historians divide all ancient structures into three types mainly: cult, defensive and burial. Not even suspecting that these structures could perform a completely utilitarian function to serve the needs of the then population.

Petroglyphs of ancient Siberia

“Inscriptions or cuts on the so-called handwritten stone, which lies over the Tom'ya River up the city of Tomsk, represent the most graceful example that can be given a perfect and fair idea about other such kind of inscribed designs. - This stone or cliff consists of greenish slate; its height extends to 10 sazhens (21m). The outlines are on the smooth sides of the stones and at a height from the base of the cliff of the topmost almost 6 fathoms (13m). On 1 view these are depicted, although reduced, but with possible accuracy. - The lower part of the cliff at two sapt heights comes out with a ledge, or, according to the local name, a shelf, on which you can clearly see the outline while standing"