Petroglyph excursions in Kazakhtsan.

“That was the day the ancient songs of blood and war spilled from a hole in the sky
And there was a long moment as we listened and fell silent in our grief and then one by one, we stood tall and came together and began to sing of life and love and all that is good and true
And I will never forget that day when the ancient songs died because there was no one in the world to sing them” 

Brian Andreas.

Art Petroglyph Tours in Kazakhstan.

Dardamty petroglyphs are located at an altitude of 1355 meters above sea level, on northern slope of Ketmen ridge, 225 meters from right bank of Dardamty River, 8 kilometers south of Dardamty village, on territory of Uyghur region in eastern part of Almaty region.
Dardamty petroglyphs located on abrupt rocks, on the left coast of the dried-up stream. Rocks represent four the independent rocks divided by a lobby, towering over the gorge on 30 - 50 meters. In total four parts having small rocky terraces by means of which it was in the ancient time possible to approach abrupt plates are allocated and drawings are drawn.
As well as on other monuments, petroglyphs of different time: here only several drawings of an era of bronze are drawn. These are petroglyphs with dense drawings, and separately the image of the chariot or vehicle.
The main part of drawings is drawn during an era of early iron, a considerable part is made by drawings of the end of the I millennium BC. It is possible to tell about time of drawings on stylistics of signs. On the example of Dardamty petroglyphs it is possible to tell that many drawings lost lines of animal style.
There are neither scenes of a torment, nor the main images of Scythian and Saks art, only separate images of animals: deer, arkhar, goats are reminded by drawings in animal style. Petroglyphs of early iron are submitted by images of deer with branchy horns from one or two with shoots from a figurative form, with poorly planned curls: a part on hips is designated, in certain cases there are images of deer in a pose of the movement, one drawing has an ornament in the form of a grid and on style it is close to numerous figures of deer, goats and arkhar from Small Koytas on the river Small Usek.
Some petroglyphs of goats and arkhar are represented with the legs which are drawn in one under another. In the same place a small amount of camels is revealed. Scenes of hunting meet, and at archers difficult big onions with trailer slips are visible. In general it is later group of petroglyphs.
As well as in the majority of monuments of this kind, drawings of different time - the sanctuary was long-term. It would be possible to connect with hunnsky time, the drawing of the vehicle is a little similar to images of vehicles of Khun time with a canopy, in the vehicle shafts are not visible.
Below at a foot of rocks the settlement from several fencings put from stones - only four-five squared fencings is well looked through. On the settlement ceramics samples are collected: a copper handle fragment, 2 - 3 fragments of ceramics of an era of bronze without ornament and several fragments of nomads.
Excavation on the settlement it was not made. Outside the settlement there are many barrows of an era of early iron and the fencings which are laid out from stones. Judging by a land relief, the sanctuary settled down on a nomadic track on the way to a dzhaylyu.
Geographic coordinates of Dardamty petroglyphs: N43°25'53 E80°04'30

Authoroty:
A. M. Maryashev. "Dardamty petroglyphs".

Photos by:
Alexander Petrov.