Shalabolinskaya Pisanitsa (Petroglyphs)

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Shalabolinskaya Pisanitsa is situated in the southern part of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, on the Tuba River, which is a right tributary of the Yenisey River. It is one of the largest petroglyph sites in the Minusinsk Depression. The images are located along several kilometers of the riverbank, at varying heights on the coastal rock.

Ancient people visited the petroglyph site over various periods, and representatives of each culture left their mark on the rocks. The artists employed a range of techniques, including applying mineral dyes, and using stone and metal tools for embossing, polishing, and engraving. Occasionally, artists chose to add to images created in earlier periods. Example: Human figures were created in a central area of the site during the Early Bronze Age. Some of these figures had tails or wore headdresses with one or two “horns,” while others held circular objects. Several thousand years later, during the Late Bronze Age, an Okunevo artist used fine engraving to add sun rays radiating from the head of one of these figures. This sun ray motif was a key sacral symbol for the Okunevo people, and the addition imbued the image with new significance.

The oldest petroglyphs at Shalabolinskaya Pisanitsa represent wild animals hunted by humans. During the Bronze Age, painted images associated with the Okunevo culture began to appear at the site. The Okunevo people were agricultural people and herders with a complex mythology. Their art typically focuses on faces—images of humans and deities—as well as fantastic predators. During the Early Iron Age, the Shalabolino rocks were visited by the Tagar people, a more militaristic population who left behind images of warfare and armed warriors.

Unfortunately, many of the Shalabolino petroglyphs have deteriorated due to both natural erosion of the rock surface and damage from modern inscriptions left by visitors. The lower tiers are particularly exposed to frequent flooding. The roots of coastal vegetation, such as bushes and trees, compromise the structural integrity of the rock. This leaves a limited window of opportunity to digitize the images and study them comprehensively.

Location: Russia, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Kuraginsky District

The archeological studies began in: Study history began in: Scholars have been aware of the site since the late 19th century. All major researchers of ancient art have visited it.

Estimated age: Neolithic (approximately 7000 years ago) to the ethnographic modernity (19th century)

Study history

The site was discovered in the late 19th century and continues to be studied today.

The most complete set of estampages, or impressions, along with a detailed description of the petroglyphs, was first created by the renowned Middle Yenisey rock art researcher A.V. Adrianov. Systematic study began in 1977 with an expedition from the Kemerovo State University led by B.N. Pyatkin, and continued in the 2000s by the team of A.L. Zaika, and in the 2010s by researchers from the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of SB RAS. Currently, research employs modern scientific and digital methods, allowing for the dating of images from various periods and the study of their “interaction” within multi-layered compositions, i.e. palimpsests.

Most well-known images

One of the most ancient animal images in the region made during the Late Stone Age (Neolithic); an image of a bear climbing the tree; images of warfare.