Scientists have unraveled the history of the emergence of a huge rock image of an elk near Lake Zyuratkul in the Ural Mountains of Russia. It was created by the children of one of the lost civilizations about 6000 years ago.
The drawing, which is 275 meters long, depicts an animal with four legs, horns and a long muzzle. This image of an elk is the world's oldest known geoglyph, writes The Daily Mail.
“Judging by the different sizes of the tools, ranging from 17 to 2 centimeters in length, we can assume that they were used by both adults and children,” explained Dr. Stanislav Grigoriev, senior researcher at the Chelyabinsk Institute of History and Archeology.
In total, about 155 tools were found near the geoglyph, mainly intended for digging.
Researchers hope they can find pottery remains in the area that will give them clues to the mysterious civilization behind this geoglyph.
“If we find ceramics at this site, then it can help us determine the exact date of construction and understand who these people were who created this geoglyph. It is obvious that its creation has a great social significance. Geoglyphs are symbols of unity,” Dr. Grigoriev is sure.
The drawing has puzzled archaeologists, who have been unable to figure out its origin since it was discovered in 2011. But now experts are sure that it was the children who created it. At the same time, it was not the slave labor of children, but involvement in the mass construction process.
The geoglyph was discovered thanks to satellite images of the area. It is older than British equivalents such as the White Horse and the Giant.
The most ancient
geoglyph in the world
In the fall of 2011, another historical sensation was born: the largest and oldest geoglyph in the world was found in the Southern Urals. The Urals is rich in historical masterpieces: first "Arkaim", then "Island of Faith", and now here's "Zyuratkul's Elk". “Porridge was brewed” by local historian Alexander Shestakov. Then the well-known South Ural archaeologist S.A. Grigoriev. Archaeologist Grigoriev is known to the general public precisely by the “Island of Vera” on Lake Turgoyak. However, Stanislav Arkadyevich also dug "Arkaim". Together with an experienced archaeologist Nikolai Mikhailovich Menshenin, he managed to dig pits on the monument before the snow.
The result of the first study greatly pleased the enthusiasts, but upset the skeptics. Firstly, there is undoubtedly a monument! A stone laying of artificial origin was discovered, that is, the laying was made by people intentionally. Secondly, there is no cultural layer on the monument. There are no artifacts, but there is buried soil, comparing which with modern soil, its growth can approximately date the time of earthworks - from 8 to 4 thousand years ago. Thirdly, in connection with the positive result of the pitting, a decision was made on a full-scale archaeological study.
Such huge and expensive (in terms of labor and intellectual costs) structures are always and everywhere related to cosmology. The Zyuratkul geoglyph is no exception. Perhaps this moose represents the constellation Elk. There is no such constellation on modern maps of the starry sky - it has long been lost by southern civilizations. But in the northern sky you can find the figure of an elk. And the Zyuratkul geoglyph will help in this hopeless case. In the sky you need to find a twin of the earthly figure. It turns out that the problem has a unique solution. The Ancient Elk is now represented by six constellations at once: Perseus, Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Triangulum, Aries and Pisces. The Lost Elk is a huge constellation. Now it is perfectly visible in the southern part of the winter sky. It can be seen this winter, it will be seen next winter and many more winters in a row - precession is a slow business - 1 ° in 72 years.
Ancient astronomy knew in this part of the sky several similar large constellations, which much later, already in the Greek sky, broke up into small fragments and characters. Such was the Bull (the modern constellations Taurus, Charioteer and part of Orion), depicted in the French cave of Lyaska (the famous fresco with the dead, 17 thousand years old). Such was the Great Mother (constellations Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Triangulum, Aries, Pisces). This constellation is depicted in many on painted ceramics and in small sculpture of the Middle East, Anatolia and the Balkans, in the cultures of the ceramic Neolithic and Eneolithic. Some historians refer to these cultures as the "Great Mother Civilization". There are other constellations included in mythological subjects and in the art of ancient people. None of the humanitarian historians sees celestial constellations in these images.
Because they can't see.
Why is the figure of a heavenly beast depicted in a clearing between the Zyuratkul ridge and Zyuratkul lake? To answer this question, you need to make some simple measurements in the same Google Earth geoserver. Then you can find out:
The highest point of Zyuratkul is 54° 57′ 25′′ N. 59° 10′ 48′′ E
From the top of the Zyuratkul ridge to the geoglyph from 1700 to 1900 m, azimuth from 151° to 158°
The middle of the figure is removed by 1800 m, azimuth 154.5 ° - south-southeast
Of particular importance is the azimuth and bearing south-southeast. It is necessary to understand when and under what circumstances the newly acquired constellation Elk rose above this part of the horizon for an observer standing on the highest point of the Zyuratkul ridge. It is necessary that the heavenly Elk stand exactly above the earthly Elk, and both Elks must be visible at the same time. In this case, it is necessary to calculate an astronomical or calendar event that occurs at the same moment. Winter and spring are excluded - the geoglyph is not visible under the snow. And autumn in the era of glaciation is not very suitable. The summer solstice remains. Now it's time to realize that for the observer, the summer solstice was the New Year. That's all. It's time to solve a problem from celestial mechanics.
The only problem is that to solve this simple cosmological problem, you cannot use computer astronomical programs - in ancient times they shamelessly lie. These programs work fine only for a short historical interval. They are not intended for excursions into the Paleolithic sky.
It remains to find the celestial analogue of the Elk, which in modern conditions and in the modern sky will play the same role that the Elk played in the Paleolithic. It turns out that there is only one constellation in the sky that can fully satisfy the refined taste of cosmologists. This constellation is now called Ophiuchus. Firstly, the modern Ophiuchus in the starry sky is symmetrical to the ancient Elk. Secondly, now he lies on the celestial equator in exactly the same way as Elk lay on the same celestial equator 11 thousand years ago. Consequently, the conditions and circumstances of the rise of Ophiuchus at the present time over Lake Zyuratkul for an observer on the top of the Zyuratkul ridge are identical to those for the end of the Paleolithic 11 thousand years ago. So much for celestial mechanics.
Now the situation can be easily simulated in the astronomical program and observed on the Zyuratkul ridge.
Simulation shows that Ophiuchus ascends and moves into position June 22, i.e. the day of the summer solstice, 40 minutes or even an hour after sunset. And the Sun sets on the shortest day of the year at 22:43 local time. The same was observed in ancient times.. At first, the stars of the Elk figure lit up against the background of the evening dawn (heliacal sunrise), and both Elks were clearly visible at the same time. Then the sky darkened and the already bright starry Elk shifted to the south and stood exactly above the earthly figure of the Elk - a geoglyph.
There is one oddity in such a reconstruction: the angular dimensions of the geoglyph for an observer on the Zyuratkul ridge are 7 °, and the angular dimensions of the constellation are about 30 °. In order for the sizes of the figures to match, you need to go down from the ridge and get closer to the feet of the earthly Elk at a distance of 365 meters. At the same time, the gap between the figures will also decrease - the entire water area of \u200b\u200bLake Zyuratkul will no longer be visible between them.
By the way, this water area also resembles the figure of an elk. Its angular dimensions are about 60°. The head of this water elk with large horns is directed towards the viewer on the Zyuratkul ridge, and its legs are extended to the north. It "goes" from the southeast to the northwest. From the Elk of heaven to the Elk of the earth. But there was one more elk, the reflection of a star beast on the smooth surface of the evening lake. So there were four Elks on Zyuratkul, not two. However, this amazing picture can be seen accurately and in detail only with direct observation on the ground.
The spectator, who got to the right place at the right time and was initiated into the subtleties of cosmology, will experience strong aesthetic and spiritual experiences.
Now one can even think that the name of the lake Zyuratkul and the Zyuratkul ridge is somehow connected with the name of the celestial beast Elk and its earthly reflection - the geoglyph. It remains only to find out what language the inhabitants of these places spoke at the end of the Paleolithic. The name of the miraculous Aryan beast (no doubt an elk) Sharabha with eight feet comes from the Ural-Altaic "*sarta", in the Mari and Mansi languages \u200b\u200bit has an analogue - the taboo name of the elk - "sharp (shord)". Horse of the German Odin eight feet, the son of Loki named Sleipnir (“Sliding”), is an image of a completely different constellation, namely Pegasus Square.
Toponymists derive the Bashkir name Zyuratkul from Zyurak-kul and from Yurak-kul, that is, "Heart is a lake." However, the Turks in the Urals live quite recently - they did not yet exist in the Mesolithic and Neolithic. But there were Ugry. If you listen closely, you can hear the ancient name of the elk in Zyurat-Kul and Satka.
The drawing is “laid out” on the ground with crushed stones and molding clay. The length of the stone strip, from which the "moose" is composed, is more than 2 kilometers. Perhaps this man-made monument has a religious purpose. This, for example, is evidenced by the fact that it can only be viewed from a bird's eye view. True, at the time when it was created, there were practically no forests in the Southern Urals - they appeared only 2.5 thousand years ago. The geoglyph could be seen from the neighboring hill. Moreover, as Alexander Shestakov notes: “A different grass grows on this line, that is, it differs from the general clearing. This grass blooms earlier, but turns yellow earlier, and therefore it is noticeable either in late autumn or early spring.
If the proposed dating turns out to be correct, then we are dealing not only with the only one in Russia, but also with the most ancient geoglyph in the world. It was possible to determine the time of its creation by the image of the muzzle of an animal cleavage from the core found during excavations at the site. Nucleus is a piece of flint, from which flakes or knife-like plates were beaten off for the manufacture of stone tools. Many stone scrapers, axes and digging tools were found at the site. For the most part, hoes are found here, with the help of which, most likely, the ancient authors of the “moose” removed the top layer of soil and turned large boulders out of the ground.
Why is the elk depicted? One of the possible answers can be considered the myth of the "stolen sun", reflecting the impressions of primitive people about a solar eclipse. People of antiquity thought that it was the elk that swallowed up the luminary. He began to be revered as a deity and sacrifices were made to him.
Another question is where is the site of the ancient South Urals, who built the geoglyph. The opinion of experts is unequivocal: if there was a stable cultural tradition, then there must be other geoglyphs not yet found. Indeed, there are other megalithic objects in the Urals, one of the most interesting is located just 60 kilometers northeast of the “moose”.
On the large island of Vera (also known as Pinaev or Pinaevsky) on Lake Turgoyak in the Southern Trans-Urals, there are 50 archaeological sites, occupying half of its territory. The area of the island is 6.5 hectares, the maximum width is 800 meters. The oldest buildings, mostly religious, belong to the Middle Paleolithic (60 thousand years ago), the newest were built in the 19th century.
In the fall of 2011, another historical sensation was born: the largest and oldest geoglyph in the world was found in the Southern Urals. The Urals is rich in historical masterpieces: first "Arkaim", then "Island of Faith", and now here's "Zyuratkul's Elk". “Porridge was brewed” by local historian Alexander Shestakov. Then the well-known South Ural archaeologist S.A. Grigoriev. Archaeologist Grigoriev is known to the general public precisely by the “Island of Vera” on Lake Turgoyak. However, Stanislav Arkadyevich also dug "Arkaim". Together with an experienced archaeologist Nikolai Mikhailovich Menshenin, he managed to dig pits on the monument before the snow.
The result of the first study greatly pleased the enthusiasts, but upset the skeptics. Firstly, there is undoubtedly a monument! A stone laying of artificial origin was discovered, that is, the laying was made by people intentionally. Secondly, there is no cultural layer on the monument. There are no artifacts, but there is buried soil, comparing which with modern soil, by its growth, one can approximately date the time of excavation - from 8 to 4 thousand years ago. Thirdly, in connection with the positive result of the pitting, a decision was made on a full-scale archaeological study. Excavations are planned for summer 2013. Now all interested parties can and should put aside hasty assessments and wait for the results of the study.
Archaeologists have already called the monument a cult object. The contour of the elk is supposedly created in order to demonstrate it to the Sky. But scientists can't add anything to this impressive statement. Another version is simpler: the geoglyph is a dedication to a game animal elk. Hunted, worshiped, that's what they did. Such an opinion is not at all good, because it raises a natural question: they hunted elk always and everywhere, so why was the geoglyph created only on Zyuratkul? They hunted a bear, a roe deer, a wild boar, a hare and other trifles - and did they also make geoglyphs?
It can be seen with the naked eye that a humanitarian approach to the study of another sensational monument will not bring rich fruits. This has already happened on Arkaim, the same thing happened on Vera Island, and it will also happen on Zyuratkul.
And now the natural science solution of the problem
Such huge and expensive (in terms of labor and intellectual costs) structures are always and everywhere related to cosmology. The Zyuratkul geoglyph is no exception. This moose represents the constellation Elk.. There is no such constellation on modern maps of the starry sky - it has long been lost by southern civilizations. But in the northern sky you can find the figure of an elk. And the Zyuratkul geoglyph will help in this hopeless case. In the sky you need to find a twin of the earthly figure. It turns out that the problem has a unique solution. The Ancient Elk is now represented by six constellations at once: Perseus, Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Triangulum, Aries and Pisces. The Lost Elk is a huge constellation. Now it is perfectly visible in the southern part of the winter sky. It can be seen this winter, it will be seen next winter and many more winters in a row - precession is a slow business - 1 ° in 72 years.
Ancient astronomy knew in this part of the sky several similar large constellations, which much later, already in the Greek sky, broke up into small fragments and characters. Such was the Bull (the modern constellations Taurus, Charioteer and part of Orion), depicted in the French cave of Lyaska (the famous fresco with the dead, 17 thousand years old). Such was the Great Mother (constellations Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Triangulum, Aries, Pisces). This constellation is depicted in many on painted ceramics and in small sculpture of the Middle East, Anatolia and the Balkans, in the cultures of the ceramic Neolithic and Eneolithic. Some historians refer to these cultures as the "Great Mother Civilization". There are other constellations included in mythological subjects and in the art of ancient people. None of the humanitarian historians sees celestial constellations in these images. Because they can't see. What is true is what is true. But this does not change the essence of the matter.
Why is the figure of a heavenly beast depicted in a clearing between the Zyuratkul ridge and Zyuratkul lake? To answer this question, you need to make some simple measurements in the same Google Earth geoserver. Then you can find out:
The highest point of Zyuratkul is 54° 57′ 25′′ N. 59° 10′ 48′′ E
From the top of the Zyuratkul ridge to the geoglyph from 1700 to 1900 m, azimuth from 151° to 158°
The middle of the figure is removed by 1800 m, azimuth 154.5 ° - south-southeast
Of particular importance is the azimuth and bearing south-southeast. It is necessary to understand when and under what circumstances the newly acquired constellation Elk rose above this part of the horizon for an observer standing on the highest point of the Zyuratkul ridge. It is necessary that the heavenly Elk stand exactly above the earthly Elk, and both Elks must be visible at the same time. In this case, it is necessary to calculate an astronomical or calendar event that occurs at the same moment. Winter and spring are excluded - the geoglyph is not visible under the snow. And autumn in the era of glaciation is not very suitable. The summer solstice remains. Now it's time to realize that for the observer, the summer solstice was the New Year. That's all. It's time to solve a problem from celestial mechanics.
The only problem is that to solve this simple cosmological problem, you cannot use computer astronomical programs - in ancient times they shamelessly lie. These programs work fine only for a short historical interval. They are not intended for excursions into the Paleolithic sky.
It remains to find the celestial analogue of the Elk, which in modern conditions and in the modern sky will play the same role that the Elk played in the Paleolithic. It turns out that there is only one constellation in the sky that can fully satisfy the refined taste of cosmologists. This constellation is now called Ophiuchus. Firstly, the modern Ophiuchus in the starry sky is symmetrical to the ancient Elk. Secondly, - now he lies on the celestial equator exactly the same as Elk lay on the same celestial equator 11 thousand years ago. Consequently, the conditions and circumstances of the rise of Ophiuchus at the present time over Lake Zyuratkul for an observer on the top of the Zyuratkul ridge are identical to those for the end of the Paleolithic 11 thousand years ago. So much for celestial mechanics.
Now the situation can be easily simulated in the astronomical program and observed on the Zyuratkul ridge.
Simulation shows that Ophiuchus ascends and moves into position June 22, i.e. the day of the summer solstice, 40 minutes or even an hour after sunset. And the Sun sets on the shortest day of the year at 22:43 local time. The same was observed in ancient times.. At first, the stars of the Elk figure lit up against the background of the evening dawn (heliacal sunrise), and both Elks were clearly visible at the same time. Then the sky darkened and the already bright starry Elk shifted to the south and stood exactly above the earthly figure of the Elk - a geoglyph.
There is one oddity in such a reconstruction: the angular dimensions of the geoglyph for an observer on the Zyuratkul ridge are 7 °, and the angular dimensions of the constellation are about 30 °. In order for the sizes of the figures to match, you need to go down from the ridge and get closer to the feet of the earthly Elk at a distance of 365 meters. At the same time, the gap between the figures will also decrease - the entire water area of \u200b\u200bLake Zyuratkul will no longer be visible between them.
By the way, this water area also resembles the figure of an elk. Its angular dimensions are about 60°. The head of this water elk with large horns is directed towards the viewer on the Zyuratkul ridge, and its legs are extended to the north. It "goes" from the southeast to the northwest. From the Elk of heaven to the Elk of the earth. But there was one more elk - a reflection of a stellar beast on the smooth surface of the evening lake. So there were four Elks on Zyuratkul, not two. However, this amazing picture can be seen accurately and in detail only with direct observation on the ground.
The spectator, who got to the right place at the right time and was initiated into the subtleties of cosmology, will experience strong aesthetic and spiritual experiences.
Now one can even think that the name of the lake Zyuratkul and the Zyuratkul ridge is somehow connected with the name of the celestial beast Elk and its earthly reflection - the geoglyph. It remains only to find out what language the inhabitants of these places spoke at the end of the Paleolithic. The name of the miraculous Aryan beast (no doubt an elk) Sharabha with eight feet comes from the Ural-Altaic “*sarta”, in the Mari and Mansi languages \u200b\u200bhas an analogue - the taboo name of the elk - “sharp (shord)”. Horse of the German Odin eight feet, the son of Loki named Sleipnir ("Sliding"), is an image of a completely different constellation, namely Pegasus Square.
Toponymists derive the Bashkir name Zyuratkul from Zyurak-kul and from Yurak-kul, that is, "Heart is a lake." However, the Turks in the Urals live quite recently - they did not yet exist in the Mesolithic and Neolithic. But there were Ugry. If you listen closely, you can hear the ancient name of the elk in Zyurat-Kul and Satka.
But now you can safely wait for the results of full-scale archaeological excavations. And let now only rare wise men and unique talents deny the very fact of the existence of the geoglyph, its observatory purpose, and the absolute (so far preliminary, and therefore cautious) dating - 8 - 10 millennium BC.
The approximate age of the geoglyph discovered last year on the plateau at the foot of the Zyuratkul ridge in the Satka district of the Chelyabinsk region has been established. According to archaeologist Stanislav Grigoriev, the image of the "elk" was created from the 6th to the 3rd millennium BC. If the hypothesis is confirmed, the "Ural elk" will receive the title of the oldest geoglyph in the world.
A more precise date will be established after a spore-pollen analysis. It is quite possible that the Ural geoglyph is older than the famous representatives of the Peruvian "fauna" from the Nazca plateau, dating back to the middle of the 1st millennium BC. Looking at pictures of the plateau near Zyuratkul on Google Earth , you can distinguish an image on it - a muzzle extended to the north, four legs and a pair of horns of an animal similar to an elk. As for the tail, it is not as clear in the new pictures as in the earlier ones. Last year, local historian Alexander Shestakov was the first to pay attention to the geoglyph, who for several years worked on the construction and improvement of the ecological trail in the Zyuratkul National Park. At first, he noticed that trees did not grow on the plateau of the mountain range at an altitude of 860 meters, and set about studying images taken from space. The result was the discovery of a geoglyph, which is a giant - 275 meters in diameter - image of an animal similar to an elk. The drawing is "laid out" on the ground with crushed stones and molding clay. The length of the stone strip, from which the "moose" is composed, is more than 2 kilometers. Perhaps this man-made monument has a religious purpose. This, for example, is evidenced by the fact that it can only be viewed from a bird's eye view. True, at the time when it was created, there were practically no forests in the Southern Urals - they appeared only 2.5 thousand years ago. The geoglyph could be seen from the neighboring hill. Moreover, as Alexander Shestakov notes: “Another grass grows on this line, that is, it differs from the general meadow. This grass blooms earlier, but turns yellow earlier, and therefore it is noticeable either in late autumn or early spring.” Concerning the stylized image "moose" also have their own versions. “The drawing was made in perspective: the elements closest to the viewer are larger, the distant ones are smaller,” notes Nikolai Menshenin, chief specialist of the Center for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of the Chelyabinsk Region. “The drawing will be more harmonious if the left horn and back line are cleared.” According to the Naurale com website, according to Stanislav Grigoriev, senior researcher at the Institute of History and Archeology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, "such megalithic objects are not works of art. This ritual object is not required to accurately convey the image, but must give a symbol. Its full meaning to us, of course, never be able to understand." If the alleged dating turns out to be correct, then we are dealing not only with the only one in Russia, but also with the most ancient geoglyph in the world. It was possible to determine the time of its creation by the image of the muzzle of an animal cleavage from the core found during excavations at the site. Nucleus is a piece of flint, from which flakes or knife-like plates were beaten off for the manufacture of stone tools. Many stone scrapers, axes and digging tools were found at the site. For the most part, hoes are found here, with the help of which, most likely, the ancient authors of the "elk" removed the top layer of soil and turned large boulders out of the ground. The time of the creation of the geoglyph is far from the only mystery of this prehistoric monument. "If earlier it seemed that the object, although large in size, was rather primitive, that is, it consisted of two lines of large stones, between which stones of a smaller diameter were piled, now it is already clear: crushed stones and molding clay were used here, among other things. Why this was done is still a mystery," the online publication reports. uralpress.ru with reference to Stanislav Grigoriev. Why is the elk depicted? One of the possible answers can be considered the myth of the "stolen sun", reflecting the impressions of primitive people about a solar eclipse. People of antiquity thought that it was the elk that swallowed up the luminary. They began to revere him as a deity and make sacrifices to him. Another question is where the site of the ancient South Urals, who built the geoglyph, is located. The opinion of experts is unequivocal: if there was a stable cultural tradition, then there must be other geoglyphs not yet found. Indeed, there are other megalithic objects in the Urals, one of the most interesting is located just 60 kilometers northeast of the "elk". occupying half of its territory. The area of the island is 6.5 hectares, the maximum width is 800 meters. The oldest buildings, mostly religious, belong to the Middle Paleolithic (60 thousand years ago), the newest were built in the 19th century.
In 2011, in the Southern Urals, on the slope of the Zyuratkul ridge at an altitude of 860 meters above sea level, not far from the amazingly beautiful lake of the same name, local historian Alexander Shestakov 1 discovered a huge ground drawing, reminiscent of an animal in its outlines.
Alexander Shestakov: “In 1989, my friend and I were on a campaign on Zyuratkul. At the foot of the mountain in a clearing, I saw that the grass in some places grows unevenly, creating paths up and down. A few years ago I found myself there again, walked along the paths for a long time, trying to understand who made this labyrinth. And then, thanks to the Google Earth program, I solved the riddle. It was a drawing on a mountainside in the form of an elk.
The satellite photo shows the white outlines of the pattern of the animal, oriented with its feet towards the top of the ridge, and with its back and horns towards the lake. The pattern is a light curved line with a total length of more than 2 km and a width of 4–4.5 m. The satellite image shows the head of an elk, four legs and a horn. For thousands of years, the drawing has been covered with a cultural layer; it is quite difficult to notice it at present. The stone strip is covered with earth on which grass grows. It is best to observe the image in the off-season, when the snow is just melting, or in autumn, when the grass on the stones turns yellow and dries out earlier than the surrounding one.
Such huge images located on the earth's surface are called geoglyphs. They are created either by removing the top layer of soil along the perimeter of the image, or vice versa, by pouring stones along pre-prepared gutters, where the drawing line should pass. Typically, such images can only be viewed from a great height.
The most famous geoglyphs were found in the south of Peru in the desert located on the Nazca plateau. Among the paintings are triangles, spirals, a bird, a monkey, a spider, flowers. The drawings were first noticed by the American archaeologist Paul Kosok in 1939, when he happened to fly over the plateau in an airplane. The period of creation of Naskin images presumably refers to 400-650 years. AD There is a giant drawing in England, in the county of Oxfordshire (a stylized light figure - the Uffington white horse). This chalk geoglyph was created in the 10th century. AD The ancient origin of the mentioned artifacts does not raise doubts among the researchers.
There are several versions of the origin of ancient geoglyphs. They were built as ritual, religious, cult objects, which should be visible only to the deities from the sky, that is, a kind of beacons to attract the attention of the gods. People usually cannot observe them, the information of geoglyphs is directed outward of the Earth. Giant drawings are also considered as messages to space, which were created in the hope of future communication with intelligent beings. There is a version that geoglyphs are ground landmarks for landing alien ships.
As the archaeologists who arrived at the discovery site determined, the geoglyph was lined with stones 20-30 cm in diameter interspersed with clay. The stones are placed in pre-prepared grooves. At the corners and turning points of the picture lie large boulders, much larger than the rest of the stones. From each of these stones, a significant part of the drawing is visible.
Nikolai Menshenin, Chief Specialist of the State Research and Production Center for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of the Chelyabinsk Region: “We cleared a small fragment of the elk's leg. Approximately 0.05% of the entire image. They made a section of a part of the masonry and received information on the technology for creating an image. The width of the line in its current state reaches 5 m, originally it was 3.5 m. The space between them was filled with emissions from the excavated trench and lighter stones.
The image of an elk is placed in a square with a side of 250 m. The dimensions of the geoglyph are impressive: 218 m in length, 278 m diagonally. It turns out that our elk is the largest known geoglyph in the world. The geoglyph of the lizard on the Nazca plateau in Peru reaches 188 m in length, and the Uffington horse in England extends for 110 m.
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Senior Researcher at the Institute of History and Archeology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Stanislav Grigoriev: “I am 100% sure that this monument is man-made. The lines of the drawing are 4–4.5 m wide. Most likely, they were made as follows: first, the top layer of soil was removed, small white quartzites were poured in its place - that is why the drawing is so clearly distinguishable on the ground. Large boulders are exposed along the edges - original borders of the image.
Archaeologist, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Yurin: “Undoubtedly, this is an artificial object and a real geoglyph. The opening of such a monument is a real sensation! At certain times of the year, it is well "read" from the top of the Zyuratkul ridge. Thanks to Alexey Shestakov for opening the eyes of me and many specialists from the Urals, Russia and even the planet to this phenomenon. I am sure that in the near future there will be a number of similar discoveries throughout the country, primarily in mountainous regions.”
Or maybe our moose is really not alone, like the numerous images in the Nazca desert? Do geoglyphs still exist in the Urals? There is a bright prospect for the pioneers!
Age, according to experts, can reach 8000 years. Stanislav Grigoriev: “When this geoglyph was created, the humus layer was 10 cm, but now the deposits are about 30–40 cm. 10 millennium BC”. This age makes the drawing of the Zyuratkul elk the oldest in the world.
Even if a more detailed examination shows that the find is younger than expected, the facts of the presence in the Urals of the largest geoglyph in the world and the only one in mainland Eurasia remain indisputable. These circumstances allow us to take a fresh look at the life of our distant ancestors.
And why did ancient people need such an image? There are many different versions of this. Perhaps, for the creators, the elk was a deified animal, a kind of totem. It is possible that by creating a geoglyph, one tribe demonstrated its superiority over others.
There is a version that such a huge structure must be related to cosmology. Does the Earthly Elk depict the heavenly, that is, the constellation of a certain Elk? But, excuse me, it is not on the maps of the starry sky, but it can be found by combining 6 known constellations: Perseus, Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Triangulum, Aries and Pisces. During the summer solstice, the heavenly Elk is located exactly above the earthly one, and both of them are visible at the same time. If you want the angular dimensions of both Elks to coincide, amounting to about 30 °, you need to find a point on the slope of the ridge lying above the earthly Elk at a distance of 360 m. Most likely, this point is a place of power.
Word to the skeptics. Some local historians tend to consider the image as ordinary hunting or animal trails.
Alexander Perevoznyuk: “When viewing the geoglyph, I switched from the 2010 images in Google Earth to the 2007 images and found clearer lines, the figure turned out to be 2 times larger, not closed and does not look like an elk, more like a fence where hunters drove prey.”
A geoglyph is part of an ancient megalithic culture that existed in the Southern Urals at the beginning of the Iron Age. This unique monument deserves to be a brand, a symbol and, if you like, a trademark of our region. Its convenient location near other natural pearls should contribute to the development of tourism in the Southern Urals.
Please note that over the past 20-30 years, world-class archeological monuments have been discovered in the Chelyabinsk region: Arkaim, megaliths of Vera Island, Zyuratkul Los. An important task is to preserve these most valuable objects. Who will take care of our Los and protect it? Let's take an example from the English, for whom their Uffington horse is a matter of pride, worship and universal care. The islanders regularly hold horse festivals that include grooming. The administrative district of Oxfordshire bears her name - Vale of White Horse!
There is an amusing proposal from archaeologists: along with the continuation of excavations, lay an excursion trail along the perimeter of the geoglyph. Tourists will not only move from one excavation site to another, but also trample the outline of an elk. This will not harm the geoglyph, but it will be better visible both directly from above and from the top of the Zyuratkul ridge.
1 Aleksandr Shestakov (born 1974), lives in Perm. Interested in speleology. He took part in more than 50 expeditions in the Caucasus, the Urals, the Tien Shan, Siberia and the Crimea. He made a great contribution to the study of the Shumikha cave - the deepest in the Chelyabinsk region. Since 2003, he has been engaged in ancient technologies for the production of hewn stone, studied more than 20 stone quarries in the Urals. On the basis of his finds in the territory of the Zyuratkul National Park, a museum of ancient millstones was created. In 2005, he became interested in the most ancient cultural monuments of the Urals, discovered and described 12 seids (unique natural places - rocks, stone structures, lakes, etc. - sacred objects of the Northern European peoples) and 2 dolmens (religious buildings, megaliths). Currently, he is studying bones - multi-ton accumulations of ancient bones of cult origin in the Perm region.
