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Unique Okunev Mask Painting Discovered on Rock Surface
16 Jun
Summary
- A unique Okunev rock art panel was discovered at the Sorsk Pillars site.
- The artwork features a mask-like human face painted in red ochre.
- This ancient art dates back to the mid-third millennium BC.
Archaeologists in Russia's Khakassia Region have made a significant discovery at the Sorsk Pillars site, unearthing a unique rock art panel from the ancient Okunev culture. This panel, featuring a mask-like human face rendered in red ochre, represents a form of Okunev art never before found directly on rock surfaces.
Previously, images of this style were exclusively known from stone slabs recovered from burial sites. The newly discovered artwork closely resembles depictions found at early Okunev burial grounds along the Uybat River, enabling researchers to date it to the mid-third millennium BC.
The Okunev culture thrived in the Minusinsk Basin, an area encompassing present-day Khakassia and southern Krasnoyarsk Region, around 4,000 years ago. Their art is characterized by distinctive anthropomorphic figures, cattle, bulls, moose, and mythical creatures.
