Deer Stone from Mezhelik (Eastern Altai)

A newly discovered deer stone from the Mezhelik site in Eastern Altai, Russia, provides significant insights into Bronze Age art and cultural continuity. The monument, dated to the 8th–6th centuries BC based on its Arzhan-Mayemir style depictions of a boar and a curled feline predator, showcases a rare juxtaposition of predator and herbivore, symbolizing themes of sacrifice, fertility, and cyclical life. Belonging to the Sayan-Altai type, this deer stone also reveals evidence of reuse during the Early Turkic period (6th – first half of 7th centuries AD), serving as part of memorial enclosures or balbals, highlighting genetic continuity in statuary traditions. The study combines descriptive analysis with stylistic and chronological interpretation to contextualize the artifact within broader Siberian and Mongolian archaeological narratives.

Kubarev, G. V. (2025). Deer Stone from Mezhelik (Eastern Altai). Problems of Archaeology, Ethnography, Anthropology of Siberia and Neighboring Territories, 31, 645–650. https://doi.org/10.17746/2658-6193.2025.31.0645-0650