O pewnym „kazachskim” petroglifie i jego „podróży” w czasie i przestrzeni. Refleksja o społecznej adaptacji przeszłości

Author of the paper discusses social implications of the choice of a prehistoric rock art. image as a graphic symbol of the Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology of the Adam Mickiewicz University. The essay is divided into two parts. The first one deals with implications which result from using a petroglyph as a rock art image. In this matter the paper stresses interpretative context of reading this petroglyph in terms of otherness, both on formal and epistemological levels. In the second part the author considers implications which result from choosing this particular petroglyph, which comes from Kazakhstan. Author demonstrates different social involvements of such a choice, which however well define a nature of cultural anthropology as an academic discipline, which, by definition, faces numerous epistemological and ethical dilemmas in its practice

Did shamans always play the drum? Tracking down prehistoric shamanism in Central Asia

This paper considers the question of antiquity of shamanism in Central Asia and outlines several lines of enquiry into the issue. It analyses both linguistic and archaeological data with particular emphasis on ancient rock art. In the sphere of rock art studies it focuses on methodological questions connected with identifying shamanism in visual arts. It concludes that most convincing traits of shamanic symbolism, which characterizes Central Asian tradition, can be deciphered in the art dated to four thousand years.V članku se ukvarjamo s starostjo šamanstva v Centralni Aziji. Analiziramo lingvistične in arheološke podatke. Posebno pozornost namenjamo skalni umetnosti in metodološkim vprašanjem, povezanim z identifikacijo šamanstva v vizualnih umetnostih. Ugotavljamo, da je centralno azijska šamanska simbolika stara štiri tisoč let

In Search of Shamanic Themes in Eastern Siberian Rock Art (Sakha/Yakutia Republic)

This article is based on new research which was undertaken by a Polish– Yakut team in the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic between 2001 and 2003. Accepting that shamanism is an archaic cultural practice of the Sakha people, and that it is also present in the wider territory of Siberia, it is assumed that some common topics of Siberian shamanism can provide a semantic context for elucidating the social or semantic meanings of rock art in the territory of the Sakha Republic. After a general characterization of rock art in Yakutia, the paper analyzes the possible shamanic overtones of some rock images from southern parts of the country, mainly along the middle Lena River basin, and in the northern territory, on the cliffs of the Olenëk River. Attention is also paid to the contemporary veneration of sites with rock art, where ritual offerings are still practiced

„Szaman nigdy nie umiera”. Sztuka naskalna jako wyraz tożsamości w twórczości Jane Ash Poitras

This article discusses the phenomenon of reusing of ancient rock art iconography in modern art on the example of the artworks of Canadian Cree visual artist Jane Ash Poitras. To understand the role the rock art plays in the collages of J.A. Poitras, the first part of the paper is focused on the Indigenous perspective, which provides the clue to reading complexity of history and contemporary art of the First Nations in Canada. Then the painting Shaman never die V is thoroughly analyzed. It is showed that rock art motifs used in this artwork had been very carefully selected and the meanings they evoke significantly go in pair with wider ideas related to traumatic history of Indigenous Canadians as well as ideas related to persistence of Indigenous spirituality symbolized by the image of shaman.This article discusses the phenomenon of reusing of ancient rock art iconography in modern art on the example of the artworks of Canadian Cree visual artist Jane Ash Poitras. To understand the role the rock art plays in the collages of J.A. Poitras, the first part of the paper is focused on the Indigenous perspective, which provides the clue to reading complexity of history and contemporary art of the First Nations in Canada. Then the painting Shaman never die V is thoroughly analyzed. It is showed that rock art motifs used in this artwork had been very carefully selected and the meanings they evoke significantly go in pair with wider ideas related to traumatic history of Indigenous Canadians as well as ideas related to persistence of Indigenous spirituality symbolized by the image of shaman

About a “Kazakh” petroglyph and its “journey” in time and space. Reflection on social adaptation of the past

Author of the paper discusses social implications of the choice of a prehistoric rock art image as a graphic symbol of the Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology of the Adam Mickiewicz University. The essay is divided into two parts. The first one deals with implications which result from using a petroglyph as a rock art image. In this matter the paper stresses interpretative context of reading this petroglyph in terms of otherness, both on formal and epistemological levels. In the second part the author considers implications which result from choosing this particular petroglyph, which comes from Kazakhstan. Author demonstrates different social involvements of such a choice, which however well define a nature of cultural anthropology as an academic discipline, which, by definition, faces numerous epistemological and ethical dilemmas in its practice

Living landscapes and sound ontologies in Altai (Siberia, Russia): the European Artsoundscapes project (ERC ref. 787842) and the challenge of the intangible context of rock art

En este artículo explicamos varios de los avances obtenidos en el proyecto del ERC Artsoundscapes. Comenzamos encuadrando la arqueoacústica en la evolución del pensamiento arqueológico de estas últimas décadas y en concreto en la importancia del estudio de los sentidos en arqueología. Como explicamos en el trabajo, para el desarrollo de esta subdisciplina el diseño de una metodología rigurosa e interdisciplinar ha constituido una de las principales preocupaciones. Nuestro trabajo de campo en Altai sirve para ejemplificar cómo hemos llevado a cabo nuestro cometido en la práctica. En esta área el arte rupestre, con una cronología de principios del III milenio aproximadamente a mitad del I milenio de nuestra era, con añadidos esporádicos posteriores, se concentra en algunos lugares hoy denominados santuarios. Los destacables datos obtenidos para claridad del habla y musical se consideran dentro del marco ontológico de las poblaciones indígenas de Altai, quienes mantienen que la dimensión acústica es un factor importante en la relación entre los seres humanos y los paisajes que habitan

Rock art as a source of contemporary cultural identity: a Siberian-Canadian Comparative Study

This brief article is an introduction to a research project that examines the contemporary re- ception and re-interpretation/re-vitalization of prehistoric rock art and, more specifically, the re/ use of rock art motifs by present-day artists in Siberia and Canada. During the second half of the 20 th century, new artistic trends emerged in both regions, wherein artists significantly drew upon the heritage of indigenous peoples. In Canada, this phenomenon is mainly connected to works created by First Nations artists, while in Siberia it concerns a broader spectrum of image makers from indigenous and non-indigenous backgrounds. As a result, how the past is drawn upon in these two geographical regions involves differing perspectives, though some common trends can be observed. How do the artists link the past with the present through rock art, and to what extent do the images provide them with a source of identity? These are the questions examined by the project.432451Treasures of Time: Research of the Faculty of Archaeology of Adam Mickiewicz University in Pozna

Historic and proto-historic shamanic rock art in Siberia: a view from the Altai

This paper deals with historic and proto-historic manifestations of shamanic rock art in Siberia, mainly in the Sayan-Altai region. This art comes from last few centuries and is characterized by imagery which reveal clear correspondences to ethnographically documented shamanic material culture. It concerns in particular images of shamans in their ritual attire and their most important attribute - the drum. Main attention is focused on rock art of the Karakol Valley in Altai, where besides historic or proto-historic shamanic rock art, also much older art is present. The latter art is dated to second millennium BC, and is characterized by features which also correspond to Siberian tradition of shamanism. Finally the paper discusses the social context related to colonization of Siberia which possibly influenced making shamanic images on rocks

Rock Art as a Source of History in Central Asia

This entry is an introduction to the issue how rock art is linked to historical contexts of Central Asia. The earliest such context is related to the Indo‑Iranians, who lived in the region in the 2nd millennium BC, hence the possible links of petroglyphs to Aryan culture and their mythology are discussed. Images of animals executed in the Scythian style (1st millennium BC) demonstrate that rock art making was also an important cultural practice for the early nomads throughout the whole region reaching as far east as the Mongolian steppe. At the beginning of the 1st millennium AD, rock imagery started to signify the spread of Buddhism, and since the Arab conquest, sites with rock art have been incorporated into folk Islamic ritual practices. Executing images onto stone surfaces has also been practiced in ethno‑historic times. In the Altai, there are depictions of shamans and shamanic rituals while in Uzbekistan there are rock paintings most possibly associated with Nowruz festivals. Contemporary social and artistic re‑uses of prehistoric rock images are also noted.Historia tworzenia malowanych lub rytych wizerunków na skałach w Azji Środkowej może sięgać czasów górnego paleolitu, na co wskazują niedawno odkryte petroglify w Ałtaju, choć domniemanie ich paleolitycznego wieku jest jak na razie oparte wyłącznie na podobieństwach formalnych względem europejskiej sztuki jaskiniowej. Na pewno wizerunki na skałach tworzono natomiast w neolicie, a epoki brązu i żelaza to już złoty wiek sztuki naskalnej. Słabiej rozpoznany jest stricte historyczny kontekst sztuki naskalnej ostatnich wieków.Cette notice est une introduction sur la manière dont l’art rupestre s’inscrit dans l’histoire de l’Asie centrale. La période la plus ancienne correspond à l’époque des Indo‑aryens qui vivaient dans la région au cours du 2e millénaire av. J.‑C. Par conséquent, la possibilité d’un lien entre les pétroglyphes et la culture et la mythologie aryenne est discutée. Les images représentant des animaux, exécutés dans le style scythe (1er millénaire av. J.‑C.), montrent que l’art rupestre était également une pratique culturelle importante pour les plus anciens nomades dans toute la région, s’étendant loin à l’est jusqu’à la steppe moghole. Au début du 1er millénaire apr. J.‑C., l’imagerie de l’art rupestre a été incorporée dans les pratiques rituelles islamiques populaires. Des images furent également réalisées sur des supports de pierre durant les temps ethno‑historiques - dans les monts Altaï, il y a des représentations de chamans et de rituels chamaniques, tandis qu’en Ouzbékistan, on trouve des peintures rupestres qui sont probablement associées avec les fêtes de Nowruz. Des réutilisations sociales et artistiques contemporaines des images rupestres préhistoriques sont également mentionnées