Stellar astronomy of the Bronze Age sanctuaries in North Khakassia

This publication presents the results of two studies of astroarchaeological monuments in North Khakassia confirming the existence of Siberia stellar astronomy in the Bronze age (andronovo culture, Khakassia, mid-II millennium BC). It is proved that in the study area ("Sunduki") Arcturus - the brightest star in the northern sky - was purposefully observed in conjunction with the stars of the Orion constellation (in particular Betelgeuse - the brightest star of the constellation). In both investigated monuments of the Bronze Age were found man-made objects specifying astronomically important areas - a kind of tools to monitor these stars. Because there is no any written source the observed stars and epoch of observation were identified by geodetic measurements and astronomical calculations. This era is XIV-XIII centuries BC which corresponds to the archaeological dating of these objects defined in terms of style and semantics of petroglyphic images marking astronomically significant azimuths. The work confirms the hypothesis of tracking the heliacal and acronycal passages of Arcturus by Andronov priests (the first in the morning and the last in the night) in predetermined directions. Arcturus was observed by priests to determine the winter solstice, the middle of the spring and summer seasons. This revealed the specifications of observing of the heliacal and acronychal passages of stars with a naked eye such as a weakening of the apparent brightness of stars near the horizon at dusk and full moon, as well as the loss of light depending on the angular distance from the sun. Because of these features the first and the last star passages of the year through a given direction can be observed in the time interval up to ten days. The conclusion about the features of the observation of Arcturus by andronovo culture priests confirms and explains the perfection and precision of their lunar-solar calendar systems revised in such a way from the observations of the stars. No less important was the fact that figuring out a direct connection of different types of okunev and andronovo anthropomorphic petroglyphs with astronomically significant directions. This allows us to judge more reliably the semantics of certain images of okunev and andronovo cultures. Due to the fact that until recently Arcturus took a very important place in the astral mythology of indigenous peoples of Siberia the problem of reconstruction of stellar components of andronovo mythology in Khakassia becomes more perspective to solve. The obtained results allow us to consider the whole astronomical dating from observations of stars as a reliable and highly accurate (+- 50 years) instrument of ancient man-made structures' dating which was used with different cultures in the cult practice of astronomical observations

The dakhmas of Khakassia

In 2005 in the Ordzhonikidze district of Khakassia during an exploratory archaeological work was found "Temple of the Creation of the Universe" sanctuary of Fedorovo (Andronov) culture in Khakassia with cosmogonic petroglyphic compositions. The study of the petroglyphs of the "Temple of the Creation of the Universe" and the shadow-to-light pattern when the composition is illuminated by Sun revealed that these petroglyphic images are "moving depictions" which sacral semantics and the order of reading are determined with the sequence of the images of heroes' illumination by the rays of the rising and setting sun in the astronomically significant days of seasonal cycles. Disclosure of the semantics of mythological content of the "Temple of the Creation of the Universe" compositions determined by the dynamics of the shadow-to-light pattern demonstrated that two rocky planes of the "Temple's" central altar are "multi-page treatise" enabling them to consistent and coherent reading of the myth of the universe creation depicted in it. Attribution by us the semantic content of the petroglyphic compositions as an illustrations of the "proto-Zurvan-Mazdean and proto-Rigvedean" origins of the creation mythologem was artifactually confirmed by the discovery of a temple complex of two dakhmas at the top of the mountain used for the excarnation. This confirmed again the correctness of the semantic understanding of the mythologem depicted in the "Temple's" petroglyphic compositions. The astronomical principle of spatial distribution of the Dakhmas of the "Temple of the Creation of the Universe" was identified in the process of their studying. It is theologemically related with the dichotomous nature of the semantics of "proto-Zurvan-Mazdean myths" depicted in the petroglyphic compositions of the twin myth in the "Saratsk sanctuary" which is directly visible from the "Temple of the Creation of the Universe". On the rocky planes framing two central altar compositions of the "Temple of the Creation of the Universe" more than thirty previously unpublished compositions petroglyphs of Andronovo, Karasuk and Tagar cultures of Khakassia were discovered and copied. These chronologically different petroglyphic images semantically complement the central altar of the "Temple" with mythologemic content specific to each of the above cultures. In addition to multi-temporal petroglyphic compositions in the immediate vicinity of the "Temple of the Creation of the Universe" a number of cult places were found which were created by the above native cultures of Khakassia. Obviously that these religious objects were added in chronological order in the sacred structure of the temple complex, which was originally formed by two petroglyphic compositions depicting "The Creation of the World Egg from the source of chaos", two altar planes and monumental statues of the Moon and the Sun located at the foot of the "Temple of the Creation of the Universe"

Zurvanite iconographic canon. Astronomy and mythology

This article reveals the results of the study of iconographic canon of Zurvanite mythologem belonging to the worldwide myths, comprising the myth of the divine twins. The following reasons make the theme relevant: 1. There is no iconographic canon Zurvanite mythologem which is universally accepted by modern Iranian studies; 2.Saratsk petroglyphic composition of XVIII-XVII centuries BC (Minusinsk Basin of Siberia) in Khakassia that we have defined as the earliest of all supposed images of Zurvanite myth; 3. The significance of Zurvanite myths in the process of monotheistic theology's forming. In our work we have come to the conclusion that the creators of Saratsk petroglyphic composition were the bearers of the Andronovo cultural-historical community who came to the territory of Khakassia in XVIII-XVII centuries BC. In the processes of semantic disclosure of mythologem of the symbols of Saratsk petroglyphic composition due to the fact that Andronovs belonged to the circle of Aryan tribes confederation we relied on the text of the Avesta, Pahlavi texts and medieval authors mentioned in Zurvanite mythologem. Studies have shown that the spatial distribution of Saratsk petroglyphic composition corresponds to the astronomically significant areas of the Saratsky Sunduk sanctuary which is a "classical" Iranian-Aryan vara (protective slab separatings the sacred world from the real world - profane) located on the top of the Saratsky Sunduk mountain. Sacred Astronomy built in the structure of the sanctuary by its creators confirms our assumption of Zurvanite content of Saratsky petroglyphic composition's semantics. In addition the study of the nature of the images of Saratsk composition revealed the principles of "sacred" geometry in the composition structure of Zurvanite iconographic canon

The shadow of God and the Zurvan iconography

This article presents the results of a study of the Zurvan image's forming in the iconographic canon of Zurvanite myths. The relevance of the chosen topic is due to the following reasons: 1) in modern Iranian studies there is no universally recognized iconographic canon of a Zurvanite mythologem in general and a depiction of Zurvan in particular; 2) the presence of Zurvan's depiction in the Saratsk petroglyphic composition of XVIII-XVII centuries BC (Khakassia, Minusinsk Basin); 3) discovery of a "Shadow of God - Shadow of Zurvan" optical phenomenon topped with a solar halo in the Saratsk sanctuary of Khakassia; 4) the impact of the Zurvanite mythologem on the processes of Monotheistic theology formation. The discovery of the "Shadow of God" appearance in the Saratsk sanctuary made clear that the dichotomy of iconography of the Zurvan image was determined by a light-to-shadow pictorial aggregate of anthropomorphic "Shadow of the Creator" formed by the shadow of "The World Mountain" and the light-carrying head crowning this shadow. In the Saratsk sanctuary of Khakassia these dichotomous presentations about the Creator were embodied in the Khakassia's Saratsk petroglyphic composition. The discovery of the optical phenomenon of "Shadow of God" in the Saratsk sanctuary lets us to identify missing component of the iconographic image of Zurvan who is a central deity of the Saratsk petroglyphic composition and confirm the stability of the iconographic archetype of a bell-shaped attire of Creator of the world that exists for more than three millennia of formation of monotheistic theologemic basis of the civilization. In the light of Zurvan-Mazdean content we substantiate in the Saratsk petroglyphic composition and the compositions of the "Temple of the Universe Creation" which we attribute to Fedorovo culture bearers in Khakassia we consider it necessary to point to the tentatively name of the deities' images with the names of Zurvan, Ahura Mazda and Angra Manyu. Despite the obvious nature of the Zurvan-Mazdean mythologem embodied in these petroglyphic compositions at the moment we do not have a sufficient amount of evidences to name these depicted deities with theophoric names. At the current stage of our research it's correct to name the presiding deity of Fedorovs in Khakasia as a pre-Zurvan. A manifestation of that deity in the existent and non-existent dynamic of the Aryans universe was its good and non- good incarnations which can be properly described as proto-Ahura Mazda and proto-Angra Manyu respectively similar to Amesha Spenta in Sassanian mazdayasna who were good emanations of Ahura Mazda - the Almighty. Since we don't know any other Aryan name for the Time deity except Zurvan in our publications we call it Zurvan by default