Petroglyphs on Mount Buksha

Zh.V. Kagazezhev

---

Abstract. The article discusses the discovery and inclusion into scientific discourse of rock carvings found on Mount Buksha in the Republic of Adygea. These petroglyphs, located in the upper section of the mountain, consist of various geometric forms carved into the rocks. Although they resemble previous petroglyph discoveries to some extent, the carvings on Buksha are unique. The discovery and analysis of these petroglyphs represent a new chapter in the historiography of ancient rock art research. Their discovery significantly expands the geographic distribution of petroglyph sites in the North Caucasus, making it an important contribution to the field. Given their proximity to an important historical area with concentrations of dolmens and artifacts from the Meshoko culture, the study of these petroglyphs assumes additional significance. Determining their chronology and context is essential for a comprehensive understanding of this region’s ancient history. Undoubtedly, a more in-depth study of the semantic meaning of the rock carvings on Mount Buksha would expressively contribute to and enrich our understanding of the ancient culture of the area. This aspect of the research requires further detailed investigation in the future.
Aim. The paper aims to introduce to the research community the recently discovered petroglyphs on Mount Buksha, which represent valuable material for the study of ancient rock art in the North Caucasus region.

Keywords: Mount Buksha, petroglyphs, rock carvings, known symbols, ancient historical region, dolmens, Meshoko

For citation. Kagazezhev Zh.V. Petroglyphs on Mount Buksha. News of the Kabardino-Balkarian Scientific Center of RAS. 2025. Vol. 27. No. 6. Pp. 436–443. DOI: 10.35330/1991-6639-2025-27-6-436-443

References

1. Petrelevich K.M. Otchet. Archive of IHMC RAS (Institute of the History of Material Culture RAS). No. 7. Mosсow, 1940. (In Russian)
2. Markovin V.I. Naskal’nye izobrazheniya Severnogo Kavkaza i nekotorye problemy v ih izuchenii [Rock paintings of the North Caucasus and some problems in their study]. Monuments of archeology and ancient art of Eurasia. Moscow: Institut arheologii RAN, 2004. 346 p. Pp. 51–64. (In Russian)
3. Autlev P.U., Ditler P.A. «Kamni-pisanicy» Urushtena [“Stones-writings” of Urushten]. Plenum of the Institute of Archeology of the USSR Academy of Sciences: Abstract of the report of the Caucasus Archaeology Section. Moscow, 1966. (In Russian)
4. Turchaninov G.F. Pamyatniki pisma i yazyka narodov Kavkaza i Vostochnoy Evropy [Monuments of writing and language of the peoples of the Caucasus and Eastern Europe]. Leningrad: Nauka, 1971. 150 p. (In Russian)
5. Lovpache N.G. Petroglify «Khamyshey» [Petroglyphs of Khamyshi]. Caucasus: History, Culture, Traditions, and Languages: Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference Dedicated to the 75th Anniversary of the D.I. Gulia Abkhazian Institute of Humanitarian Research, May 28–31, 2001. Sukhum: Dom Pechati, 2004. 703 p. Pp. 197–205. (In Russian)
6. Tsuyek”o A. Adyge l”ek”uatsIekhemre tamyg”ekhemre. Maykuape: Adyge Respublikem itkhyl” tedzapI, [Adyghe surnames and tamgas]. Maykop: Adyghe Republic Book Publishing House, 2012. 224 p. (In the Adyghe language)
7. Gimbutas M. Civilizaciya Velikoy Bogini: mir Drevney Evropy` [The Civilization of the Great Goddess: the world of Ancient Europe]. Moscow: ROSSPEN, 2006. 570 p. (In Russian)
8. Kagazezhev Zh.V. Petroglyphs of Khagondokovo. News of the Kabardino-Balkarian Scientific Center of RAS. 2023. No. 4(114). Pp. 121–131. DOI: 10.35330/1991-6639-2023-4-114-121-131. (In Russian)
9. Sysoev V.M. Arheologicheskaya ekskursiya po Zakuban’yu v 1892g. [Archaeological excursion to Zakuban in 1892]. MAK. Moscow: Partnership typ. A.I. Mamontov, 1904. No. IX. Pp. 89–143. (In Russian)
10. Formozov A.A. Kamennyy vek i eneolit Prikubania [Stone Age and Eneolithic of the Kuban region]. Moscow: Nauka, 1965. 160 р. (In Russian)
11. Felicyn E.D. Zapadno-kavkazskie dol’meny [West Caucasian dolmens] MAK. Moscow: No. IX. Pp. 1–116. (In Russian)
12. Markovin V.I. Pamyatniki iskusstva i kul’ty Severnogo Kavkaza [Monuments of art and cults of the North Caucasus]. SE. 1970. No. 3. Pp. 125–131. (In Russian)
13. Formozov A.A., Okladnikov A.P., Masson V.E. et al. Istoriya iskusstva narodov SSSR: V 9 t. [The history of art of the peoples of the USSR: In 9 volumes]. USSR Academy of Arts, Research Institute of Theory and History of Fine Arts. Art of primitive society and the earliest states on the territory of the USSR; edited by A.L. Mongayt and N.V. Cherkasova. Moscow: Izobraz. iskusstvo, 311 p. (In Russian)

Information about the author

Zhiraslan V. Kagazezhev, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Head of Science and Innovation Center “Natural Scientific Methods in Archaeology, Anthropology and Archaeography”, Kabardino-Balkarian Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences;
2, Balkarov street, Nalchik, 360010, Russia;
Associate Professor, Department of General History, Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after Kh.M. Berbekov;
173, Chernyshevsky street, Nalchik, 360004, Russia;
jiraslan@mail.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0508-3493, SPIN-code: 2606-0979