Petroglyphs of Khagondokovo

Zh.V. Kagazezhev

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Abstract: The research is devoted to the discovery and introduction into the scientific use of rock carvings found in April 2023 and named – Khagondokovo petroglyphs. Unique in the richness of images, the rock inscriptions of Khagondokovo are located in two historical places, not far from each other. For the convenience of labeling the rock inscriptions, they were named Khagondokovo I and Khagondkovo II. The petroglyphs are signs of various geometric shapes carved and painted with dark red ochre on the rock. The study of Khagondokovo petroglyphs is a new stage in the historiography to study the most ancient rock art. It allows to draw conclusions about the distribution and external relations of prehistoric symbols in the North Caucasus. These facts determine the relevance of the present research. Finds of such petroglyphs in medieval settlements indicate their long-term use by the local population. It is quite likely that they were transformed over time into a system of family signs of Caucasians. The study of Khagondokovo rock carvings allows us to conclude that they are similar to other petroglyphs on rocks, stones and megaliths of the North Caucasus, Crimea and the Mediterranean basin. This aspect requires more detailed research in the future. The purpose of this article is to introduce into scientific use the recently discovered petroglyphs of Khagondokovo which, according to the richness of images, are quite valuable for the study of the history and archeology of the North Caucasus.

Keywords: Khagondokovo, petroglyphs, carvings, dark red ochre, zoomorphic figures, analogies of petroglyphs, ancient culture, distribution

For citation. 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

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Information about the authors

Kagazezhev Zhiraslan Valerievich, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Head of Science and Innovation Center “Natural Scientific Methods in Archaeology, Anthropology and Archaeography” of the Kabardino-Balkarian Scientific Center of the RAS;
360002, Russia, Nalchik, 2 Balkarov street;
jiraslan@mail.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0508-3493