Stories on stone: The petroglyphs of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is a land where stones hold the secrets of ancient civilizations. The country is home to hundreds of sites with unique petroglyphs, many of which remain unexplored, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Kazakhstan is home to the public foundation "Hunters of Petroglyphs," dedicated to discovering, studying, documenting, and protecting rock art from destruction. The foundation includes scientific volunteers, public figures, activists, writers, photographers, doctors, journalists, and others. The organization's founder, Olga Gumirova, shared the discoveries made during archaeological expeditions and the profound meanings hidden within these unique historical drawings on stone.
What research are you currently conducting?
We have a memorandum of cooperation with the A. H. Margulan Institute of Archaeology, and many of our exploratory projects don’t require special permits, so we carry them out independently. However, for more in-depth studies, such as preparing documentation or registering monuments, which require licensing, we collaborate with staff from the Institute of Archaeology. We work closely with Alexander Anatolyevich Goryachev's team.
Now that it’s winter, the expedition season is over. There’s no point in going on expeditions right now—there’s snow on the ground, the rocks are dangerous, and it’s extremely cold. But this doesn’t mean our work has stopped. During the winter, we focus on processing materials and preparing reports. Part of our team is working on new projects.
We also hold lectures during the winter for anyone interested in Kazakhstan’s history and archaeology, especially petroglyphs. Additionally, we have many other tasks. We’re preparing guided tours for the park, training guides who will lead tours in the Arkalan Eurasian Petroglyph Park, and planning tourist routes.
On social media, you often share stories about your travels. Could you tell us one of the most memorable ones?
A few years ago, I received a message from Rafael Khismatullin. He sent me photos of some drawings and said they had been shown to him by a shepherd named Zhanat Turalbai. He mentioned that these drawings were located near Taldykorgan. I posted about it in my group, inviting archaeologists to investigate this information. Unfortunately, no one responded.
I got in touch with Rafael, and our entire team set out to visit the shepherd in the Daulybai Mountains, in a place called Ordakol. We expected to find interesting drawings, but what we saw left us absolutely stunned. We were jumping, shouting, hugging each other—because we realized this was a genuine scientific discovery.
The documentation process for this site is now nearing completion. Protective zones will be established, and the A. H. Margulan Institute of Archaeology, specifically Alexander Goryachev’s team, is working on recording this monument with our involvement.
According to experts, this is indeed a significant discovery. The site will be studied for several more years, as we have identified approximately 25,000 petroglyphs, a number that is currently being confirmed. This makes it one of the largest concentrations of petroglyphs in Eurasia. What’s particularly remarkable is that it’s located so close to the city, in an easily accessible area.
These drawings represent the true history of the emergence of nomadism in the Zhetysu region. We believe this area should become a national park, attracting tourists to learn about the history of nomadic culture.
In which regions of Kazakhstan are the largest concentrations of petroglyphs found?
Petroglyphs can be found across almost the entire territory of Kazakhstan. Unfortunately, many remain underexplored due to their remote and hard-to-reach locations, as well as insufficient funding for archaeological research. However, what has already been discovered by scientists in previous years is impressive and fully supports Kazakhstan’s reputation as a land of petroglyphs.
The largest concentrations of rock art are located in the Turkistan, Zhambyl, Almaty, and Zhetysu regions. I believe one of the most significant petroglyph clusters is near Taldykorgan, making this region practically the capital of petroglyphs in Kazakhstan. Several major sites are located in close proximity to the regional center, and these monuments are not only significant for Kazakhstan but rank among the five largest concentrations of petroglyphs in Eurasia.
Among such sites are Eshkiolmes and the recently discovered Ordakol site, identified by the "Hunters of Petroglyphs" group, which is still undergoing documentation. Other important monuments near Taldykorgan include Alabasy and Bayan Zhurek, located near Kapal. We have also discovered several other clusters in the area that have yet to be fully studied. It’s difficult to estimate the total number of petroglyphs at these sites, but our preliminary data suggest there are tens of thousands.
Do illegal hunters ever find and sell petroglyphs? What do they do with these findings?
Petroglyph clusters are, first and foremost, sanctuaries where ancient people prayed to their gods and honored their ancestors. These are sacred places, and I believe very few people would want to steal a stone from such a site—like taking one from a cemetery—and display it in their home as a piece of art.
First, it’s a completely meaningless act. Second, the patina on petroglyphs wears off very quickly, within six months to a year, turning the stone with drawings into an ordinary rock. This is why, for instance, Kazakhstani museums rarely have stones or steles with petroglyphs. The few that ended up in museums were removed during earlier periods when it wasn’t yet known that petroglyphs had this characteristic.
How can we prevent vandalism?
The only effective way to protect petroglyphs from vandals is by creating archaeological parks with proper security. We believe these parks should not only be state-run but also privately managed. For example, private archaeological parks could be established, where local residents, such as shepherds or their families, could oversee the condition of the monuments, ensuring safety and order within the area.
What role, in your opinion, do petroglyphs play in preserving cultural heritage?
In Egypt, there are the pyramids; in Greece, temples dedicated to the Greek gods. And in our country, there are petroglyphs. Each is unique, and in each, you can find true masterpieces—works of art by ancient artists. This is our heritage, and we must preserve it and pass it down to future generations.
What makes petroglyphs special is that many sanctuaries in Kazakhstan functioned for over four thousand years. The continuity of the peoples and tribes who inhabited these territories, right up to the mid-20th century, is clearly evident in these images.
The local population treated these archaeological monuments with great respect, and in some cases, even continued the tradition. For example, hunters of the 19th and early 20th centuries depicted figures with rifles on the stones, integrating them into scenes created during the Bronze Age. Some of the drawings show how hunting was carried out by Bronze Age archers, early Iron Age hunters, Turkic tribes, and even nearly modern people. It can be said that petroglyphs are like illustrations to the history of Kazakhstan, through which we can learn about the culture, traditions, and customs of the peoples who lived on these lands for millennia.
It is worth noting that Kazakhstan is home to approximately 300 unique petroglyph clusters.
At the third National Kurultai in March 2024, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized that Kazakhstan is rightly called the "land of petroglyphs." He pointed out that nearly all of these petroglyph clusters are located in hard-to-reach areas, and some are on the verge of destruction. The President instructed the relevant authorities to take the necessary measures to protect these historical sites.
Earlier, Kazinform News Agency reported that the TV drama Golden Empire will begin shooting in Kazakhstan.
