Rock Art Research

This paper takes an ethnoarchaeological and ecological approach to understanding patterns of iconography of rock art observed on the Middle Yenisey River, and its tributary to the east, the Tuba River, in the Minusinsk Basin of southern Siberia. It proposes a working hypothesis for the colonisation of this region to reconstruct the cultural origin, symbolic significance, and relative dating of this rock art. Supporting evidence is based upon the author’s observations in the field, reinforced by research conducted by multi-national archaeologists recently and ethnographers during historic times.