American-Mongolian Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 William W. Fitzhugh and Jamsranjav Bayarsaikhan, Editors Barbara Betz, Producer Published in March 2009 by: The Arctic Studies Center National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington, D.C. National Museum of Mongolia Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia National Museum of Mongolia Arctic Studies Center i Table 1. Deer Stone Project Radiocarbon Dates from Deer Stone and Khirigsuur Sites in Khovsgol, Arkhangai, and Bayan Ulgii Aimags, through July 2008. site / feature location/year sample no. material uncorrected calib (2-sig) Ulaan Tolgoi DS4 S-17 Erkhel / 2003 B-182958 AMS charcoal 2170 ± 40 BP BP 2320-2050 Ulaan Tolgoi DS4 S-7 Erkhel / 2003 B-182959 AMS charcoal 2930 ± 40 BP BP 3220-2950 Ulaan Tolgoi DS4 F1 Erkhel / 2004 B-193738 AMS bone coll. 2530 ± 40 BP BP 2750-2470 Ulaan Tolgoi DS4 F2 Erkhel / 2004 B-193739 AMS bone coll. 2950 ± 40 BP BP 3240-2970 Ulaan Tolgoi DS4 F3 Erkhel / 2004 B-193740 AMS bone coll. 2810 ± 40 BP BP 2990-2800 Ulaan Tolgoi DS4, F5 Erkhel / 2005 B-207205 RAD bone coll. 2790 ± 70 BP BP 3220-2800 Ulaan Tolgoi DS4, F6 Erkhel / 2005 B-207206 RAD bone coll. 2740 ± 70 BP BP 3150-2780 Ulaan Tolgoi DS5, T1 Erkhel / 2002 B-169296 AMS charcoal 2090 ± 40 BP BP 2150-1960 Ulaan Tolgoi DS5, F1 Erkhel / 2005 B-215694 AMS tooth coll. 2800 ± 40 BP BP 2980-2790 Ulaan Tolgoi DS5, F2 Erkhel / 2006 B-222535 AMS tooth coll. 2830 ± 40 BP BP 3050-2850 Ulaan Tolgoi M1, F1 Erkhel / 2005 B-207209 AMS bone coll. 1880 ± 40 BP BP 1900-1720 Ulaan Tolgoi M1, F2 Erkhel / 2005 B-215692 AMS tooth coll. 2860 ± 40 BP BP 3080-2870 Ulaan Tolgoi M1, F2 Erkhel / 2005 B-215644 AMS charcoal 2980 ± 40 BP BP 3310-3000 Ulaan Tolgoi M1, F3 Erkhel / 2005 B-215693 AMS tooth coll. 2950 ± 60 BP BP 3320-2940 Nukhtiin Am DS1/2, F1 Galt / 2006 B-222534 AMS tooth coll. 2830 ± 40 BP BP 3050-2850 Evdt 2 DS 2 Circ. feat. Evdt Valley B-215643 AMS charcoal 3030 ± 40 BP BP 3350-3090 Tsatstain Kh DS1,F1 Tsaagan / 2005 B-207208 AMS tooth coll. 2920 ± 40 BP BP 3160-2920 Tsatstain Kh DS1,F2 Tsaagan / 2005 B-207207 AMS tooth coll. 3000 ± 40 BP BP 3330-3060 Urt Bulagyn KYR1-21 Khanuy / 2006 B-222532 AMS tooth coll. 2780 ± 50 BP BP 2980-2770 Urt Bulagyn KYR1-22 Khanuy / 2006 B-222533 AMS tooth coll. 2790 ± 40 BP BP 2970-2780 2006-2007 dates: Nukhtiin Am Md1,F1 Galt / 2006 B-240685 AMS tooth coll. 2630 ± 40 BP BP 2790-2730 Tsagaan Asga K1 F1 Sagsai / 2007 B-240686 AMS bone coll. 130 ± 40 BP BP 280-0* Khogorgo-3, Md1 Shishged 2007 B-240687 AMS tooth coll. 3450 ± 40 BP BP 3830-3620 Khushuugiin Devs F1 Erkhel / 2006 B-222536 AMS tooth coll. 2140 ± 40 BP BP 2320-1990* Khushuugiin Devs. F2 Erkhel / 2007 B-240688 AMS tooth coll. 2450 ± 40 BP BP 2720-2350 Khushuugiin Devs. F3 Erkhel / 2007 B-240689 AMS tooth coll. 2680 ± 40 BP BP 2860-2740 Khushuugiin Devs. F1 Erkhel / 2007 B-243716 AMS tooth coll. 2410 ± 40 BP BP 2700-2640% Khyadag E. DS pav.7 Erkhel / 2007 B-240690 AMS bone/tooth 2610 ± 40 BP BP 2770-2720 Hort Uzuur DS3 Hort Azuur/ 2006 B-222537 AMS charcoal 2230 ± 40 BP BP 2340-2140* Hort Uzuur DS2,L2, F1 Hort Azuur/ 2007 B-240691 AMS charcoal 2710 ± 40 BP BP 2870-2750 Tsagaan Gol K2 F1 Tsengel / 2007 B-240692 AMS tooth coll. 2140 ± 40 BP BP 2300-2240# Tsagaan Gol K3 F9 Tsengel / 2007 B-240693 AMS tooth coll. 1740 ± 40 BP BP 1730-1550 Tsagaan Gol K4, F11 Tsengel / 2007 B-243717 AMS char.mtl 130 ± 40 BP BP 280-0 Avtiin Fea.5 Sample 6 Shishged / 2007 B-242730 AMS charcoal 2670 ± 40 BP BP 2850-2740 2008 dates: Khoton 333 F18 Bayan Ulgii/2008 B-246610 AMS charcoal 2840 ± 40 BP BP 3070-2860 Tsagaan Asga F3 Bayan Ulgii/2008 B-246611 AMS charcoal 2850 ± 40 BP BP 3070-2860 Tsagaan Asga F4 Bayan Ulgii/2008 B-246612 AMS charcoal 3000 ± 40 BP BP 3330-3070 On Khad Khushuu Bayan Ulgii/2008 B-246613 AMS tooth coll. 2930 ± 40 BP BP 3220-2960 Bor Hujiriin A1, F2 Tsagaan/2008 B-246614 AMS tooth coll. 2640 ± 40 BP BP 2790-2730 Bor Hujiriin A1, F4 Tsagaan/2008 B-246615 AMS bone coll. 680 ± 40 BP BP 680-630†* Bor Hujiriin A2, F1 Tsagaan/2008 B-246616 RAD charcoal 2670 ± 50 BP BP 2860-2740 Khush. Gol A2, F2 Tsagaan/2008 B-246617 AMS tooth coll. 2750 ± 40 BP BP 2940-2760 Khushuug. Gol A3, F3 Tsagaan/2008 B-246618 AMS tooth coll. 2910 ± 40 BP BP 3210-2940 Khushuug. Gol A1, F6 Tsagaan/2008 B-246619 AMS charcoal 2850 ± 40 BP BP 3070-2860 Khyadag E. A3 F32 Tsagaan/2008 B-246620 AMS tooth coll. 2520 ± 40 BP BP 2740-2470 Khyadag E. A2 Tsagaan/2008 B-246621 RAD charcoal 2460 ± 50 BP BP 2730-2350 Khyadag E. A2 Tsagaan/2008 B-246622 RAD charcoal 2520 ± 50 BP BP 2750-2440‡ Khyadag W. F1 Tsagaan/2008 B-246623 AMS bone coll. 2610 ± 40 BP BP 2870-2750 ¬¬¬¬ # B-240692 Tsagaan Gol K2 F1 has a second intercept at BP 2180-2000 % B-243716 Khushuugiin Devseg F1 also has intercepts at BP 2610-2590 and 2540-2340 † B-246615 Bor Hujiriin A1, F4 has a second intercept at BP 600-560 ‡ B-246622 Khyadag East A2 has a second intercept at BP 2410-2370 * Problematic dating result Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 ii Table of Contents Table 1. Radiocarbon Date List i Part I Introduction and Overview 1-4 William W. Fitzhugh, Arctic Studies Center, Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution Part II Mongolia Field Journal 2008 5-69 William W. Fitzhugh Part III Field Notes and Maps 70-102 Field Notes and Maps Edited and Prepared by Kyle Strickland, J. Bayarsaikhan, W. Fitzhugh, and Nasanjargal Part IV Report on the 2008 Deer Stone Project (in Mongolian) 103-150 Jamsranjav Bayarsaikhan, National Museum of Mongolia Part V Notes on a Visit to the East Taiga Reindeer People 151-157 Ts. Ayush, Institute of History, Mongolian Academy of Sciences Part VI Khuren Taiga: The Tsaatan’s Lost Homeland in Sacred Reindeer 158-165 Dewlap Embroidery Paula T. DePriest, Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution Part VII An Initial Survey of Southern Bayan Ulgii Aimag, 166-193 June 2-8, 2008 Richard Kortum, East Tennessee State University Appendix 1. J. Bayarsaikhan GPS data for Deer Stone Sites. Arctic Studies Center iii Khyadag Khushuutiin Gol Bor Hujiriin Gol Hovsgol Aimag Tsagaan Asga On Khad Biluut 1, 2, 3 Bayan Ulgii Aimag Arctic Studies Center 1 PART I Introduction and Overview William W. Fitzhugh and Jamsranjav Bayarsaikhan The eighth year of the Smithsonian’s Deer Stone Project was conducted from 21 May to 29 June, 2008. As in 2007 the season was split between fi eld projects in the Altai Mountain area of Bayan Ulgii aimag (23 May – 2 June) and the Muren region of Khovsgol aimag (4-26 June). The Khovsgol portion of the project was designed to expand our deer stone coverage into the region southwest of Muren with excavations at two sites previously studied by Volkov and to undertake excavations at the Khyadag deer stone site between Muren and Lake Erkhel. The Altai project continued our initial survey of this region in 2007 and was undertaken in collaboration with Richard Kortum of East Ten- nessee University who had conducted previous work in the Lake Khoton region along the Chinese border. Permits for both projects were arranged by the National Museum of Mongolia (formerly named the National Museum of Mongolian History) directed by J. Saruulbuyan. As in previous years my Mongolian partner was Jamsranjav Bayarsaikhan. Research Problem The primary goal of the Bayan Ulgii project was to locate dating samples and site descriptions from Bronze Age deer stone and khirigsuur sites (the DSK Complex) needed to evaluate the relationship between the deer stone complexes of north-central Mongolia with those of far western Mongolia. Previous research in this area by Volkov, Savinov, Khubarev, and others had identifi ed khirigsuurs and deer stones that were different from those in the Khovsgol region. Altai area khirigsuurs often have radial lines from the central mounds to the fence lines, and these radials and fence lines are made with construction methods that are different from those in central Mongolia sites. In addition, Bayan Ulgii deer stones are often made from different types of stone and have different styles and types of carvings than deer stones in central Mongolia. Western deer stones are less rigidly-struc- tured in terms of content and style, departing from the ‘classic Mongolian’ type deer stone pattern that Volkov, Jacobson, and others have recognized. The geographic and typological difference between the ‘classic’ central Mongolian and western ‘Sayan-Altai’ and Eurasian deer stones and khirigsuurs raise questions of chronology and relation- ship. Are these typological and geographical differences valid? And if so, what is their relative chronology? If the western khirigsuurs and simpler Sayan-Altai deer stones are earlier than the central Mongolian khirigsuurs and classic deer stones, perhaps the latter evolved out of an earlier mountainous complex and spread east into central Mongolia. If the Sayan-Altai complex was later than the Mongolian type it would suggest an historical reconstruction involving a westward move- ment of the DSK Complex, with diversifi cation and break-up of the classic Mongolian pattern as it penetrated the mountainous Sayan and Altai regions. Such a movement could have been a response to the apparent east-to-west movement of ‘square burial people’ across eastern into Central Mongolia between ca. 3000-2600 B.P. This in turn could have provided deer stone involvement in the early formation of the Scythian cultural system which begins to take form about this time, roughly 500 years after the fi rst appearance of deer stones and deer stone art in north-central Mongolia. 2Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 Bayan Ulgii The Altai project produced excellent results even though we had barely more than one week in the fi eld. Our fi rst target area was the Lake Khoton region, a spectacularly beautiful fi eld area on the north side of the Altai mountain chain separating Mongolia from China. Richard Kortum had previ- ously discovered the Biluut 1, 2, and 3 rock art sites along the northwest shore of the lake. We found this area to have a rich cultural history. In addition to numerous khirigsuur sites we found Pazyryk burial complexes, rock art of many different periods, numerous standing stones that were not deer stones, and frequent Turkic burial complexes. Preliminary results of the Ulgii Project include the fol- lowing: Site Surveys Our work was conducted primarily along the Khoton Lake north shore and in the Tsagaan Asga (Tsagaan Chuulot in previous reports) region to the east. There is a great variety of burial forms in these regions, including Turkic grave complexes, an abundance of khirigsuurs and deer stones, and ‘Pazyryk’ mounds consisting of a linear arrangement of several closely-spaced small mounds. As in Khovsgol aimag, small khirigsuurs were found on the southeast- and south-fac- ing hillsides, while large mounds were concentrated on the fl atlands. Khirigsuurs We found more circular than square shaped khirigsuurs, and khirigsuurs were found both with and without pavements. Many khirisuurs had four radial lines connecting the central mound with the surrounding square or circular fence line. Many sites had been looted, but generally not recently. Only one khirigsuur was found to have horse mounds, and this site – On Khad – was constructed with unusually large, angular, blocks, rather than the usual rounded glacial or stream boulders. No khirigsuurs were found with east plaza pavements. Deer stones Carved deer stones are quite rare in this region of western Bayan Ulgii except at Tsagaan Asga, where the deer images and more commonly, grooved circles, are found. No instances of belts with attached weapons were found; no sun discs or ‘fl oating’ weapons; no chevrons, and no moon and sun pairs. Only occasionally do earrings have pendants. There were no textured belts – only grooved forms (and not many of them), and no convincing necklace pits. All of these features are common in central Mongolia. Some deer images have straight legs. Several small deer stones with square cross-sections and angled tops were found associated with circular or round khirigsuurs, and at Tsagaan Asga we found a small deer stone had been removed from its original setting in the east side of the central mound. In one case at Lake Khoton we found another deer stone that ap- peared to be part of a khirigsuur, also unknown in Central Mongolia. Quite a few ‘classical’ Mongo- lian deer images were found as petroglyphs at the Biluut sites, often in multiple images on a single rock panel; and many deer images with some features similar to the iconic form (peaked withers, fl owing antler form, bird-like head) as well as different features (legs extended as in standing, up- standing antlers, deer heads) are also found. In terms of its north-south deer stone alignment, Tsagaan Asga is similar to the large deer stone sites of Central Mongolia. No Scythian type animal images were seen on any petroglyphs or in deer stone art. The Tsagaan Asga deer stone site may have been purposefully destroyed (many smashed and broken and fallen stones) in prehistory and has been heavily vandalized recently. Dating (see Table 1, Page i) We excavated a horse head from On Khad and recovered charcoal and/or calcined bone from 2 hearth rings at Khoton Nuur Khirigsuur 333. The latter is a quadrant Arctic Studies Center 3 radial round khirigsuur that has a belted deer stone (fallen) on the southeast side of the khirigsuur aligned with a radial line. We recovered charcoal samples also from two circular hearths on the east side of the Tsagaan Asga deer stone alignments, one from the northern side and one from the south- ern side (Feature 18) which dated cal. 3070-2860 B.P. The horse mound khirigsuur at On Khad was associated with several other large boulder and spoked khirigsuurs; its placement does not say much about relative dating but it is totally different in construction than the other khirigsuurs nearby – in construction materials, horse mounds, and the small number of hearth rings (2), making it appear intrusive in the common types of khirigsuurs in this region. A horse head feature at this site dated to cal. 3220-2960 B.P. Our most important fi nding was that careful excavation often rewards one with datable charcoal (and in some cases bone) from many of the khirigsuur and deer stone hearth rings, providing a way to date them even without the presence of horse heads, which seem to be extremely rare as burial features in the Bayan Ulgii aimag. Khovsgol Aimag Our work here was directed at three deer stone sites. Bor Hujiriin (Bogt Mountain), Khushuugiin Gol, and Khyadag. This site has two deer stone clusters, one with several stones in alignment, and a second cluster of two stones a few hundred meters to the west. We mapped, drew, and photographed the stones, one of which in the eastern group has a crooked top with a human face that appears to be a shaman ‘singing’ at a larger deer stone less than a meter away. Attempts to recover horse remains from several small circular pavements were only partially successful. Some ‘horse-looking’ features contained nothing, while others produced horse remains, including one at the western deer stone group. At Khushuugiin Gol we found a very large deer stone complex that had been mapped (and several stones illustrated) by Volkov. The site is a linear arrangement of three deer stone complexes. The largest number of stones is found in Group 1, where after excavating several features we fi nally found one with horse remains. One of these deer stones has a rank of horses carved on one side of the stone, and some have polished panels at the top which may have been for painted, rather than carved, human faces We also obtained horse remains from features in Groups 2 and 3, allowing us to test the chronological relationship of the three, which also have differences in deer stone carving styles. At Khyadag, north of Muren, we excavated a 5-20m area around the deer stones at Khyadag East and a broad trench at western Khyadag West. The former contained a large number of small deer stones, most of which had fallen or had been purposefully broken, although their bases were still in situ in the ground. Among the deer stones and a number of circular and oval stone features, and a broad pavement of cobbles, we found quite a few animal bones. These seem to be the remains of ritual meals. Of great importance, however, was the presence of slag deposits mixed with charcoal and fi red clay that suggested pyrotechnic activities, and particularly, metal-production, taking place in the deer stone area. Some of the slag recovered has been tested by Jeffrey Speakman at the Smith- sonian Museum Conservation Institute and contains high content of iron, copper, and other metals. Radiocarbon dates of the bones associated with the deer stones date to ca. cal. 2800 BP while char- coal associated with the slag dates to ca. cal. 2750-2370 B.P. At present the relationship of the slag, bone, and deer stones, both large stelae and the small broken slabs (most of which have belts, rings, and other deer stone motifs) is unclear. The slag, dating later than the bones and pavements (and the large deer stones), is stratigraphically deeper than the bone and boulder pavement level. It is also diffi cult to know if the large and small deer stones are contemporary. It seems likely that the small Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 4 stones date to the period of the slag deposits. If this is the case, the small, simple deer stones, which are more like the Sayan-Altai deer stone type, are later than the larger classical Mongolian deer type stones at this site. Some of the small deer stones here had small bone deposits buried at the base of the stone. At Khyadag West we excavated a trench from the edge of the boulder pavement to the central con- centration of four deer stones. At the eastern end of the trench a circular stone feature produced partially calcined horse remains that dated cal. 2870-2750 B.P. Near the base of the large central deer stone we found a small bronze (?) knife blade, a bronze button, and animal skull parts that may constitute votive deposits. Analyses of several dating samples from the Altai and Khovsgol sites suggest that the Altai khirig- suurs and deer stones date roughly to the same period as the central Mongolian sites, ca. cal. 2700- 2900 BP. However, only a few dates are available from the Altai region. Until we are able to date samples directly associated with Sayan-Altai type deer stones, the question of Mongolian-Altai cul- tural and stylistic relationship remains unclear. If the dating pattern holds, differences between these regions may be regional and cultural rather than chronological. There is still much work to be done in deciphering the origins and relationships of the Mongolia deer stone horizon. The following report provides details of the 2008 season. Sheep in Tsagaan Asga area. (Photo credit: K. Strickland) Arctic Studies Center 5 1 This expedition log has been transcribed by Kyle Strickland during an internship at the Smithsonian’s Arctic Studies Center, National Museum of Natural History (fall of 2007). 2 Italicized portions of this text have been written by Dr. Richard Kortum, Dept. of Philosophy, East Tennessee University 21 May, Wednesday – Arrive at Ulaanbaatar Spent the night at Adiya’s house, arriving from the airport about 10 P.M. Adiya’s wife Tuul was home but their kids had moved over to their grandmother’s to make room for me and Kyle com- ing two days later. Adiya said they were no longer in school this year because a bad virus has been spreading through the schools causing people to break out with sores on their palms and soles, very painful and disfi guring- so the schools have all been closed. The source of the disease seems to be China and has been carried to Mongolia by train passengers returning from Inner Mongolia. Adiya says the winter was one of very bad smog and air pollution and many people still have respiratory illnesses and are walking around with face masks. 22 May, Thursday – Ulaanbaatar Came to the museum at 10:00 and found Bayaraa and Odbaatar in the main fl oor offi ce with Bumaa – much better than their dirty basement offi ce of earlier years. There have been many changes since my old friend Saruulbuyan was appointed director in the fall. Among them are painting the exte- rior an interesting brown color and installing a new museum logo as letterhead and on the museum façade, fi ring many older staff and hiring younger people, tightening up security systems (after last year’s major theft), and installing many new procedures and a new international secretary named Dembereldorj. We had a nice meeting with him and I think we are off to a good start on our new 5- year work plan for the deer stone project. They have just opened a new temporary exhibit of German photography in Mongolia in 1926-1927 by Herman Konsten. They have also changed some of the archaeological exhibits and painted much of the interior. The rest of the day was spent working on my editing for the Genghis Khan book, dodging electrical blackouts that took out large parts of the city for hours. I also paid a call on Brian White at the American Center for Mongolian Studies. He, Tuya, and Enkhbaatar are doing very nicely and have re-organized their spaces in the university and are installing new computers provided through CAORC. Richard Kortum had arrived in UB a couple of days earlier and met us in the museum in the morning. He will be with us for the Altai project and will take us to several deer stone sites around Lake Khoton where he has been researching rock art at the Biluut 1, 2, and 3 sites near the lake – sites that have recently been nominated for world heritage status. We had supper in the restaurant in his hostel building, where we’ll stay when we return from the Altai – “Zaya’s B & B.” Richard has spent several years documenting rock art in western Bayan Ulgii. He teaches at East Tennessee State University and got engaged to his wife in Mongolia in 2002 when she was working as Public Affairs Offi cer at the US Embassy.” 23 May, Friday – Ulaanbaatar I worked on Genghis Khan manuscripts at Adiya’s offi ce in the morning and continued in the af- ternoon – fi nishing my part of the editing and sent it off. Kyle Strickland arrived without any dif- PART II Mongolia Field Journal 20081, 2 William W. Fitzhugh Arctic Studies Center Smithsonian Institution Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 6 fi culties in the afternoon and was met at the airport by Adiya’s assistant, Ugii, and brought to the museum. Excellent to have all of us together and ready to go – except for Bayaraa who has too much work unfi nished (including the photography of the museum’s loan to the Genghis Khan exhibit), but will go anyway. Adiya has a new business plan – developing a cement mine in the southern Gobi with some Korean partners – and he’s hoping to make enough money to build a house on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar. Cement is in short supply in Mongolia due to all the construction in China. He will acquire all the machinery from China and has fi nancing from Korea. 24 May, Saturday – Ulaanbaatar to Bayan Ulgii We met at the museum and ‘vanned’ to the airport for our 11:00 fl ight - a new SAAB turbo jet that was very comfortable. Gorgeous fl ight, which stopped for gas at Muren, and fl ew over the Ushkin Uver site. West of Darkhad there were few roads for a long ways until passing the great salt lake, Achit Nuur with its many raised shorelines. This part of the country seems to be really wild and nearly uninhabited; I rarely even saw car tracks or ger camps. In Ulgii we were met by reps of Blue Wolf Travel, operated by Ch. Canat, a fantastic character who is involved in just about everything that moves in this part of the country. His base camp is simple but has all the amenities and we were set down immediately to a hot meal, followed by a swift bout of preps, including a trip to the black market to buy shovels and pails. We fi gured out the itinerary and I paid $1134 which is supposed to cover all transport cost as well as the cook, food, and gas. Turns out Canat has even worked exten- sively with Sanjim and Chuluun, his wife, with Hamid Sardar who has made a movie with him that will be produced this year. He’s also worked with our former photographer, Tom Kelly, and his wife on the NGS horse documentary being produced this summer. They wanted to fi lm our horse ritual excavations but the schedule did not work out. We left in two vans about 5:30 for Tsengel, but only got 30 min. out of town when the van’s cooling hose ruptured, sending an anti-freeze steam through- out the van. It took an hour to fi x it temporarily by winding orange fl agging tape around the rupture – and then on we went, after walking three turns around the ovoo at the pass. This did not help as we only got another 30 minutes before the repaired hose burst again, and at this point we had to aban- don the van and all piled in the remaining one, reaching a small sum where one of the drivers had a friend who graciously agreed to take all of us in for the night. It was a typical Kazakh farm with a mud-brick walled enclosure and a 3-room mud-brick house. The mistress and our cook prepared a nice meal and we chatted awhile before turning in on their living room fl oor beneath a huge poster of ripe tropical fruit, set out as for breakfast – wishful thinking for local stores here. The wind rose and whistled about the crevices of the house while Richard did a bit of his own ‘whistling’ (snoring) as we all napped through our fi rst night out. The drivers got back from fi xing the van and had supper in the outer cooking room at 2 A.M. The farm had electricity from the sum center and lots of electronic devices, including a TV which was playing a Russian gangster movie: “Small Lamb” 25 May, Sunday – To Khurgan Lake Clear and cold morning, and quite windy. We were up at 6:00 and had a nice breakfast, said good- byes to our hosts and were on our way by 6:30. On the way one of the hose repairs failed spectacu- larly, and we spent about two hours on the telephone with Adiya and Canat fi guring out what to do - fi x it somehow, or get a new vehicle out to us. In the end we put everything into the good van and headed up the Khovd River expecting the second van to eventually appear. That happened at lunch, at the same spot we lunched last year, and what a great lunch it was - a fruit salad and rich soup. Kites (birds) were plunging from overhead for our tossed morsels, and a family was making mud Arctic Studies Center 7 bricks for a new house nearby, a very interesting process that produced strong and durable bricks the size of cinder blocks, using simple riverbank silty soil with no temper, mixed with water and rammed by stomping into a rectan- gular metal form, making a block about 12x8x6 inches. The wet brick slips out of the form and sits in the sun, being frequently rolled over until dry. They had started the foundation with several courses of slab rocks, covered with a leveling layer of mud, on which the blocks were to be laid. We passed the mine and Turkic graves on the upper ter- races – huge high sand and gravel outwash deposits from glacial ac- tion in the mountains to the south – crossed a toll bridge over the Khovd River and arced to the south into the valley we had entered last year, where Canat’s guide said we would fi nd many khirigsuurs. And we did, but mostly the same ones we saw last year. We checked several standing slab sites and all seemed either Turkic (one with a nice statue) and the peculiar set of two stones that seemed shaped like deer stones but had associated stone rings on to the west side of the stones with fence stones made of slabs angled in toward the center, and off-center circular stone pavements 2-3 m. in diam- eter. We thought these might be transitional forms leading into the Turkic type graves. The stones were DS-like granite slabs but had no markings. There were none of the Turkic square/rectangle shaped slab box structures. After this we spent an hour checking several large khirigsuurs at the Mogoit (Kazakh: Jeland) site to the northwest. Here there are 6-8 khi- rigsuurs, including some very large ones, two of which we sketched and took measurements. One was a complete and tremendous sur- prise – a heavily built khirigsuur of moderate size with a square fence with corner “mounds” (no upright post-rocks, just big rocks) and along the east fence wall had 10 large-stone horse mounds, with two more on the south fence side and four along the north fence side (see Fig. 1). This is exactly like the central Mongolian khirigsuur sites! Here for the fi rst time we have a khirigsuur with recognizable horse sacrifi ce mounds that we can date Making mud bricks on the banks of the Khovd River. On Khad (Mogoit) khirigsuur with horse mounds, view south. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 8 – at least this is my assumption. I did not notice any hearth rings, but they may be present. Next to this mound is a very large khirigsuur with four cardinal-direction spoke lines, a 17m diam- eter central mound with a 45m fence in diameter (see Fig. 2). The mound is low, with a depressed center, 1 m wide fence wall rocks large boulders with outer edge rocks standing upright; 16 hearth rings around the west side of the circular ring, 16 m from fence wall and spoke pavements 50cm wide made of small rocks. This khirigsuur is about 75m SW of the square one. We stopped at several other khirigsuurs including a huge one on the valley fl oor below that was circular and 100m across (fence-fence) and had a mound of many small cobbles and a very depressed center with a passage “out” to the SE that we could not determine if it had been part of the original construction or a stone looter’s operation (then why not take stones from the side and not the center of the mound). The up- per part of the burial chamber was exposed. I have the impression these spoked khirigsuurs are later than those with horse burials; maybe the date on the human burial from Tsagaan Gol 2200 B.P last year actually dates that structure. But we need some way to date these types accurately. By this time it was getting late and we needed to get to the Army camp at the narrows between Lake Khurgan and the Biluut sites on Lake Khoton as the army was going to provide us with a ger and assistance setting it up. We had to pass through some rough glacial outwash terrain to get to Lake Khurgan and along the way searched for a deer stone Richard had seen when he began working here in the summer of 2004. We failed to fi nd it along the shore, but did visit a site with Turkic stones and mounds, and a single DS with large upright deer images (see description below). We had a warm reception at the base where they remembered Richard well, and since it was almost dark they ar- ranged to have us stay with a family in their ger at the base. Irina made us a great dinner. The family (Devrein) had a small baby named Hondas who got swaddled into its bed and tied down. This is still a practice in the Mongolian countryside, but not in Ulaanbaatar. It was a cold night and I never really warmed up even sleeping in the ger. Richard, Bayaraa and Kyle spent part of the evening with Captain Maam, who also had some liba- tions available. He and Richard had become friends over the past two years. 26 May, Monday – Army Camp to Khoton Lake / Biluut Sites Frost on the ground in the morning. After breakfast the Army packed up the ger and we drove to Biluut, about 30 minutes to the northwest. I washed down at the lake and found the water incredibly clear and cold, all glacier/snowmelt from the moun- tains surrounding the southwest side of the lake. There is wonderful fi sh- ing here. The Altai rise up in a spectacular array of snow-clad peaks to the south, along the Chinese border, which is the reason the Army base is here, as there is a pass that leads to China, the destina- tion of the road we traveled to Tsagaan Asga last year. This time of year the mountains are streaked with snow in the ravines and there are also many cirques and glacial features. The entire mountain Bill Fitzhugh at mirror-still and partially frozen Khoton Lake with Altai Mountains and China behind him. Arctic Studies Center 9 chain must have been glaciated in the Ice Ages, providing all that outwash we passed through; then the waters of the lake dammed up and when released created huge series of raised beaches and ter- races that seem to go up the hills hundreds of feet. However, rock art and Bronze Age khirigsuurs are found down near the current lakeshore so the water level has been stable for at least 3000 years. GPS 323 (2066m; N43°38.733’; E88°18.852’). Khoton Lake Biluut-1 Camp spit 2066 m. on sand gravel spit southwest of Biluut-1 GPS 324 (2081m; N48°39.116’; E88°19.669’). Biluut-2 survey. Turkic rectangular structure, 3.5x10m with long walls at 120° orientation on a sand and boulder ridge located above a small pond to the north; took photo toward the northwest; 1.4m high slab of green slate surrounded by a ring of rocks at its base is located east of the rectangular structure (see Fig. 5). Across the valley on the southwest side of Biluut-2 is an amazing rock art site displaying elegant horses and riders each nearly two meters wide and high. GPS 325 (2076m; N48°38.339’; E88°19.503’). This is a Pazyryk-type burial site consisting of a closely- spaced ‘chain’ of six boulder features, each capped by 4m diameter circular pavements. Several of these burial sites have been excavated by Turbat in the Tsagaan Asga area. In the fl at valley north of the Biluut-2 hill is a set of Turkic graves oriented to 120° Mag. The southern stone has simple carved face and is 127cm high, and the other features have plain slab headstones. On the northeast side of Biluut-2 there is another set of Pazyryk graves and many other khirigsuurs and other structures, including a modern Kazakh cemetery. The army guys helped transport the ger from their base to our campsite. Enroute one of our vans got stuck in a small river we had to cross and while they pulled it out Kyle and I checked out the west side of the stream mouth and found a recently-occupied (ethno-archaeological) herder’s camp with ger sites and lots of stuff lying around, just as in the Nenets’ camps Sven and I used to visit in Yamal. We also found a circular burial feature with a solid cobble rock pavement, 6m in diameter. I did not have my GPS at the time. It looked like the pavement burial we dug at Khogorgo (Shishged) last year, but this site has no fl ints or ceramics visible. The soldiers erected the ger on an exposed sand spit south of Biluut- 1 where Richard camped last year. Captain Maam, the commander of the base, was overseeing the opera- tion. Richard, Kyle and I visited the Biluut-1 shore-side rock art area while the ger was going up. There are several groups of beauti- ful rock art here, including several simple but distinctive ‘Mongolian deer’ images identical to those on deer stones. It was diffi cult to photograph in the mid-day sun. A herder rode by and pointed out images to me; he knew them all! After lunch we set off to visit sites around Biluut-2 – mostly khirigsu- Generous hospitality was received courtesy of Captain Maam at the Mongolian Army camp at the Khurgan-Khoton Narrows. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 10 urs, but also lots of Turkic burials, and others. The khirigsuurs were sort of hybrids: the small square forms had fences with large rock clusters in their corners, but the sides were bowed out sometimes and almost rounded. Some external hearths were present, but no horse mounds, probably because these sites are small. (It later turned out that horse mounds are virtually ab- sent from the Bayan Ulgii region’s khirigsuur sites.) The orientation of the square khirigsuurs along the base of the south side of the Biluut-2 hill was 120°-130° gener- ally. Burial chambers, when you could discern them in the central mounds, had the same orientation. As at Lake Erkhel (Ulaan Tolgoi) there were few round khirigsuurs. We saw several interesting Turkic burial complexes, two sites with “Pazyryk” type burials, one with six burials and another with four, whose individual burials are linked together in a chain-like pattern 1-2m apart, with 4m diameter boulder pavements. Also in the low fl at area northwest of the “pond” passage area between Biluut-1 and Biluut-2 hills was a line of cobbles, 1m apart, that extended for about 75-100 m that aligns with a notch in the hilltop of Biluut-2 which Richard thinks may link to some astronomical feature at the time of the fall equinox or some other important seasonal event – certainly an interesting but untested idea, since it has not been measured. RK: This line of half-buried cobbles runs east-west. To the west it points to (and approaches close to) the middle of the six linked Pazyryk graves; to the east it runs in a fairly straight line directly to- ward a deep notch that lies between two conspicuous horns of rock near the southern end of the high ridgeline of Biluut-2. In late June of 2007, two of my project members and I stood at the western extremity of this line of stones and watched the sun rise over the ridge of Biluut- 2. The sun appeared to the north of the notch, maybe 30 degrees or so, which would indicate that in our day and age, it rises between the notch around mid-August. This directional stone line is of uncertain date. However, these cobbles are a kind of feldspathic granite; at other petroglyphic sites, this lithology is the preferred geologic medium for rock artists of the Bronze Age (see Kortum, et. al., “Boregtiin Gol: A Rock art at far side of cove beneath the main Biluut-1 site. Mongolian deer images at Biluut-1 shore site. Arctic Studies Center 11 new petroglyph site in Bayan Olgii Aimag, Mongolia,” in INORA No. 47, 8-15 (January 2007). As- suming this line to be of Bronze Age construction, then, naturally, in order to ascertain its relation to a rising sun, approximately 3000-4000 years’ of polar wobble has to be taken into account. One of my ETSU project team members will be making these calculations soon. There is one other, smaller, directional line at Biluut. This one begins at a small (~ 1.5m diameter) irregular cluster of stones and runs due north for a short distance (~10m). Clearly, ce- lestial as well as topographic orientations were important to these early peoples. Such features add an intriguing extra dimension to this rich petroglyph and burial complex, and strengthen, I believe, the hypothesis that these three prominent lakeside hills marked a ritual or ceremonial site of great importance. It is part of our overall site study-plan to map and analyze these features in order to make better sense of the interests and concerns, the beliefs and practices, of the various peoples who passed through this region on the eastern side of the Altai divide.* Bayaraa has seen another such alignment to a mountain top related to the spring equinox sunrise, and we found a similar boulder align- ment at one of the Tsagaan Asga sites later in the trip. People have not been doing too well today. Richard has intestinal trouble and Bayaraa a sore throat; Kyle broke his only pair of glasses (fortunately only one lens lost); and I discovered my two spare Nikon camera batteries missing. Beautiful and sunny and windy all day. Saw lots of horses and a herd of camels and of course many sheep and goats. 27 May, Tuesday – Khoton Lake (Richard’s Birthday) Another beautiful morning, clear and still, and warmer than others. So far the khirigsuurs we’ve seen here around the lake are not classic forms from central Mongolia. Many of the square khirig- suurs have bowed sides, but they may have the circular hearth rings usually on the western side of the right fence. Quite a few are looted. This area seems to have a concentration of burial types and a long succession of peoples -- probably due to the excellent and abundant resources of lake, land, and mountain -- and also quite large horse herds. Not only the variety of khirigsuurs, mounds, and stand- ing stones, but also the variety of petroglyph images, supports this conjecture. In each of the 2004, 2005, and 2007 fi eld seasons at Biluut, members of the Rich Cradle Expedition documented a variety of distinct human-fi gure types in the rock art. Among those that can be clearly identifi ed are Bronze Age archers, long tunic-wearing and cudgel-wielding men of the late Bronze or early Iron Age, distinct sets of horse-mounted warriors, and later Turkic horse riders. Further analysis is required to sort these out; we hope this will enable us to begin to paint a picture of the chronology of this site and its changing demographic patterns. Left camp at 9 A.M. and got stuck in the river gravel for awhile, then started surveying along the base of the hills east of Biluut-3. Some very nice khirigsuurs near a pond. A normal day’s work fording a Khoton Lake creek. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 12 GPS 326 (2099m; N48°38.638’; E88°22.605’). Small square khirigsuur- undisturbed, many hearth rings; 90° E magnetic orientation of fence alignment. GPS 327 (2097m; N48°38.707’; E88°22.307’). Structure #1: sandy pond terrace square khirigsuur, 75.4x18m (westwall) with corner posts. 100° orientation for North fence wall. ~ 10 ovals; burial chamber with large slabs has been looted; circular hearth rings on the west side of the structure. GPS 328 (2099m; N48°38.662’; E88°22.321’). Structure #2: square khirigsuur with 18 beautiful sym- metrical ovals around W & N side (19° oval SE of mound?) Looted grave slabs. S wall 13.7m/E 14.3/N 12.5/W 13.9. 8m mound diameter. GPS 329 (2097m; N48°38.663’; E88°22.373’). Structure #3: khi- rigsuur with a double wall boulder fence ring with cobble fi ll. Wall is 1.2m diam. Looks undisturbed; 22.3m diam. khirigsuur; 11.6m mound diam. 7 oval hearths on the W & N side, some 3-4 m in diam- eter. 10m south of the #3 fence is an 8m diameter boulder pavement. 21m south of #3 fence is another 8m boulder pavement 25m from #3 fence to its center. GPS 330 (2098m; N48°38.603’; E88°22.312’). Structures #4 to #8: 4x8m Turkic grave complexes with 4 square Turkic slab-outlined graves, ca 4x4m w/standing slab on S side outside the feature. Two more Turkic square burials lie to west of the southern complex with a Turkic statue with excellent carving. GPS 331 (2102m; N48°38.479’; E88°22.485’). Structure #9: a round khirigsuur which seems undisturbed. Diameter is 21.6m; 9 hearth rings about 2m in diam. Center mound diam. 8.3m with internal features and an exposed cobble plaza pavement (see Fig. 4). GPS 332 (2099m; N48°38.205’; E88°23.107’). Structure #10: On a hilltop SE of the previous struc- tures ___ w/6 areas Turkic burial complex and several stone slab alignments (No GPS). Structure #11: spoked khirigsuur with no inner pavement seen. 4 radial spokes 1.5m wide with rubble fi ll in between; axis 120/300 degrees with E-W spokes. 2m-wide outer fence line w/rubble, boulder, and slab fi ll; western spoke ends in a vertical slab. 1.75m mound height with indentation in the middle. GPS 333 (2099m; N48°38.183’; E88°23.148’). Structure #12: 207-022 degree N-S axis of spoke; large boulders in indentation of mound with small cobbles outside of indentation. 2.5x5m burial chamber area, a greywacke deer stone was lying on the east side of mound where spoke enters mound, with a belt groove. The stone has a friable rough surface and is 135cm long, 37cm wide, and has a 13cm thick square base and an angled top (see Fig. 7). GPS 334 (2094m; N48°38.070’; E88°24.135’). Structure #13: A spoked circular khirigsuur with 30cm wide spokes oriented 040/220°; a single cobble fence, not concentric w/mound; no N-S radials; 7 oval hearths scattered around the north and west sides; 10.4m mound diameter and 22.8 fence diameter. GPS 335 (2102m; N48°38.173’; E88°24.286’). Structure #14: Circular stone mound 10m diam. No fence, but a few oval rings. 2nd mound 20m to north, looted with large cover slabs disarranged, probably View toward the south shore of Khoton Lake. Arctic Studies Center 13 E/W burial orient. 3-4 oval hearths on N. side. The circular fence seems to coincide with the outer edge of mound. (No GPS). Structure #15: Circular khirigsuur (Bayaraa recorded this in detail) with a depressed center mound and a single boulder fence line. N/S radials at 010/190°; E/W radials at 300/120°; 50cm wide radials of doubled rocks, and 2 external oval hearths. GPS 336 (2093m; N48°36.044’; E88°24.323’). Structure #16: Circular khirigsuur with radials E/W 310/130° N/S 020°/200°; no obvious plaza pavement; 1m high mound w/depressed center; several ovals on the west side. There also were Turkic graves. At a large khirigsuur (#12 GPS 333) we found a simple deer stone in the east side of the central mound, aligned with the east radial. Made of greywacke (?), it has a square cross-section, expanding in thickness toward its angled top. Near the base of the stone we found a belt groove, so this is a real deer stone that had fallen over from its position erected at the east side of the mound, where I found the intact hole in the boulder where it had been set. GPS 337 (2145m; N48°35.170’; E88°28.362’). Structure #17: A standing square granite stone 60cm high with no observable marks. GPS 338 (2127m; N48°34.498’; E88°29.477’). Structure #18: A granite slab with an angled top, rounded sides but roughly fi nished, and no markings. There is a square box of vertical slabs at its base measuring 1.25x1.00m. the stone is located at a herder’s camp near his westernmost cabin. GPS 339 (2127m; N48°34.380’; E88°29.829’). Structure #19: On the upper terrace at the base of a hill, a rectangular cross section granite slab had fallen from its setting. There is a possible belt groove, but no other marks. Located 10m east of a low square 5x4 cobble pavement and a second paved square platform measuring 3.5x3.5m. GPS 340 (2124m; N48°34.362’; E88°29.941’). Structure #20: 8m diam. boulder burial with cover slab (looted?), 5m uphill from large boulder-walled ring enclosure (house #1) 9x6m oval with a recent boulder pile at west end of house #2 (western) 7x6m. A piece of fl int-like stone, possibly worked, was found in a truck rut just below H-1. GPS 341 (2135m; N48°34.314’; E88°30.132’). Structure #21: 6x6m cobble pavement burial with small cobble cluster 1 diam. to SE. GPS 342 (2133m; N48°34.298’; E88°30.152’). Structure #22: This is a hilltop boulder mound about 2m high, and looted. A secondary burial circular mound lies near it to the NW. The main mound is 7m diameter and on the east side of the mound we found a piece of antler that had been thrown out of the center of the mound by the people looting the internal mound burial. (No GPS). Structure #23: Small 3x3m rock mound on the terrace NW of #21. GPS 343 (2108m; N48°36.600’; E88°26.118’). Structure #24: Large boulder mound with tipped-up mound edge rocks. No fence or ovals, possibly an Iron Age irregular mound with hummocky rock piles and pits (drawing). 2 smaller rock mounds to SW at edge of big mound. The big mound is 26.2m in diameter. A line of small Turkic slabs (balbals) extends 110° to a small hill to the SE. the big mound is 1.75m high and has had many stones robbed from it. Mound 2, 3m north of Mound 1, is 17m diameter, has an uneven surface, and is 75m high. Mound 3 is 40m to N, has 10m mound diam. same type but no stone slabs aligned to the east. GPS 344 (2109m; N48°36.683’; E88°26.060’). Structure #25: A Turkic 3-box grave complex with a stand- ing man fi gure w/head, eyes, nose, mustache -- perhaps a ‘papa, mamma & twins’? (see Fig. 8) Standing slabs aligned w/center of mound #24 to east. Chinese records say each standing slab (balbal) stands for Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 14 a warrior killed by the deceased. (No GPS). Structure #26: Turkic grave complex with two square enclosures (looted); the north- ern box has a huge balbal alignment with more than 20 slabs. 30m to the north are three small slab boxes w/slab markers in a large 2-grave setting (see Fig. 8). We worked our way east along the north side of the lake recording khirigsuurs until it was time for lunch (sardines and crackers), which we bought at the small shop near the bridge, realizing we never would be able to return to camp for the lunch Irina had waiting for us if we were to get back to work here again in the afternoon. After lunch we visited a herder’s cabin to ask about the deer stone Ricard had seen here four years ago but didn’t remember where exactly. There was a small unmarked granite slab here (GPS 337) that might be a deer stone but there was no way to be sure. The herders told us about another standing stone at the next herder’s cabin to the east, and we soon found it, right next to their southern-most cabin – a meter (plus) rectan- gular granite slab – but, again, not marked. None of these matched Richard’s description, which was of a much taller stone, with deer images. We walked east from there and found 3 large circular structures with heavy boulder foundations and one possible piece of worked chert (GPS 340). This site might be an early site – pre-Bronze Age dwelling. We also found another unmarked granite slab fallen down (GPS 339) in the track that had a suggestion of belt groove, but we couldn’t be sure. However, it fi ts a pattern of 3 such unmarked standings stones associated with house rings or enclosures in the area. There were other mounds on these upper slopes as we walked east, fi nally ending up at another herd- ers’ camp where we were invited in for milk tea by a family very proud of their small children. They have been living here high above the lake since their grandfather moved here from Kazakhstan perhaps following A herder’s family on south side of Lake Khoton. Turkic grave fi gure west of Biluut-3. Arctic Studies Center 15 the invitation from the Khan Bogd of this area of western Mongolia in 1911 for Kazakhs to settle in Western Mongolia. From here we returned to camp and found our other driver waiting at the stream ford, thinking our failure to return for lunch might be from being stuck in the river! After a great dinner I took a walk west of camp fi nding a large Turkic burial with many eastward facing slabs – many men killed in this guy’s past! – and in the rocks above camp some nice rock carv- ings including one human fi gure wearing skirt-like apparel – perhaps a woman? Or an armored warrior? When I returned Irina had prepared khuushuur for a snack and Bayaraa was drinking pepper-laced vodka, thinking it would help keep his sore throat from becoming a nasal cold. Ayush had recommended this concoction, but it turned out to be painfully hot; Natska had to fetch him cold water after he had gone to bed! It was a clear warm night with a great sunset. Headlights could be seen fl ashing at the east end of the lake. No wind at all. 28 May, Wednesday – Khoton Lake camp Clear, still and warm. The amazing weather still holds, and there is still a lot of fl oating ice at the west end of the lake. GPS 345 (2174m; N48°39.030’; E88°19.529’). Biluut-2e rock art panels with Bronze Age carts, Mongo- lian deer and moose. In summer 2007, ETSU geologist Mick Whitelaw and geology honors student Taylor Burnham joined our team at Biluut and made a thorough study of the geology and its impact on petro- glyph production. For a detailed account, see Whitelaw, Kortum, et. al., “When Stones Speak: Geologic Infl uences on the Creation of Petroglyphs at the Biluut Complex in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia,” in Proceedings of the 6th annual Hawaii International Conference on Arts & Humanities, January 11-14, 2008, Honolulu, HI. Rock varnish –– its thickness, sheen, and color –– was one of our controls in that study on Biluut 2. Besides content (e.g., the depiction of wheeled vehicles, weaponry, technology such as stirrups, identifi able headgear, extinct species, etc.), stylistic elements, and pecking techniques and profi le (tools, depth and shape of gouges, etc.), the reappearance of varnish in the pecked grooves can serve as another indicator of age. Generally speaking, the whiter or lighter the color of the exposed rock in the grooves or gouges, the more recent the creation of the image. Conversely, the darker an image, the older it is. Though we do not yet know to what extend this might hold for petroglyph production at Biluut –– and local (lakeside) conditions must surely impact this –– Esther Jacobson has estimated that it takes 3,000 years for the original rock surface or varnish color to return to the pecked fi gures. In our 2007 study, we subjectively recorded the quality of rock varnish visually on a scale of A to E, ‘A’ being the heaviest, darkest, and most lustrous, and ‘E’ designating the virtual absence of varnish. The pres- ence or lack of varnish was determined not only by (southern) exposure; such factors as dip and strike (vertical-horizontal slant and tilt) and rock-type were also found to be important. This and most of the other Biluut rock art sites, are found in south-facing locations, the only places where the rock ‘varnish’ seems to develop from a combination of weathering and microbial action. Kyle Strickland, a Notre Dame-Smithsonian intern, at mound site above Lake Khoton. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 16 GPS 346 (2086m; N48°39.623’; E88°20.505’). Grave ring with inner upright slab ring and fl at stone pavement (see Fig. 6). The interior and outer partial ring of boulders is not mounded. Inner inclined slab ring with slabs slanting in to center- There is a 2nd smaller ring feature 20m to the south at the terrace edge, and 3 ‘Pazyryk’-type burial features about 100m to NE of GPS #346. Another boulder circular fea- ture 5m diameter is 50m NE of the Pazyryk burials. GPS 347 (2090m; N48°39.853’; E88°20.515’). This is a 28x29m rectangular walled enclosure with central boulder feature and a slab- bordered rectangular feature a few meters to the south of the central feature. Richard discovered this feature in July 2005 and wanted us to investigate it. This square earthen berm is a very peculiar and intrigu- ing feature. Bayaraa says he has seen nothing like it elsewhere in Mongolia, and neither have I. At the SAA conference in Vancouver last April, Jean-Luc Houle told me that he had encountered something simi- lar in Central Mongolia, I believe, though of much smaller dimensions. This feature at Biluut measures nearly 30m square; Jean-Luc says that the one he’s seen measures about 10-12m across. The rectangular interior feature with fallen slab appears to be Turkic. But the central small mound or pavement looks to be much older –– Iron Age, Bronze Age, or possibly even earlier. I plan to pursue further excavations of this feature in future; among other things, I still want to test the perimeter for stratigraphy. ETSU archaeologist Jay Franklin hopes to join me in summer 2010; this will be one of his top priorities. We surface- collected fragments of brick, glass, metal, shoe leather from the area but it may be contaminated by materials from a frequently-used camp area found in this area. We excavated two test pits, but nothing was found and the soil is sterile just below the surface. There is a fallen slab that may once have been standing which we found east of the rectangular slab feature. The central boulder feature is 2x2 m. We had no ideas about its age or function. This site is not recorded in my GPS: (2132m; N48°0599734; UTM E 5389498). Biluut-1 rock art deer images stags with peaked withers, but upright antlers. Some fi gures like this, resembling Nenets seida idols and BA pendants (see Fig. 10). I found 4 or 5 of these images at one spot at Biluut-1, very lightly scratched into the rock varnish. Indeed, there is a striking and beautiful variety of deer imagery on all the Biluut hills, dating from the pre-Bronze (and perhaps even Paleolithic) period. Testifying to their importance, the number of deer images is surpassed only by that of ibex and horses. Our summer 2007 laser-mapping of petroglyphs on the middle hill, Biluut 2, yielded the following: Biluut-3 rock art site. Biluut-1E (southern gully) rock art site: Bow hunter and cloaked or armored person with headdress; deer and ibex. Arctic Studies Center 17 discounting what we call non-representational “marks,” as well as fi gures that we classify as “indistin- guishable,” of those 1,110 distinct identifi able images that remain 377 (32 percent) are of ibex, while 152 (13.7 percent) and 59 (8 percent) are of horses and deer, respectively. If we count riders on horses (59) as among the horse images, then that percentage increases to 19. Similarly, if we count Mongolian deer (16) as belonging with the other forms of deer, then this fi gure likewise increases to 9.5 percent. In future seasons at Biluut our project members intend to complete a full count of all the images contained on Biluut 1 and Biluut 3, as well. Our most recent survey in 2005 documented in excess of 4,300 individual petroglyphs on Biluut 1, over 1,600 on Biluut 2, and more than 2,100 on Biluut 3. But I fully expect that the numbers on Biluut 1 and Biluut 3 will be added to, perhaps by as much as fi ve to ten percent. After fi rst looking at the rock art at Biluut-2 we spent the morning in the Biluut-1E upper valley, on the south-facing slope of the gully above the herder’s winter camp. No doubt its residents are responsible for the serious graffi ti that has dam- aged some of the best art panels, and most done since AD 2000. There were some great fi gures here, including some Mongolian deer and a supposed shamanistic or ceremo- nial fi gure of some kind. Richard and his collaborators, including Tserendagva at the Institute of Archaeology, have done a very detailed job of documenting these and other Biluut sites – Biluut-2 having more than 4,300 images and Biluut-3 more than 2,100. Then we crossed the stream between Biluut-2 and Biluut-3 and tested a 30x30m rectangular mounded-wall enclosure that Richard had found in 2005; it has a small boulder pave- ment burial (?) in its center and a few meters south of this, a rectan- gular vertical slab-lined enclosure about 3x2 m. A large slate slab, once vertical, lay on the ground to the east. This feature looks some- what Turkish, but Bayaraa has never seen anything like it before. We dug two 50cm test pits in the east and south interior, fi nding nothing but sterile silty sand. A test in the wall also failed to reveal stratigraphy or signs of construction. The last visit of the morning was to Biluut-3 where we found many deer images, including some with the antlers of the ‘Mongolian deer’ and others with straight-up antlers and peaked Biluut-2, images of deer. Lake Khoton site 333 with deer stone at east edge of the mound. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 18 withers – perhaps “proto” or “post” Mongolian deer stone forms. After a nice hot soup and potato salad lunch we forded “cold stream” again and went to the big spoked khirigsuur (GPS 333; #12) to map it and excavate some hearths, hoping for material to date the spoked-type khirigsuurs. Kyle and I excavated a small hearth on the east side of the khirigsuur and found a couple pin-head sized pieces of charcoal and a few pieces of calcined bone (see Fig. 9). The charcoal might be enough to date by AMS. Meanwhile Bayaraa mapped the khirigsuur; then we all pitched in to dig hearth ring #18, a large oval on the west side of the mound. Here we found lots of calcined bone and a small bit of charcoal from the top at the cultural level. The deposit was 10-12 cm thick but we found only charcoal stained soil at the lower levels. Maybe 2 C14 dates could be run on this material to date a spoked mound. (Result: 2840 ± 40 uncalibrated). Thanks to Bill and Kyle, my project fi nally has its fi rst C14 date from the site. Bill’s suggestion here (of running another C14 date) is an excellent idea. When I get Jay Franklin (or another dirt archae- ologist) out to Khoton Lake with me, excavating more of this spoked khirigsuur will be another high priority. Indeed, we intend to sample a large number of the site’s associated khirigsuurs and other stone monuments. In addition to datable organic material, we hope to recover artifacts such as pot- tery, tools, equestrian paraphernalia (bits, bridles, etc.), and other implements that can shed light on patterns of settlement and use. 29 May, Thursday – Lake Khoton This was our last morning at Bi- luut, and another beautiful one it is, possibly nicer than the other three, it’s so still and warm. Yesterday the crew bathed at the lake at lunch. But Bayaraa’s cold got the better of him none the less, as during the after- noon he developed a terrible head- ache just before leaving the site, and of course we ended up stuck for the fi fth time in the cold brook and he had to hop out and join us in the water to push the van out. For once the aspirin I’ve been carrying in my knapsack for years came in handy (and still worked). Irina has been making incredibly good meals for us – every one different, and colorful to boot. Yesterday’s breakfast was thin pancakes and fresh apples cut in a tooth-like pattern through the middle. The other night it was homemade khuushuur. The only meal we should have had here that I miss is a fi sh fry, since there are so many fi sh in the lakes. Good old Capt. Maam was supposed to bring in a load of fi sh, but we heard he had made a trip to Ulgii during these days. This morning we’ll have to leave the ger standing for the army to disassemble and bring back to the base as we cannot manage to carry it in our vans. Somehow the two spare batteries for my digital Nikon fell out of the case and have been lost so I’m on the last gasp of power for that camera and have been starting to shoot fi lm. There are mighty fi ne refl ections of the mountains here in the mornings when it is so still, almost until noon. We crossed to the Army camp and told them we had left the ger out in the fi eld, and they agreed to fetch it. We had also hoped they would be able to sell us some diesel, Khovd River ice in May with Bayaraa, Kyle, and Richard. Arctic Studies Center 19 but they could not because Captain Maam was still away in Bayan Ulgii. Two days ago we met a really obnoxious group of Russians at the bridge near the army camp. They waved us over to try and get our help extricating them from some diffi culties created by traveling here without park or border permits. Apparently the army had fi ned them and told them to clear out. There were 10-12 of them looking like ruffi ans and I guess they thought Mongolia was still Russian! We also met two groups of very nice young German tourists, one couple on motorbike and the other in a van. The latter were put up by a local herder who seemed like he wanted to make a transition from herding to tourism. He offered us all cigarettes and had a casual off-hand attitude. There actu- ally could be a good tourist business here - fantastic scenery, lots of hiking and climbing, traditional culture, and fi shing, as well as a great treasure of archaeological resources and of course the petro- glyphs. The only problem is the remoteness and the proximity to the Chinese border, which is still very sensitive. In fact, tourism has already come to Khoton Lake. It is on the increase. A number of tourism and trekking agencies, headquartered both in UB and in Olgii, bring foreigners to the Altai Tavan Bogd National Park –– and to the shores of this lake. In August of 2008 a large encamp- ment of tourists from around the world congregated here to witness the total solar eclipse. Many foreign visitors camp at the lakeside. Unfortunately, whatever boon this may bring to a beleaguered economy, it spells serious trouble for the preservation of the Biluut petroglyph complex. This spec- tacular rock art complex is now on the map, fi guratively and literally. The damage from goat hooves is quite bad enough; but now people come and tramp all over the rock art. Not only locals, but more recently, foreigners, have ruined sacred rock panels –– and genuine masterpieces of petroglyph imagery –– by carving names and initials, and imitation images, into the rock. Of course, this is entirely ineradicable; the damage is permanent. There is a movement in UB to designate this site and neighboring ones to the north as a United Nations World Heritage Site; but whether or not this effort ultimately proves successful, something needs to be done immediately to stop the vandalism and the looting of grave mounds. The danger is very real that invaluable information will be forever lost; desecration of this sacred and stunningly beautiful site is a terrible crime against both man and nature. Capt. Maam says they catch 20-25 people trying to cross the border illegally each year. We hunted above the road at sev- eral more locations as we left the Khurgan/Khoton valley, but had no success fi nding Richard’s missing deer stone. His guide showed it to him the fi rst time he came here but did not take a picture or a GPS then. It’s supposed to be a tall and well- made stone. Finding it has been the leit-motif of this part of the trip and searching for it has led us to survey the entire north side of the Khurgan/ Khoton Lake system except for its western- and easternmost areas. In the process we have found several likely stones and many other sites. On the road just after it left the Lake Khurgan shore we came across a Turkic and Deer Stone site Bayaraa and Irina practicing English with an electronic dictionary. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 20 with a single deer stone at the east end of three standing stones, east of some khirigsuurs at the edge of the terrace, with the road running through middle of the site. The deer stone is 142cm high, 60 wide (top), 20 thick, upside down (see Fig. 3). The south side has two verti- cal deer, with ring and one dangling tassel at its upper left; there is one faintly-seen vertical deer, a horse, and a circle on the north side; three vertical horses on the narrow east side, facing east N-S 345/165°. No belt on exposed part of stone. No external features noticed. West of the deer stone were two Turkic slabs aligned to the west toward a mound (drawing). We had to crawl along driving to Mogoit because our Mitsubishi van has a very low undercarriage and Janat, our driver, has to swerve to avoid tall rocks or places where the ruts are too deep. In addition, it and the other van stall when they go in the water. The second van (Russian) has lost its 4-wheel drive which makes it more or less helpless in the hills and water crossings. But still we have managed and the drivers are great. It was slow going over the moraines and glacial outwash areas between Lake Khurgan and Mogoit, but we fi nally ar- rived about 2 PM, had lunch and went to work on the site about 3 P.M. The On Khad (‘cleft rock’) site at Mogoit (Jeland in Kazak; the name of the valley, not the site) is a square khirigsuur 75m to SW of a large khirigsuur and has 16 large, prominent horse mounds, a single-rock fence, no hearth rings and east side orients 125°; A nearby circular khirigsuur is 45m in diameter, and has a 17m diameter inner mound with a depressed center, 090° orientation, a 50cm wide pavement, a 1m wide boulder fence 14m from hearth rings, and 16 hearth rings with upright outer stones. At the square mound we excavated Feature 1, a horse mound located at the mid-point of the eastern fence, just outside the fence, and found a horse head oriented 115° magnetic; skull length is 54cm from the front teeth to end of the occiput (max. length); 45cm from surface of the ground to the base of the skull; 25cm ground to skull top; the atlas vertebra was at the NW corner of skull; the other 6 cervical vertebrae were along the south side, #2 to #7 in situ and in anatomical position from east to west. Four hoofs with one carpal were at east corner of the skull, whose tope had been crushed by the big cover rock; however, the rest of the bone was in excellent condition. A young herder passing by told us the name of this area is On Khad, meaning cleft rock, from the unusual granite outcrop, which we made our campsite – full of crazy eroded rock forms with hollows and holes and some areas that reminded me of beached whales, or the last days of a shrinking inland sea that was drying up, with all its creatures on their last surviving gasping lunges to fi nd some other Road side Deer Stone site leaving Lake Khoton area. For drawing, see Fig. 3. Arctic Studies Center 21 place to be! In a jiffy Irina made us a great mutton and noodle lunch. We’re roughing it tonight with no ger refuge and only Richard and Kyle are using their small tents. I had left mine in UB in the interest of saving baggage cost and space in the vans. Work at the site went spectacularly, and in 5 hours we successfully mapped the On Khad-1 square khirigsuur with all its horse mounds and excavated the one in the center of the fi rst row east of the fence, the most prominent location. It was pretty easy work and a good break- in for Kyle and Richard, except that Kyle started feeling terrible, appar- ently coming down with Bayaraa’s disease – headaches and nausea. He had to go back to camp and sleep just after we found the horse head right under a fl at rock in the center of the mound. It was easy to excavate because it was very well preserved – the best I’ve ever seen, even though it was very shallow, with its crest only 25 cm below the surrounding ground surface. We fi nished about 8 PM and had a nice dinner out in the open, with our very civilized dining table and tablecloth – a meal of spa- ghetti and fresh tomatoes and beef. A bit of vodka after supper warmed the evening, together with the Mongol music on the van’s CD player, sundogs in the evening sky, and passing camels with their young herder boy. Most of the valley’s winter people have abandoned it now for their summer places, mostly around the lake shores. We passed several heavily-loaded trucks with household goods and gers moving across the steppe to the south side of the lakes where Richard says 10-15 camps get set up across from our old campsite. There are great grass meadows there, and forest wood and fi sh. All together, a great place for a summer with the fl ocks because there is always lots of water cascading down from the snow- covered mountains. Not only that, but, there is an abundance of burial mounds, several arranged in long lines, on the southwestern side of Khoton Lake. I have every intention of widening our Biluut study area to encompass this side of the lake, too. I briefl y visited this location once before, in 2005; Lake Khoton: herders moving to the summer camp. On Khad mound with horse head burial excavated in foreground. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 22 I don’t recall seeing any khirigsuurs, but the lines of unfenced burial mounds strike me as being of Pazyryk design probably. 30 May, Friday – On Khad/Mogoit I slept on a granite slab on the top of the On Khad granite outcrop with bright stars and the smell of aromatic herbs. Fortunately I had discovered the thorn bushes just in time the evening before as I was laying out my air mattress. There had been sundogs showing in the evening and purple-fringed clouds, signs of high altitude moisture, but nothing materialized. During the night several vehicles passed, but otherwise it was quiet. Morning came bright and warm, and Irina made some French toast. Kyle emerged from his sick tent feeling fi ne, having slept nearly 18 hours. Perhaps the nausea and fatigue that struck him yesterday while we were digging was sun-stroke, if not Bayaraa’s bug; at least he is well-recovered now. Hopefully that’s the last we’ll see of these symptoms. We left On Khad about 9:00 and stopped at the bridge over the Khovd River to buy some diesel (at 2000/liter) at the nearby mining camp, and 12,500 for park passes and then fi lled out the same tourist ques- tionnaire as last year. I found a few minutes here for a bath in the river. Then we proceeded upriver through a tight gorge to a ford that turned out to be too deep now to cross with our vehicles. So now we’re heading over an alternate route – over a mountain pass. However we did not get far before we had another burst radiator hose. But it’s a beautiful day. There are some very impoverished winter home- steads up here in these high hills. A few herds are grazing in the high- est areas, and I can hear the young herders calling as they drive their animals in the high pastures, where there is still some grass, while the lower elevations are already too dry. There’s been almost no rain re- cently, although we could see a few showers yesterday over the lake. There’s an incredible amount of small insect life on the ground where I’m sitting now, near a bril- liant ruby-colored orchid-like plant growing in the gravelly soil. Everything from near-microscopic spiders that dart around in small bursts, to small ants, and lots of kinds of beetles perching on fl owers. The closer you get the more life you see, even when the landscape looks nearly devoid of vegetation. We’re still waiting for Janat to fi x the hose and the other van is perched higher up on the hill waiting for us. After the hose was patched we struggled up the mountain, zig-sagging back and forth to reduce the climb. More hoses burst and fi nally we had to ease the strain on the Russian van, which had no front wheel power, by helping it with a tow line from the Mitsubishi van until we crested the ridge overlooking Khar Nuur, which we made our lunch site. It was after three when we got on the road again and quickly dropped down into the Tsagaan Asga Valley. After a brief visit to the deer stone site where we had worked last year, we looked over the huge buri- al features that extend up the valley on the north side, sites that include some Pazyryk burials Tur- Richard, Irina, Natsagaa, Bayaraa, Janat, Kyle, and Togoo at Khar Nuur lunch site. Arctic Studies Center 23 bat excavated that contained great organic fi nds, and also more Turkic and Bronze Age khirigsuurs. One of the latter is square and has radial line extending from the mound bisecting it into 8 even parts, including diago- nals to the corners. I’ve never seen anything like that before. There is also a huge complex of cobble lined enclosures, including a cobble line that extends hundreds of meters to the top of the hill to the north. This line is connected at the bottom to a complex of small enclosures, many of which are inside a larger square enclosure. The line from the hilltop goes into this grave and ends up in a bottle-shaped enclosure. Very pecu- liar indeed! We’ll have to check the alignment and bearing. The struc- tures look vaguely ‘Turkic’ but I think are undated. Bayaraa says Turbat is planning to work in this area again beginning 20 June this summer. We’ve set up camp on the west side of the upper valley where the river coming down from the still snow-covered mountains spreads out into a large system of braided channels which have been fur- ther channeled by irrigation ditches to bring the water to many different locations along the valley sides downstream. The braided channels are also structured with stone walls for animal pens and most are fi lled with green grass even now, in this dry season. So this is one of the reasons why there is so much burial ‘action’ around here – a very good situation for animals, of which, there are large numbers grazing today and 4-5 herder camps around the edges of the valley. You don’t get any sense of this richness of water in the lower valley. It’s unlike any place I’ve seen in Central Mongolia, where some of the most fertile valleys are far larger. So you can have some very rich (stable) areas here in the mountain zone, where water stays available through the dry stretch between spring and when the summer thunderstorms begin, even though total populations and carry capacity are much lower than central Mongolia. There is also the fi sh resource of the mountain-edge lakes. Nearby rock art, with myriad scenes of hunting and of wild animals such as ibex, deer, moose, bear and boar, also strongly suggests an environment rich in food sources, during the pre-Bronze and Bronze Ages especially. After we set up camp a big thunderstorm threatened but never really struck. We hiber- nated in the vans watching the rest of the day slip away, following all the lost time waiting on car repairs in the hills. However we still have two days left before needing to be in Ulgii – so let’s hope the weather clears again. Kyle and I used the evening time to wander up the valley, where we visited some of the herder camps. 31 May, Saturday – Tsagaan Asga GPS 348 (2240m; N48°31.181’; E88°57.418’). Deer stone w/ 2 concentric rings with 1 tassel (The hole for its original setting is 150° from looter’s hole in center of mound) Greenstone schist 100cm long, with Tsagaan Asga deer stone site (which we formerly called Tsagaan Chuu- lot), view north. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 24 a 31cm wide cross-section. Modern graffi ti on the side but no other marks. GPS 349 (2215m; N48°30.368’; E 88°57.038’). This is the location of the Tsagaan Asga Deer Stone site, at Feature 3, the southern of the two features we excavated here this year. The NW corner of the F3 unit (see drawing) is 7 m to from the east corner of the greenstone (greywacke? slate?) deer stone with lots of deer and graffi ti. At the Tsagaan Asga deer stone site we set up a 3x3.5m square around this large hearth ring east of the central area of the DS alignment, and soon began fi nding charcoal and small amounts of calcined bone. By 1:00 P.M. when we left for lunch we had already collected enough charcoal for dating, and I had a good small charcoal concen- tration in the southern area with enough charcoal for a date from that area 10 cm deep, associated with calcined bone also. So there is very good context for this charcoal. A sample from Feature 3 (B-246611) produced a calibrated date of BP 3070-2860, and one from Feature 4 (B-246612) produced a date of BP 3330-3070. Most of the deer stones nearby have rings and lots of deer images. A breeze and a few clouds kept the work bearable. While we dug, Richard drew some of the images on the northern deer stones and Bayaraa mapped the area around Feature 3. Irina surprised us at lunch with a big bowl of mashed potatoes – Kyle, of Irish ancestry, having mentioned his long- ing for potatoes the other day. And voila! Also mutton soup. Last night I slept out (having no tent) after the showers passed and had a fi ne night except for being a bit chilly early in the morning. When I woke up I discovered Richard had placed an east-facing pony skull just beyond my head, turning me into a Bronze Age burial. Last night before supper Kyle and I walked up the valley and passed several circular grave pavements and three herder camps. The third erupted with about ten youngsters dressed in all manner of bright Tsagaan Asga deer stone site, view north. Tsagaan Asga Feature 3. Arctic Studies Center 25 clothes, a very excitable mother, and a man carrying a young lamb on his shoulders. I speculated it had gone to her for some curing or special care because he then carried it down and released it to the herd grazing in the stream bottom. We then stopped to watch a young girl weaving a woolen band about 25 cm wide of multicolored yarn on a simple loom suspended under a tripod of three small iron rods. They offered to sell us some felt mats and we were not able to get the price down from 5,000 per mat. We each bought 2. Later the mother and daughters came to camp to try and see if others would be equally gullible, offering us an old Kazakh spread for 90k, about 4 times the fair price. No takers. Some of the work was nice but it was heavily patched and worn. After lunch we returned to fi nish the Feature 3 hearth ring, whose soil had turned hard as concrete in the mid-day so that we had to literally chop our way through it. After we had fi nished and back-fi lled I accidentally spilled most of the Sample 1 charcoal nuggets from Feature 3 when the wind puffed and the bag went fl ying. Fortunately sample 2 was the larger and better, all from one deeply-buried area in the SE corner of the square. We were able to open and complete another hearth feature (#4) in the NE sector of the site where many hearth rings are found 8-20 meters east of the northern-most large deer stones, only 23 m. east of the large granite D.S. with “pits” on its surface. Here we found nice samples of charcoal and burned bone, some of which was not calcined and might also be dat- able. So it was a very successful, tiring, hot day with much sunburn to show for it as well as the archeological success. I had a semi-bath after supper and wandered around a bit on the north side of the stream between the braided channels where the square khirigsuur is located. This is only about 1-2 m. above the current stream level, so there has not been much lowering of the valley fl oor in the past 3000 years. Some herders came by to chat, and we all hit the sack about 10 P.M., with another clear night in store. This time I borrowed the dining table for a windbreak. 1 June, Sunday – Tsagaan Asga GPS 350 (2274m; N48°30.340’; E88°59.828’). Square khirigsuur across the river on the east side about 200m from the small bridge. Many circular satellite hearths, and inside the ring of hearths there is an inner ring of even smaller 75cm diameter hearth rings. An unmarked deer stone 130cm high blank with an angled top was lying on the west edge of the mound. Paved plaza; possible slab covers removed; 56 hearth rings; 30 mini-hearths, north fence wall aligned to 130°. GPS 351 (2380m; N48°33.664’; E88°52.050’). This is the largest of three pingos at Tsagaan Asga; the other is a few hundred meters to the SE. The big one is the largest I’ve seen in Mongolia and has deep crevices in its top lined with vertical ice crystals, with a cavern with a 2-3 meter diameter pool, surrounded by ice. It sits at the base of a hill on the north side of a stream in middle of lumpy permafrost earth. Stand- ing pods of water all around it. Elevation is about 4 meters above the surrounding ground. The north side has collapsed. The diameter of the big pingo is about 30 meters. A family of weavers near Tsagaan Asga. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 26 Again another nice morning. We tried to fi nd the square burial I thought I’d found up on the hillside, but it must have been my imagina- tion and the dim-light. Then we spent a couple of hours mapping and testing the square khirigsuur across the stream with 30 mini-hearths inside the usual array of larger circu- lar hearths. 56 hearths in all, and an angled-top but unmarked deer stone blank lying on its side at the edge of the west side of the mound. Bayaraa and Natsga mapped the structure while Richard, Kyle and I excavated a mini hearth ring, fi nding nothing (see Fig. 11). These hearths must have been used for very small fi res or offerings on the surface, with no cooking involved. Three colorfully dressed Kazakh women stopped by for a chat. While we dug, the drivers broke camp and visited with the herder family with the Kazakh mats for sale. We departed in the vans at 11:00 and upon leaving the valley stopped to inspect the pingo we had noticed last year. Actually, I now dis- covered that there are two others. The largest seemed almost 4 m high and 30 m across, with a huge sunken northern half and a deep crack through the crest, revealing a large cavity inside lined with ice and with a big pool of cloudy blue water in the middle. Lots of permafrost ground all around it with standing pools of water between the hummocks. I wonder how many more of these permafrost features might be found this far south- perhaps in China or Tibet. Just after this, climbing our fi rst hill out of the valley, the radiator hose broke again. The drivers were able to fi x it by winding it with tape and we continued through the high valleys we saw last year, and the big moraines, to the bridge where we paid our park fees and fi lled in a questionnaire last year. No one is here this year, and we made it our lunch stop. Quite a few people are passing by on this “road” now. Actually it has been much improved with gravel and bulldozing in places where it was terrible last year, like around the high ice-fi lled lake, Khar Us Nuur. There is a ribbon of green grass on both sides of the stream here by the bridge and whenever there is fl owing water in these mountain regions, fl ocks are gorging on the grass. The contrast with the nearly barren rocky hill Huge ice-core pingo mound at Tsagaan Asga Valley. Irina, Janat and Togoo preparing lunch en route to Bayan Ulgii. Arctic Studies Center 27 slopes is stark, and yet some fl ocks are still ranging there, until more grass becomes available with the summer showers and storms. There must be a complicated pecking order for access to the better places. I guess the people living on the rocky slopes without much water are in a tight spot gener- ally and can’t get their animals to the better pastures without paying to move their camps to better summer places. We had to all load into Togoo’s Russian van halfway to Sagsai when Janat’s van ran low on fuel; so he went on to Tsengel and our crew and gear went to Sagsai. Bayaraa was supposed to have our permit papers signed here, but the ranger was away in Ulgii. It is Mother and Children’s Day here today and so many people are off visiting. Halfway up the hill north of Sagsai the fan belt broke on Togoo’s van, so it appears that we are the jinx on vehicles. At least the temperature today is not scorching. We made the long descent to Ulgii safely and dodged the cows and people parad- ing along the main street which was being prepared for paving; but the cows were wandering around on the graded surface without much concern shown by the construction people. At least they were working the roads here, which is more than can be said for much of northern Mongolia. Arriving at Canat’s Blue Wolf Tourism headquarters, we found him away with his family fi shing (it being family day) and not expected back until tomorrow, so we will have to leave it to Richard to negotiate our gripes about vehicle issues which cost us at least 1.5 days of work. The town was quite alive, with everyone was out strolling on Mothers’ Day. We made a beeline to the public bath and found it also doing a brisk business. There were about 20 stalls available, all in use, but Kyle and I got one to share quickly and ‘steamed’ ourselves, even after the showers since there is no ventilation. The custodian ladies don’t let you stay long before they come snooping or banging the door. Togoo then brought us home to his house where he said we could spend the night since his children are all out in the countryside and he and his wife have another place to stay. So after a traditional welcoming meal – Kazakh style – of lamb and noodles and yogurt, they left us to become Ulgii residents, among the multitude of barking dogs and sounds of kids playing. Richard and I will be sleeping outside in the yard and with luck will not be attacked by dogs – one just found its way in and discovered Richard and let out a roar that ignited a city-wide response. Togoo’s house is set up exactly like the one we were in near Tsengel, the same interior arrangement, with inner sleeping room, all-purpose room with hearth, and an outer cooking entryway, with textiles and color- ful posters on the walls. The walls are stuccoed mudbrick; roofs are timbered with planks with ashes on top. Windows only on one wall, the south in this case. We leave tomorrow at 10:02 A.M. 2 June, Monday – Ulgii to Ulaanbaatar It was a dog-howling night from one end to the other, and each time some incident occurred a wave of new howls surged across the town’s sea of single-story mud-brick houses. But I managed to get some sleep and monitored the return of our Mongolian colleagues who spent the evening drinking beer in the Blue Wolf restaurant. Richard and I both slept outside in the gravelly yard occasionally visited by a neighbor dog which prowled the adobe wall-top like a grim specter in the night. In the morning we stumbled about packing and had a brief breakfast at the Blue Wolf prepared by Irina. Halfway through, Bayaraa had a call from Oogi saying our plane’s departure had been advanced and was “waiting for us,” so we never had a chance to talk to Canat about the vehicle troubles. Richard will have to do that. At the airport we found the plane nowhere in sight and, fortunately, not ‘gone’; it had not even arrived. So we checked in our horse head and paid 89,000 excess baggage, and now we’re sitting in the “sterile area” with 25 others. The plane is due in at 8:30. Richard will spend a day in Bayan Ulgii before taking a day trip to a new rock art site with Canat and then a week with his assistant exploring in southern Bayan Ulgii aimag. He returns to UB on 8 June. He hopes to orga- nize a large interdisciplinary project in the Biluut area over the next few years, in collaboration with Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 28 the National Museum and the National Historic Museum in Ulgii. We left Ulgii at 9:00 A.M. Major results of Ulgii Project. 1. Khirigsuur Surveys – especially in Khoton Lake north shore, square, round and some spoked mounds. Few corner post mounds, smaller structures on SE/S facing hillsides; large ones on the fl atlands. There is a greater variety of burial forms in Bayan Ulgii aimag with Turkic grave complexes outnumbering khirigsuurs (but few well-made 3-D stone men. Though we did not encounter them on this trip, in fact several wonderfully well-executed stone men are located on the western side of Khurgan Lake. We did not travel that way to Tsagaan Asga because at this time of year the streams that spill down from the snowfi elds of the towering Altai Nuuru are surging with spring run-off. We received a report from locals that the largest of these streams was impassable). Quite a lot of chain-like Pazyryk mounds in Khoton and Tsagaan Asga areas. 2. Khirigsuur forms – seems like more circular than square forms; khirigsuurs with and with- out pavements occur. Looting is fairly common, but not recent. Some unique khirigsuur forms include individual cases of radial division at a large square khirigsuur at Tsagaan Asga dividing each side into 4 equal parts with diagonals corner-to-corner. Another unusual type had mini-hearth rings in a square khirigsuur inside the larger hearths on the western half of khirigsuur. Only one horse mound khirigsuur was found, at On Khad, and this one was a very heavily-built khirigsuur made of angular uneroded blocks, not glacial boulders. No cases of khirigsuur east plaza pavements were found. Radial types with 4 radial “spokes” were found in about half of the round khirigsuurs. Very few multi-spoked radial khirigsuurs seen. 3. Deer stones – carved DS are quite rare except at Tsagaan Asga where the deer images and more commonly, grooved circles, are found. No instances of belts with attached weapons were found, no sun discs or ‘fl oating’ weapons, no chevrons and no moon and sun pairs. Only occasionally do earrings have pendants. No textured belts – only grooved forms, and not many of them, and no convincing necklace pits. Some deer images have straight legs. Several small deer stone with square cross-sections and angled tops were found associated with circular or round khirigsuurs, and in one at Tsagaan Asga we found it removed from its original setting in the east side of the central mound – others were seen associated with khi- rigsuurs, unlike Central Mongolia. Several questionable DS were found without khirigsuur association, but they were unmarked or too eroded to tell. Quite a few Mongolian deer were seen in the petroglyphs, often in multiple images on a given panel; and many deer and a few proto/post Mongolian deer also appear. These graceful and highly stylized fi gures are often “stacked” and closely packed together in the same manner as can be found on many deer stones in north-central Mongolia. One of the most intriguing discoveries of this season is, to me, the conspicuous absence of deer imagery on the great majority of the Altai deer stones that we came across. This makes their appearance on the rock art all the more striking, and inviting. Pretty clearly, during this period of prehistory a close association existed between the petroglyph artists at Biluut and the deer stone carvers of Tsagaan Asga, which lies less than 50 km to the east-southeast. The relative absence of this legendary form from the stelae, coupled with the frequency and prominence of their appearance on the varnished bedrock panels on each of the three Biluut high hills, raises important questions about their function. Tsagaan Asga looks very similar to the large DS sites of Central Mongolia. No Scythian type animal images were seen on any petroglyph or DS art. The Tsagaan Asga DS site may have been purposefully destroyed in pre-history and heavily vandalized recently. 4. Dating – We excavated a horse head from On Khad, recovered charcoal and/or calcined bone Arctic Studies Center 29 from Khoton Nuur 333 from 2 hearth rings (and a soil sample). This is a quadrant radial round khirigsuur with a belted DS (fallen) on its SE side aligned with a radial. We recovered samples also from 2 circular hearths on the east side of the Tsagaan Asga DS alignments, one from the northern and one from the southern end of the alignment. The horse mound khirig- suur at On Khad is associated with several other large boulder and spoked khirigsuurs – its placement does not say much about relative dating but it is totally different than the others nearby in construction, materials, horse mounds, and few hearth rings (2). It thus appears intrusive in the common types of khirigsuurs in this region. The most important fi nding was that with careful excavation you can obtain datable charcoal and in some cases bone from many of the khirigsuurs and DS hearth rings, providing a way to date them even without the presence of horse heads. This will help determine the age and relative relationship of the Western Mongolia and Altai khirigsuurs and those of Central Mongolia with horse mounds. Temperature was much cooler in Ulaanbaatar than Ulgii, thankfully. After reaching Zaya’s Hostel about 2 P.M. we went down to the museum, where I was able to have a brief meeting with Saruul- buyan and reported on our Bayan Ulgii work. He seemed very pleased, but informed me about a very bad zud storm that struck the Eastern Mongolian provinces last week, with terrible wind, snow and rain that killed at least 200,000 animals and nearly 50 people some whose gers were blown away. Saruul is heading up a relief effort to assist because this is his home territory and he is traveling there to assess the situation tomorrow. Right now the museum is installing a new exhibition of deer stone and monumental art photos and rubbings by a Mongolian artist. Our Erkhel deer stone is featured prominently. UB is as chaotic as ever, completely swamped by vehicles – all vying, pushing, honking; meanwhile building construction races forward and upward, most prominently a whale-fi n shaped glass monster on the south side of Sukhbaatar Square. Zaya’s Hostel is a delightful place and for $25/night for a double is a bargain in UB. Hot showers (when the UB heating systems operate, but not in June as I now re-discovered), lounges with TV, breakfast, washing, and very interesting people to meet – a mixture of young tourists, scientists and others – most of whom are English-speaking, Zaya herself is a very interesting person with an interesting history, married with two children in the US and a husband in the foreign service now in Egypt, where Zaya spent some time this year. She has been building up her hostel business over the years after an earlier career in the airline ticketing trade. Now that her family is on their own she is searching for meaning in life, largely through Buddhism and environmental causes, and she is passionate about her concerns, mainly about maintaining Mongolian life and culture in the face of industrialization and Western and Chinese infl uences. She is pretty solidly booked in the summer. In the short time we were there we met a crusty old Englishman who made a special point of giving me two Tetley teabags, which he considered ‘very fi ne’ tea. 3 June, Tuesday – Ulaanbaatar Bayaraa was busy getting our permit and I spent much of the day catching up on my email. In the afternoon we did our grocery shopping for stuff not available in Muren, and Adiya fi gured out our budget. We set up a small contract with Ayush for ethnographic work with the East Tsaatan for a cou- ple of weeks. I also picked up enough cash for the Muren project. Bayaraa suggests we work at one of Volkov’s big deer stone sites at Tsagaan Uul. We fi nished charging batteries and doing chores in the evening, and after revising my SHA paper for Anja I had a fi nal hour on Zaya’s easy-to-use wire- less internet system. Kyle also made a call to his girlfriend successfully on the satellite phone. Packs of young kids were hanging around the state department store beating each other up and looking Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 30 for westerners to beg from or rob. Pick-pocketing is rife in this area of the city because of all the foreigners hanging out in the Peace Ave. area. 4 June, Wednesday – Ulaanbaatar to near Ulziit Kyle and I got our stuff organized and Zaya gave us a ride to the mu- seum at 11:00 fi nding Khadbaatar’s and Tserenyam’s vans being loaded up. This was the day predicted for a big earthquake in the UB area, so whatever the accuracy of the prediction we’re glad to leave the city and its concrete slab high-rises behind. We had to stop to buy rice and a soccer ball at the western black market – rice is now costing 1500 tugrik/kilo, much higher in price and causing big problems for the government which is being blamed for not doing something; they have already lowered import fees, but there is not much that can be done, and surely this will be a factor in the upcoming political elections later this summer. As usual, the ride was pretty boring at fi rst, especially as the extension of the paved highway to the outskirts of UB kept everyone on the dirt side roads that were several inches deep in powdery dust. After we got on the “millennium” pavement travel was better for awhile, but it soon ended and we paralleled its western extension – basically the gravel road-bed for most of the afternoon until turn- ing north toward Ulziit. We never got that far, however, and ended up camping in a dusty pasture at dark. A dung fi re heated up some tea water but it was too late (10 P.M.) to cook, which was okay as we had had a late lunch. While we all were gathered near the fi re eating sliced sausage and bread a huge explosion occurred in the fi re. I fi rst thought it was a rock exploding from the heat but when I saw canned beef all over Tserenyam’s coat and my jacket and pants I realized someone had put an unopened can of meat to “warm up” at the edge of the fi re. The metal can was torn open, but stayed intact and only the meat was the ‘missile’. We had it all over us and stank through the next day. One nice thing about that campsite was the chorus of frogs that came from the grimy muddy rivulet that a herder had told us would be a nice “spring” for us to get water from – not quite! 5 June, Thursday – near Ulziit to Muren Bayaraa had suggested 8 A.M. for getting up last night, and I countered it with 7. But at 5:30 I heard the van engine start and everyone was soon up and rolling, and at 6:45 we arrived in Ulziit where we miraculously found one of the small restaurants open – a 24-hour style place. I discovered the breakfast menu is the same in the Mongolian countryside as the lunch and dinner menu, and I got the greasiest scrambled egg on top of mutton slivers and rice I’ve ever seen. Nevertheless I ate it and decided in the future to be minimalist in those roadside taverns in the future. What most people eat there is a huge plate of fl our noodles mixed with lamb slivers, onion and potato (called tsuivan). Bayaraa sets aside the potatoes and other vegetables from China – which is where most Mongolian food comes from – because of concern about pollution and pesticides. This seems to be a prevalent fear in Mongolia. We stopped briefl y at the DS/square burial site near Mustache Hill and noted the Square burial at Salkhat deer stone site north of Ulziit. Arctic Studies Center 31 huge number of horse burial mounds, arranged in N-S rows like the DS site near Urt Bulagiin. There are several large khirigsuurs nearby to the west which we did not have time to visit. There were sev- eral other groups traveling on the road to Muren with us – including three jeeps of offi cials going to Muren to help with the Prime Minister’s visit there tomorrow. Bayaraa suspects this is an electioneer- ing venture for the August national elections. We made brief stops at Khairkhan and Rashaant where we had lunch by a stream full of cows – all this area from Ulziit to just north of the Selenge River was very green and seemed to have few animals grazing this time of year. The area around Muren is very dry and brown by contrast. The Selenge bridge was alive with vans of students returning home from school in UB, and several gers have been put up. It looks like someone is building a carnival atmosphere here for tourists. We arrived in Muren about 4:30 and went right to the Governor’s building to register our archaeological permit, discovering that Tsagaan Nuur was not listed. Bayaraa is trying to arrange its addition tomorrow morning by calling the UB Ministry of Culture. We are staying tonight at the ger camp as usual – and ‘as usual’ discovered its showers cold (all except Bayaraa’s!) and things as uncoordinated as before. However they have made upgrades and are very courteous and helpful. Ayush has arranged to go up by taxi-van to Tsagaan Uul tonight for two weeks of work with the East Taiga Tsaatan. We’ll see how things went we get back to UB. The vans made it all the way successfully to Muren, without any ‘Bayan Ulgii’ experiences. Bayaraa’s sister and brother-in-law drove up to Muren to see him, arriving on Chinese motorbike, a distance of 200 kilometers over hard roads. They are full of sparkle, like Bayaraa. I had met his brother-in-law two years ago when we visited Jargalant and had such an interesting time. The dogs howled and barked all night as usual, and new arrivals kept coming to the ger camp, some being very noisy. Day after tomorrow is the Prime Minister’s visit – not tomorrow, so we’ll miss it. 6 June, Friday – Muren to Tsagaan Uul We breakfasted on cream of wheat at the ger restaurant and then went to town for chores, getting the archaeological permit changed to include Tsagaan Uul sum, and lots more groceries from the black market. Amraa showed up after breakfast as smiley and delightful as usual, and she took charge of the shopping. Tserenam appeared with his head shaved and looking unusual to say the least. GPS 352 (1380m; N49°37.160’; E99°35.249’). Burentogtokh (sum center) deer stone site. Short square x-section stone moved from side of mountain to its present location in the town Naadam sports arena around 1902, according to Sasha. (see Fig. 12) After everything was set we had lunch in the small Muren restaurant but somehow lost Sasha who had wandered off from his meeting place. Searching for him got complicated when the police started shutting down roads in anticipation of the Prime Minister’s arrival. Eventually we found him and Salkhat deer stone. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 32 left town, heading up river on the south side past Ushkin Uver and through some very dry but beauti- ful country with the river lined with cottonwoods and other trees. Then we climbed a huge hill to a very large ovoo, where we took pictures of the Delger Muren River and headed inland toward the southwest. The country became still drier, with very few families or animals until we passed over a 2000 meter crest and dropped down into Tsagaan Uul sum, where we found a large lake and a nicely laid out town with administrative offi ces upon a hill at the western edge of town. Along the route we passed some large khirig- suurs and could see they had horse mounds. We also visited a small deer stone. It had no deer, but circles, belt, knife, axe, and shield. It was just short of a meter high. No one seems to know its exact original location. Along the way we passed through three sum centers before reaching Tsagaan Uul, where we spent an hour looking for the offi cial who has to sign our permit. It turned out he was indisposed, having just purchased a new car and was celebrating somewhere. Eventually we got a surrogate to vouch for us and we headed off another 45 km further west until we found some herders to ask about deer stones; nevertheless we had to wander about in the hills almost until dark, when we met two men on a motorbike who directed us up into the head of a high grassy Deer stone at Burentogtogh. Ovoo south of Delger Muren en route to Tsagaan Uul. Bor Hujiriin Gol-1 deer stone site, view south. Arctic Studies Center 33 valley where we fi rst found two simple deer stones, quite eroded, and then the big site we were look- ing for with seven standing stones, described by Volkov, one of which has an angled top with a hu- man face on the side of its angled bent part, seemingly ‘speaking’ to the nearby stone – very strange. We camped nearby in a fi ne grassy place and had a supper of ramen noodles fortifi ed by beef. A motorbike herder hovered around the camp edge in the dark for awhile before coming in to say hello, then we went to bed. It was a clear, quiet night, but Sasha developed some chest pains and will have to take it easy. GPS 354 (1966m; N49°48.443’; E98°18.021’). 2 granite DS Slash marks on the east side; belts (Agra is the river at west end of valley) GPS 356 (2043m; N49°44.436’; E98°17.515’). 7 June, Saturday – Tsagaan Uul sum Bor Hujiriin Gol A fi ne sunny morning with a cool breeze. We woke at 7:30 and got started at the large Tsagaan Uul Bogd Mountain site described by Volkov. Sasha had worked with him here in 1971 but says they did not excavate. Five standing stones, one lying on surface and one with its corner protruding from the ground. There seemed to be many ‘horse’ features and a few hearth circles. GPS 355 (2021m; N49°44.269’; E98° 17.826’). We gridded some horse features out and Nasaa started mapping while Sasha laid out the art on the stones with chalk so they could be photographed and drawn more easily. By the end of morning we’d made good progress and had a herder visitor who gave Bayaraa some place-names and local lore. He said the winter and spring had been good here but the summer was turning out poorly for lack of rain, and they will have to move out of the upper valley to fi nd more water. The two big hills to the south of us are Bogd – Big Bogd (Buddhist prince/king) to the east and Little Bogd to the west. DS-1 126° (faces toward); 165cm height; 41cm wide; 28 thick DS-2 115°; 133 h; 34 w; 32 t DS-3 110°; 234 cm h; 50 w; 28 cm thick DS-4 w/face 115°; 164.5 cm h; 27 w; 33 t DS-5 115°; 165 cm h; 34 w; 30 t DS-6 lying down NW of 4; 196 cm h; 34 w; 22 t DS-6 buried between 4 & 5 Small charcoal sample (S-1) at -32cm below surface under SE big rock in Feature 1. This excavation Bor Hujiriin Gol-1, view north. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 34 did not work out very well, which is really too bad after such high expectations, since it was a large oval boulder feature that we thought might possibly contain two horse heads or some other interesting ma- terials, like the grindstone we found at the site near Galt. But when we lifted the two large slabs at the bot- tom of the stone pile there was noth- ing there except sterile gravel. In the end a marmot had the last laugh as my foot sunk into a marmot bur- row in the subsoil. Feature 2 on the west side of DS-4 and 5 was a small stone pile with small cobble rocks, and here we did fi nd a horse, not too well-preserved, but salvageable; meanwhile Nasaa continued his map and tomorrow will try his hand at drawing a deer stone. After a still morning, getting increasingly hotter about 3 P.M., a strong west wind blew up that I thought would fl atten some tents. The drivers lifted the walls of the big tent and put a couple more lines on some of the fl imsy tents, and every- thing held fast. However, my door was open to the wind and a lot of grass blew in. Amraa made a great stew for supper, and I washed it down with copious amounts of Hee Chang brand Black Lemon Tea, which is a terrible brand to be avoided in the future. Sasha has been having some angina pains that began while he was sleeping, and he had problems again in the afternoon, after spending much of the day trac- ing deer stone images, even lying on his side sometimes to see the im- ages on the fallen stone. He is really incredibly good at fi guring out the art. Today he found a leopard and a horse that we had not seen and some deer – one without antlers and one with antlers but no deer! We are go- ing to see how he does tonight and if he does not get better we’ll take him to the Ts. Uul medical center. 8 June, Sunday – Bor Hujiriin Gol Last night during supper we saw sun-dogs again, and this time it started to rain about 5 A.M., some- times quite heavily with strong wind from the southwest. (‘boroo’ is rain; “salkhi,” wind). It show- ered through breakfast but only sporadically. Sasha seemed much better. I hope there was enough rain to get some grass growing – it has been such a bad summer so far in the Muren area. The boys Bor Hujiriin Gol-1 deer stone alignment, view southwest. Bor Hujiriin Gol-1 Feature 2, view east. Arctic Studies Center 35 were digging away at Feature 2 yesterday not realizing they were staring at a horse head until they had exposed a fair bit of the upper skull – “Bone!” they fi nally yelled at me, at least something is working out! Deer Stone 7 has an axe or knife; no circles, pits… 93 cm tall (drawing) The rain stopped after breakfast, producing a generally cool day in which we got lots done at the site. Nasaa is a good mapper and has now completed a rock feature map for the whole site. Sasha has psyched out the carvings on the deer stones and Bayaraa has been trying his hand at measured draw- ings – with good effect. I’ve also sketched a few at large scale – pro- ducing key drawings really. We fi nished extracting a very poorly preserved young horse head (~1 year old) from Feature 2, only 15cm deep and under a fl at slab. When I back-fi lled the feature I may have by accident buried Bayaraa’s north arrow/centimeter scale which we can’t fi nd anywhere now! [We found it in his port-folio later!] The horse head was oriented to the southeast at 135°. After lunch we opened a new “horse” feature on the east side of the deer stone line east of DS-1. So far no results, but a pit that Kyle, Sasha and I dug containing the top of a buried deer stone-looking rock turned out to be a fallen “baby” deer stone less than a meter in overall length whose only marks were a belt line and a small knife. We still have no idea what these small stones represent – children, lesser fi gures, or something else? It’s hard to see how they would be valiant warriors or leaders. We found a bit of char- coal but realized it as there were squirrel holes around the stone. In the mid-afternoon a caravan of eight camels passed on the other side of the valley, lead by a well-laden horse and a jeep with a wagon. Later a small herd of horses followed. They will camp at a spring between the Bogd Mountains and then proceed to the river to the south for their summer pasture. We bought our fi rst sheep for 65,000 tugriks and the drivers helped Amraa cook up the usual sheep organ feast of liver and blood sausage wrapped in fat. Bor Hujiriin Gol-1, Feature 2 horse remains. Bor Hujiriin Gol-1 Feature 3. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 36 Wonderful! There followed a long soccer game in which I managed to play “respectably” until my feet gave out. Chimba made a useful water dispenser out of an old water bottle mounted on a small stick I found while wandering in the evening. Sasha’s feeling fi ne today. The squirrels and marmots here made a mess of this valley, creating great mounds and spoil holes and collapsed earth. These marmots have few predators now that there are no wolves, and foxes, which are also rare, cannot take them. On the way through Tsagaan Uul we saw poles with crossbars on their tops that have been placed throughout some pasture areas to attract birds of prey to reduce the squirrels, and mice that eat grassroots. The marmots are on the scale of a geological force in the country around here, making horse-riding dangerous in poor light. 9 June, Monday – Bor Hujiriin Gol Cold night, like in the Altai, I spent much of the night turning and should have put on some more clothes. The morning was clear and breezy this time from the east. No grass has turned even a little green, and certainly nothing is growing. Bayaraa says it would take a full days rain to do that, not just like yesterday’s showers. During the morning we fi nished Feature 4 without fi nding a thing. We’re 1 for 3 so far at this site – not a good average. I fi nished some DS sketches and took a few photos of the south facing sides in the morning sun. Some general thoughts of Bor Hujiriin Gol: This is now one of the larger deer stone sites that has not been damaged much by earlier explorations. Volkov visited it but illustrated (I think) only the unusual face stone with its crooked neck, seem- ingly placed as if speaking to DS-3, only one meter to the east and the tallest of all the stones at this site. Many stones have complicated images, with multiple deer, a horse, and a spotted feline. The southern stones all have belts with pendant triangles with pits in the centers. Most stones have // face slashes and circle “ears” and two have ▲ triangles to the right of the circles, bow and arrow, many axes, a beautiful dagger and other implements appear. Some deer have antlers and no bodies and some bodies have no antlers. The ‘baby’ stone has only a belt groove and axe. All stones are in a line at 011°, and all have their faces to the east aver- aging between 110°-126°. There are many rocks around the stones that may be horse burials , but the “horse” features we dug east of the deer stones were empty and had only traces of charcoal that were not trustworthy. The one feature excavated to the west had a young (one year old) horse buried very shallow 15-35 cm top to base and its skull was badly crushed, orientation 135°. There was a lot of marmot and squirrel activity in the area. Overall the stones were slender, all of granite and did not, except for one, have an angled top. Magnetite crys- tals were embedded in the granite, in high enough concentration in DS-2 to impede a compass read- ing. We could pick up lots of magnetite crystals with the tip of our clippers. Many of the stones had major areas of spalling that made it impossible to trace carvings and the tallest stone, DS-3 is about to crumble and is riddled with cracks and chunks have Bor Hujiriin Gol-2, view south. Arctic Studies Center 37 fallen away from the edges. We only have one good horse dating sample (Feat. 2) and from Feat. 4 a chunk of charcoal and a piece of unburned food bone from about 8-10 cm below the surface. Tsagaan Uul Bogd Mountain area – 2 DS west of Bor Hujiriin Gol-1. Two standing stones, one large (ca. 2 m) and one small (ca. 1m). Small stone 1m east of large stone, slanting towards it; both of square/rect. granite and well-fi nished. The large one has an angled top and 6 circle hearths and 5/6 horse features. (drawing). Bor Hujiriin Gol-2 Feat. 1 produced a nice C14/calcined bone collected 8-15cm deep. As we fi nished lunch a green UNICEF jeep drove up and spent a while looking at the site. They did not look like tourists and turned out – as suspected – to be Tsagaan Uul sum offi cials: a uni- formed police fellow, the warden we looked for the other day, and a couple others. They’d come to check us out, asked for our permit papers (thank goodness we had been able to add this sum to our list). After some talk we invited them for some lunch and tea. We showed them the horse head, photos and last year’s report and gradually we got around to discussing their interest in getting an inventory of sites and GPS po- sitions. The Cultural Heritage Center has asked the sums to organize inventories but has given them no guidance and they of course have no archaeological knowledge at all. It does not seem they have done their homework, although they did get a big grant from the Japanese Ambassador for inventory work. Before leaving they came to Bor Hujiriin Gol-2 and saw us working, and had lots of questions. It was a good visit. The rest of the day went towards mapping BM-2 and excavating what seemed to be a horse feature but ended up being a hearth with some big central rocks – we got a nice small bag of charcoal and calcined bone from the northern part of the 2.5x2.5m square from the base of the sod to about 15cm and should give a good date for this small DS site. A couple of herders also showed up at lunch on a motorcycle with these bags of cashmere, on their way to sell it in Tsagaan Uul. This year cashmere sells at $25.30 a kilo, down from previous years. They’d heard of us and came by to check us out, seeming very pleased with the result, and offered us all a sniff of snuff from their iden- tical bottles inside their voluminous deels. Then they were off. After supper – lamb soup with cabbage and noodles – we drove over to look at the large khirigsuur mound we could see across the valley. It seemed like the only one anywhere around the DS site, and I doubt it has any direct relationship to it. It turned out to be about 48m in diameter and about 2.5-3m high. No external features except a three rock about 50m off to the southeast aligned with the paved “causeway” about 4-5m wide running from the mound to the fence. Perhaps there is some alignment system here (drawing). There were quite a few features inside the fence that looked like hearths. A few hundred meters to the NE was a single pavement burial feature (no fence). Like the khirigsuur it was constructed with small “mountain” rock rather than rounded stream rocks, but all rather small Tsagaan Uul offi cials visit our camp at Bor Hujiriin Gol. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 38 rocks for both. About the same distance to the NE was a square feature with heavy rectangular slab sides and an alignment of fi ve balbal stones running 060°. This is certainly a Turkic burial feature and another 100m to the north was a second structure, smaller, but nearly identical to the “temple” structure on the Selenge River, with an entryway opening to the south square house with a divided foundation line of cobbles running east-west and a central axial passage in line with the entry mak- ing two small “rooms” of the lateral sides. It was a jumble of rocks however and these are just pre- liminary observations. At least there seems to be a limited Turkic phase in this area. Neither of these or the other mounds has been disturbed and the sum offi cials said there has been little archaeologi- cal looting in the sum, so far. Given the number of deer stone sites in this valley (3) but especially right near Bor Hujiriin Gol-1; there seems to be no khirigsuur connection with these DS sites. After returning I corrected my drawings of DS-6 after Sasha’s markings while another soccer game raged. Then from the east came a thunderstorm that seemed to threaten us, as well as ominous black clouds from the south, with much lightning; but both stalled somehow losing their fi re and although we prepared for rain and wind and Chimba moved his tent inside the big tent, nothing came of it, and we had another quiet night. 10 June, Tuesday – Bor Hujiriin Gol to Khushuutiin Gol It never did rain last night. We were up at 7:30 and had packed camp and rolled out by 9:30 stopping to return the tent poles at the winter camp up the hill under Little Bogd Uul. Before we got far we found a new DS site next to two Turkic burial structures. GPS 357 (2017m; N49°46.078’; E98°17.469’). Bor Hujiriin Gol-3: 2 deer stones, granite DS-1 small, to east, standing 97, 28 w, 24t DS-2 215 cm, 46 cm, lying down 2m to north DS-1 with deer, necklace, ear circles on N,S, east side has no // but the necklace here changes from round pits to ‘Asian’ eye (Drawings) A circle of rock features (hearths?) around stones 6- 10m radius DS-2 actual side as originally set in ground. Chevron side was the west original side, south side exposed, orient of fall=090-270° fallen lying top to 090° when standing would have been N-S alignment. Chevron with 10-11 sets of grooves, north view buried in soil (Drawings) 2 Turkic square graves, the excavated one was 4 m SE of DS the other 20 m to SW, w/ balbal GPS 354 (revisit). Bor Hujiriin Gol-4. West DS-1: 170cm tall; DS-2 east DS-1 grooved belt DS-2 poor pres. grooved belt and some kind of tool suspended. DS-1,2 E-W not N-S alignment no associated rock features GPS 358 (2037m; N49°48.638’; E98°18.693’). large khirigsuur group with huge khirigsuurs on south facing hillside Most (all?) square, some with huge corner structures. Some 30-40m along uphill (north wall). There must be ~20-30 khirigsuurs here, going right up the side of the hill, with some very large ones almost into the rocky slope. Bor Hujiriin Gol-3. Arctic Studies Center 39 After a brief stop at Bor Hujiriin Gol-4 (GPS 354) we found a hillside with a large number of khirigsuurs which had been missing in the Bogd area. We only recorded their location and went on, asking many herders for directions, stopping for pictures on a hilltop south of Tsagaan Uul and eventually fi nding Khuushootin Gol, the site studied by Volkov with some prominent horses on the deer stones of which there are 13 at this site. GPS 359 (1868m; N49°42.261’; E98°35.708’). Khushuutiin Gol Deer Stone Site (13 deer stones). Volkov worked here with Sasha in the 1960’s-70’s. They unearthed some fallen stones and drew most of those present. We set out a baseline at 305° magnitude through the crest of the hillock from the southern and largest group (Area 1) north to a small central group (A2) with three rock features but only two deer stones at the south side of A2, to the northern group A3. We photo- graphed the two large fallen stones uncovered by Volkov, starting with DS-2, then DS-1. We also laid out an excavation 2m west of DS-5 standing one meter south of the baseline, a 2.5x2.5m unit including a probable horse head, which Kyle tried his hand at mapping. Looking at the southern deer stones I noticed none had the standard // face, and that the east-facing surfaces are fi nished far more smoothly that the other parts of the upper parts, and I began to wonder if these surfaces might actually have been painted with portraits (map/drawing). A3: 5 DS, one uncarved standing stone, all of bluestone. A2: 2 DS, both bluestone, w/#8 highly polished with silica sheen #9 looks like it’s broken off base, broken just below the belt. A1: 7 DS, all made of white or pink granite and carefully and boldly cut with all surfaces evenly cut and some very smoothed, looking machine cut and highly professionalized. A2, 3 images are barely cut into the stone and are almost just scratched in on the bluestone. Fea. 1 is at 0E, N21.5 (drawing). Fea. 2 is at N41/W0.5  N44.5/W0.5 N44.5/E2.6  N41/ E2.6 (drawing). Fea. 3: 66N 3.5, 5.5 W, 68.5N 3.5,5.5 W. As we were leaving Bor Hujiriin Gol valley Tserenyam mentioned that the ‘open air’ camp sites we were passing with lots of debris scattered around were fall camps when people return to take advan- tage of the August and September rains that get the grass growing again. So here they have a three stage settlement pattern. Later they Bor Hujiriin Gol-4. Khushuutiin Gol south deer stone area. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 40 cross the valley and take up in their winter places against the eastern side of the hills. By the end of the day it began to look like we would not fi nd a horse head in feature 1, but we did get a hit of charcoal, and later, today a couple of large chunks down near the sterile gravel inter- face, 25cm from the surface. There were no large buried rocks, but no burial bone, so it does not look to be a hearth, being covered completely with stones, and some large ones. We may have to dig larger areas around the deer stones to fi nd hors- es. I walked about a bit in the eve- ning and noticed the intense rodent activity – mostly mice and squirrels. Mice holes and runs between them are everywhere; 1-2/square meters in some places and their runs in the grass under the snow make a maze of connections that reveal their complex social behavior as well as their damage to the pasture. 11 June, Wednesday – Khushuutiin Gol We started a new schedule of breakfasting at 7:30 in order to work in the cool mornings and hav- ing lunch at 12 and work again at 3:00 or so. We have still not come to the summer solstice and so it’s light until after 10 P.M. and again at 4:30. We had a good morning digging. Bayaraa found two more deer stones south of our present site and we fi nished Feature 1 (nothing more found), cleaned Feature 2 in A2 and laid out a square in A3, Feature 3. Cloudy at fi rst, a strong SW wind came up in late morning, and sand and dust was fl ying. Hats and notes and maps as well. A couple of herders came by to see what we were up to. Water is a problem for us here again – as in Bogd – and has to be got from small springs near the base of the hills. For us it is a matter of hygiene and cooking and clothes-washing, but it is the life source for the herders. Fortunately, while there is no sur- face water here, there seems to be enough in the ground to keep some areas of grass growing and maybe 5- 6 families are living in this area with hundreds of sheep, goats, cows and En route to Khushuutiin Gol. Khushuutiin Gol-1, Feature 1. Arctic Studies Center 41 Khushuutiin Gol-1 south view, Area 1. Khushuutiin Gol-1 Area 2. Khushuutiin Gol-1 north view, Area 3. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 42 yaks. Lunch was “tom” (big) noodles in the tent while the wind whistled in the tent lines; even while it remains quite hot outside. Time now to wash a few clothes before I decompose. The KG site looks like it has been constructed in three parts and probably three time periods. I imagine the fi rst to use it erected their DS at the southern point of the terrace and created the largest number or DS here, and other ritual activities represented by the many pavements and feasting hearths. This was a period of highly professional deer stone carvers, who used granite and had excellent equipment for cutting and polishing the surfaces. You don’t see lots of pecking marks on the fi gures, although you do in lesser- fi nished areas. Whether the A2 or A3 came next, is a question diffi cult to fi gure as either could have if A3 as the second chose a spot far enough to the NW to allow A2 space as the third group. The stones of both are the same material and the styles and technique, just scratching the image in, are very similar. Here the idea was not of artist perfection – as in a classic style sequence – but of utiliz- ing the concept of deer stone albeit with lesser profi ciency, investment, and perhaps even haste. The ritual activities in terms of numbers of features follows a sequence of A1, A3, A2 and that also might provide a clue to the chronology. We’ll see what the C14 results have to say, providing we can get good samples of charcoal if not horse teeth. One observation of interest is that the larger deer and tools (esp. A3/A2) are more like DS art in Western Mongolia than in this region, which also may be an indicator of chronol- ogy or geographic relationship. The horse deer stone is also interesting as it too is more a western element. GPS 360 (1885m; N49°42.190’; E98°35.514’). Khushuugiin Gol-2 Deer Stone single granite stone, (like KG-1, A1 w/a few feature rocks, in a blown-out or excavated area, now with lots of garbage. Only top of DS showing protruding from ground and slant up to north. SE side has a ‘polished’ face with no marks, necklace beads, circles on S,N sides, multiple large deer carvings on all sides. Can’t see more – less than one meter is exposed – circular paved burial feature 4m diam. 10m to the east. We went to work at 3 and the wind continued to build gusting to 25 mph, and carrying with it a strong smell of smoke – some forest area upwind must have caught fi re; we could easily see the haze so it probably is not far way. At fi rst when we realized it was fi re not rain I thought we might have a prairie fi re racing along the ground, but here there is not enough to burn, at least this time of year. A few old timers dropped by the site for explanations. By this time we actually had something to show them in F3, because I found the horse when we lifted the big central rock; and then an hour later we found a horse skull in Feature 3 and got most of that one uncovered by the time the wind got too strong and cold at 6:30. This skull is very strong and was placed in a kind of stone enclosure that it barely fi t into. By the end of the day we had the vertebrae uncovered along the north side of the skull, and 2 hooves on either side of the nose, which was pointing SE (Feature 3, head orienta- tion 115°) and the atlas vertebrae apart from the others to the south of the head. When it got too cold and windy we covered both horse heads under dirt and took the canine from the F. 3 horse to keep Khushuutiin Gol-1 Feature 3 (A3). Feature 2 (A2) under excavation in distance. Arctic Studies Center 43 local people from taking it overnight for a naadam charm on the theory that such old buried horses must have been special and very fast. So in one day we have gone from rags to riches in horse remains and now only need a horse from A1. (adoonii tolgoi=horse head). We quit in a rush as it started to rain a bit mak- ing the wind and fl ying sand all the more uncomfortable, especially as some of the crew were still dressed in t-shirts. We got Tsera to bring the van up so we could photograph the F. 3 horse head from the roof, and Bayaraa had to struggle just to keep from being blown off. Back in camp we secured our tents and wrote notes and told stories while Amraa braved the elements to produce a rice/mutton soup dressed in her winter hat and fake fur coat looking like a true winterized Mongolian! We wondered how Richard Kortum got on with the Khovd explorations. He should be back in UB now. The wind died down a bit but then picked up again, and it looks like it will make a blustery night. Not much rain –only scattered drops and grey clouds racing from the northwest. The smell of fi re has passed. I tried to call home from my tent, where I’ve retreated for the night, even though its just 9:30. But there is no reception. Tomorrow we get our horse heads – aduunii tolgoi – out of the ground so I hope the wind has died down by then. As we were walking back from the site a small “street” car zoomed up to Kyle and I and stopped, its driver making all manner of strange binocular gestures to us and then buzzed off. His daughter looked terrifi ed – perhaps it was the caked-on dust and dirt that scared her – we certainly were a mess! 12 June, Thursday – Khushuutiin Gol It was a furious night with strong wind from the NW and some rain until midnight. Then it calmed for an hour before starting again. By 3:00 A.M. it was blowing hard again when I went out for a rare midnight pit stop, and it kept up until noon the next day. No one stirred until 9:30 and then it was the cold that seemed to inspire the crew to pile into the vans. Breakfast was “in furs” as the wind whistled around, even though the sun was bright, the temp must have been around 40-45°. The mice were having a fi eld day racing around for food. We were tossing stones at them for fun, but they did not seem to care much. Only when a Kite came wheeling by did they take cover. It should be Kite’s paradise here, but few are around – no doubt explaining the plague of small rodents. We got to dig- ging about 10:00 A.M. and found no one had disturbed our sites. In three hours we had excavated F. 3 horse head and found it in great condition, but missing one hoof and the left side of the jaw. The right side was placed beneath the skull (oriented 115°) and smashed as though purposefully. Why these burials are so variable is an interesting question, perhaps relating to a longer period between death and burial and some other rituals that resulted in loss of hooves or parts of the head. As usual the vertebrae were tight up against the north side of the skull. Two hooves were at the front-left position and one at rear right. The burial had outer circle arrangements of stones and inclined slabs Khushuutiin Gol-1 Feature 3 (A3), southeast facing horse head and vertebrae, a large ca. 20 year old horse. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 44 1 2 3 4 5 6 Khushuutiin Gol-1 deer stone views (DS 2: 1-4), (DS 1: 5-6). Arctic Studies Center 45 while the rest of the mound cover was made of small stones. The burial was in a box-like feature of large rocks that just fi t the skull. While we worked on F. 3 the Mongolians uncovered F. 2, fi nding a mandible and no skull – just the opposite of F. 3. A bed of ash surrounding the burial on the N and W sides. The jaw had a weathered look but the bone was solid. A few herders came by as the wind dropped and said F. 3 horse was a large one, about 20 years old. We found a small piece of decayed wood south of F. 3 skull perhaps a remnant of some object left in the grave. Lunch today was at 3 P.M.! Mutton soup – but good! Sasha found my pen at KG-2 where I must have left it 2 days ago! GPS 361 (1873m; N48°42.140’; E98°35.361’). Khushuutiin Gol-3 small 62cm deer stone, 27x18cm triangular x-sect. lying on surface with no features around (drawing) pits, no pendants, spall, unfi nished 3rd side, green granite. This DS was lying on its side in the range on a quasi-terrace the same one as KG- 1, 2, south of KG-2. How it came to be on the surface after 3000 years is a good question since its only 62cm, but has a broken base and may only recently have been broken from a standing position. The two crosses on its south side are unique, I think in DS marks. Perhaps as an answer to our opening several horse features – in addition to the violent weather that broke loose – Sasha lost his beautiful gold ring with animal carvings on it. He has no idea how or where, and we’re all keeping an eye open for it around the site. 13 June, Friday – Khushuutiin Gol GPS 362 (1888m; N49°42.935’; E98°35.077’). Buyant Gol small DS site with 3 small damaged stones standing and one lying on the ground buried except for its top. DS-1 (southernmost) granite broken, with chevron on west side; DS-2 (middle) grey granite, one deer part on NE side, DS-3 (northern) 3 slashes /// in this di- rection w/5 pits on east side deer images; south side 4 pits, necklace top circle and belt /\/\/\. All 4 DS in N-S alignment - 6 horse features to south and east. Several hearths to N. one horse feature ringed by quartz stones. GPS 363 (1908m; N49°43.203’; E98°34.916’). Turkic site(?) with small square feature and several standing stones. No balbal. Buyantzurkh mtn.= “rich heart” Buyant Gol khirigsuurs from west to east 1. square, 12x12m, upper fence, (N/S) 130° pinnacles 2. square, pinnacles, 130°, 8x9 (W/E) 3. square, pinnacles, 130°, 9 N/S, 10 (E/W) 4. square, pinnacles, 125°, 11N/S, 12 (E/W) 5. base of ledges (photo) 125°, 9 N/S, 10 (E/W) GPS 364 (1969m; N48°43.857’; E98°33.677’). many circular burial pavements, and a few circular khirigsuurs, but small ones Buyant Gol, small DS site 1 km. north of Khushuutiin Gol. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 46 6. square, 125°, 7m (N/S), 8 (E/W) next to 3 circular khirigsuurs. 7. square, 115°, 14 (N/S), 13 (E/W) 8. square, 105°, base of slope, 6 (N/S), 8 (E/W) 9. square, 105°, base of slope, 6 (N/S), 8 (E/W) 10. square, 105°, base of slope, 6 (N/S), 8 (E/W) 11. many more square, pinnacled khirigsuurs in the next valley, upslope from #8. From the area surveyed #1-10 square khirigsuurs outnumbered round khirigsuurs 2:1. There were also circular pavements with no fences. It appeared that square khirigsuur fences are aligned per- pendicular to the slope and do not follow some astronomical align- ment, as they trend from 130° to 110° as the sites move east around the base of the hill. The upper slope of this hill has khirigsuurs among the rocky slopes, and Bayaraa found a possible quarry for blue deer stones. This mountain must have special signifi cance to have so many graves, but none in the valley fl oor only at the base of the hill and up its slopes, like Ulaan Tolgoi. Last evening Sogoo and I climbed our local Ulaan Tolgoi SW of camp. We found a couple khirigsuurs and some small rock art elements: box, horses, one with a rider, and a man fi gure. In general the rock surfaces were poor. On top of the hill I called Lynne and described the evening scene around me. I learned that young Portia had just today won the fi nal 2 of 3 qualifying races and became, with her rowing partner, an Olympian and will compete in Beijing, which has a very powerful women’s rowing team. I called Bug, my sister, to congratulate her and found her on “cloud 9” she was so ecstatic. Ken and Portia’s husband had been able to be in Princeton for these last two races. I also called Abby and found her pretty relaxed, fi nishing the 2007 Quebec report. Univ. of Calif. has rejected our Genghis Khan book – which is fi ne with me given their attitude about design and opinion of Dana Levy and Tish, our editor/design team. Thames and Hudson is our target now, everything else is fi ne in the offi ce. The night got very cold and I discovered I was colder in my sleeping bag wearing my down vest than without it! This morning we fi nished clearing Feature 4 and found nothing at all – not even charcoal. So we be- gan a new feature in the SE side of the outer rock features in A1, our last chance this year for a horse sample for this most intensive and distinctive set of deer stones. The crew backfi lled F. 4, Nasaa con- tinued his rock-by-rock mapping of this complex area, and Bayaraa and Kyle mapped A3. We turned DS-4 over and found great carvings that Sasha outlined in sugar. It turns out his lost ring is not an heirloom – he just purchased it this year; it had two horses on it and was quite striking. Bayaraa, Kyle, Sasha and I went with the drivers to check some deer stones and khirigsuurs they had found Khirigsuurs 1 km north of Khushuutiin Gol site. Arctic Studies Center 47 while searching for water (notes above). Today has been cool and sunny. This is not normal weather for this time of year. During the af- ternoon the wind picked up from the east and gusted when rain clouds ap- proached but the curtains of rain you could see in the sky never made it to the ground. They always evaporated in the dry air on the way down. We fi nished F. 5 with a crew of Mongolian herders as audience, but could show them nothing at all. Another ‘empty hole!’ I decided to make one more last chance effort in a 1x1m test in the middle of a good looking ‘horse’ feature right between DS-5 and 6 without exca- vating the entire feature – just a stab to get a horse. The rock patterns looked good as we went down, but the result was the same – no horse. However we did fi nd a small charcoal sample that is datable and in better context – all below the second level rocks and between 25-30cm deep. Perhaps the A1 residents of this place has better ideas about what to put in these carefully prepared features – organ- ics of some sort? – or just did not have the horses to spare, but went through the motions just the same. At any rate that places a lot of faith (hope) in the 2 small charcoal samples to date some really beautiful and distinctive deer stones. Bayaraa and Kyle worked on the A3 map and Nasaa fi nally fi nished A1, but after dinner they all went out again to fi nish A3, as we leave in the morning. Baths and washing clothes is taking a high priority in our thinking now. I drew sketches of most of the DS at this site and will be interested to see how they compare with Volkov’s illustrations. Sasha has been great interpreting the marks, maybe for the second time after his earlier visit here with him. The burrow pits where they exca- vated the fallen deer stones are still big hollowed out areas today, so you can see where most of them were standing. Some parts are still missing and must be buried nearby. The blue granite is really wonderful stone and seems to have been impervious to the Bronze Age tools of that period. Here the images are barely scratched onto the surface, removing the dark patina Khushuutiin Gol-1, A2, F2. Sasha and Bayaraa transcribing images at Khushuutiin Gol A2 deer stone. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 48 and revealing a pale blue interior that is very attractive; even the necklace pits are hardly dug out. These stones are not only techno- logically and materially different- they have swords or daggers fl oating in the main part of the stones and often don’t have belts with hang- ing tools. One stone (DS 9) has the three ‘tigers’ done in a very crude way compared to the beautiful work on the deer on this stone, making one wonder if they were later addi- tions. The deer of these stones are also very large and run up and down more than across the stone. Fortu- nately we have a horse date to come for this chronology. Such stones are more like the Altai/West Mongolian type DS than the central style. How- ever, we are fi nding horse graves with these, and do not fi nd them in Altai Mongolia. [2 deer facing top of DS, DS-9 opposite the ‘hook’ side-drawing] no antlers. 14 June, Saturday – Khushuutiin Gol to Muren Today is Saturday and a cold low- ering sky has come in from the Hovsgol region and pushed away the blue sky that lasted until about 7 A.M. Bayaraa and the boys went off after a quick breakfast to fi nish up mapping the last section of A3, and Kyle and I helped break camp, all the while looking like rain, it never fell – it just stayed cold and gloomy looking. The big mystery of the day is Kyle’s missing sandals; they have disappeared from the big tent, and he’s been looking all over for them. We got off about 10:00 and discov- ered we were only a short distance from Tsagaan Uul, where we found everyone out working on chores around their houses. The ranger was available this time, in a different house where we were looking last time. He had visited us at Bogd and was very quick to help us get our “exit” papers stamped even though it was Saturday. In town there was a loud-speaker blaring in a very “Soviet-style” method of mass communication. Khushuutiin Gol A2, DS 9. Khushuutiin Gol-1 south area horse image deer stone (A1, DS 7). Arctic Studies Center 49 With all the broken-down central facilities – the town heating plant looked like a heap of rubble – this sum center has an old feel of the former era. Though it seems quite busy and effi cient, it is prob- ably quite a poor district, lacking that fundamental ingredient for prosperity: water. There are very few trucks and jeeps at gers in the countryside, and camels seem to be still doing much of the trans- port for household seasonal moves. Turns out the loud-speaker is playing the ever-present Mongo- lian theme-song used by the PRI party this year and is coming from the party’s campaign offi ce next to the gov’t building, haranguing the populace with its message. I went into the government building and found Bayaraa showing pictures from our digs to the ranger, who was so pleased he wanted cop- ies of them all on his memory stick; meanwhile, a small portable generator outside his window was chugging away to power his computer, and his daughter and granddaughter were on hand to see the slides. He happily signed our papers, with a couple unspoken conditions: a liter of gasoline from our van’s tank and Bayaraa’s camera transfer wires. All fair game in the countryside. The real downside was the very bad computer virus that Bayaraa’s caught during this transfer. The skies were still grey with some sunlight patches, and our trip to Muren was quick and interest- ing, passing through country were Sasha was born. He was very keen on photographing the big mountain we passed, named Darkhaad (= protected area). This mountain and nearby forest areas used to have Mongolian deer and even bear until a few decades ago- and may still have some deer. The big ovoo at the pass was a striking foreground for a great scene into the Delger Muren River below, and the road down has been fi xed nicely. We stopped and made lunch at a small “inn” along the river, lined with strips of cottonwoods, and while we were eating a fl ag-decorated PRI SUV pulled up full of campaigners handing out literature and calendars. This will go on until August! The ‘inn’ was one of those one-room affairs with a small table and seat that extends to the wall as a bed, so you eat and lean back and sleep. In a winter storm these roadside rests must be quite interesting as travelers get stuck in storms! The river looked inviting after our waterless week and more and more I’m think- ing we should camp at Bruno’s river place rather than in dry Khydag. Even Muren looked inviting as it appeared across the valley, over the green strip of river bottom grass, covered with sheep and other animals, and dotted with gers and a few log cabins – unfortunately I missed the chance for a great picture. Muren, like US southwestern towns, is a single-story sprawling town. We got settled at the ger camp quickly and I managed this time to get the hot shower with an electric heater that worked. We gave up our dirty clothes to the staff for an easy out on that score. While unpacking I thought I heard Ayush’s voice, and sure enough there he was, returned from ten days with the East Tundra Tsaatan, where he had some interesting research, meeting with 17 fami- Inn on the road to Muren. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 50 lies. The new Tsaatan Center building in Tsagaan Nuur is fi nished and very nice. Wayne Paulsen and a student were working around Tsagaan Nuur but had no details, and no news of Marilyn Walker. Ayush rented a motorbike to go so far north of the ferry and then by horse to reach their village. Everything seems to have been well there this year. After a big dinner at one of the restaurants in town the kids went off to a bar and Ayush, Sasha and I returned to the ger camp and I worked on my photo fi les, which got mixed up somehow. This time the ger camp and nearby city were pretty quiet, without dogs howling all night. [Note: variability of weapons and deer placement of standardized deer image. Icon as religious standard, but variable use socially. Asian eyes in place of beads in one Khushuutiin Gol DS; “blank” faced UG deer stones –absence of belts and necklaces in grey/blue granite stones.] 15 June, Sunday – Muren Kyle came back to camp about 11 P.M. and Bayaraa about 3 A.M. after visiting with his friend in town. The morning was a bit slow as a result. After a small (but expensive!) breakfast at the Dul Juurchin restaurant we did some shopping for groceries. The market was as busy as ever even though it was Sunday. I paid Chimba for his nine days of very good work. He was an excellent digger who was always thinking about what he was seeing and was great at recognizing charcoal. However his dad needs him for some work now. So the crew is beginning to thin and after Bayaraa and Ayush leave Tuesday we’ll be down to six diggers, and Amraa, Khataa and Tsera. We left Muren about 1 P.M. for Khyadag and ran into rain spells as we arrived. A family was camped near the site and offered us some shelter and hospitality while the weather cleared, if it will. Appar- ently it has been showering here since yesterday, and from the look of the clouds coming from the NE it might continue for awhile. Bayaraa showed me the proposal text the museum submitted for an ambassador’s grant last year. It is very well written, partly from as- sistance provided by Bryan Miller, who spent the fall in UB working in Bayaraa’s offi ce – hence Bayaraa’s great improvement in English this year. The proposal is a good one, for documentation and conservation at the large Khanuy Valley deer stone site, with some excavation and reconstruction, but should be planned as a pilot study as it will cost more than they think and needs more conservator supervision. They will hear the results this summer, and if not funded could be an excellent basis for another proposal with broader professional input. Conserving and protecting DS sites needs much attention today, but the answers to many of the diffi cult problems to be faced in balancing research, conservation, heritage, environmental values and public appreciation and tour- ism and economic development need careful thought – maybe a fi rst step should be a special confer- ence devoted to the subject with leaders from a variety of fi elds. Almost any proposal for DS site Kyadag East deer stone site, view west. Arctic Studies Center 51 protection would be controversial to some, but just to let them sit out in the countryside and deteriorate or be lost to theft is also unacceptable today. I’ve had conversations about this with Esther Jacobson and many of the same issues face rock art, ex- cept that there one does not have the opportunity to remove them or ex- cavate, and in many instances rock art is more durable. In the DS case perhaps the solutions will have to be on a case by case basis, depend- ing on the condition of the stones, their environmental setting, poten- tial signifi cance or tourism interest, research and other factors. After Amraa cooked a hot soup lunch in our neighbor’s ger, feed- ing the mother and her two youngsters and baby, and a couple of men who stopped in, we set up our camp about 500m away, on the east side of the deer stone site. The rain was over but the wind was still strong, and we were barely able to get the tents up, especially the big tent. But we succeeded and all the small tents are huddled in its lee. While most of the crew napped Kyle and I walked around the country east of the site discovering quite a few more ger camps and old winter places. The eroded granite outcrops give a strong mysterious quality to the landscape, as usual. A couple other herders on a motorbike stopped to say hello, wearing warm deels and complaining about the cold weather and poor grass. The problem is not survival of their animals now, but if they’re in a bad winter many won’t make it through. Amraa prepared another great meal working at the iron stove in the whistling wind and everyone went in for an early night hoping for better weather tomorrow – Bayaraa’s last day with us before leaving for UB with Ayush to prepare for his Khovd excavation with Bryan Miller. 16 June, Monday – Khyadag Before retiring last night we had a round of vodka ‘Mongolian style’ with Nasaa, as the youngest, the offi cial pourer and server. Tongues loosened and brought out some good stories; it also allowed us to explore the subject of Kyle’s sandals, which disappeared towards the end of our stay in Khushuutiin Gol and has become something of a joke for the team. At fi rst he and I thought it might have been a prank played by the Mongolian boys or Khataa because Kyle was not playing enough cards with them; but as time passed this seemed less likely and the customary explanation that they must be in some bag of archaeological gear etc. has not panned out. Now we’re beginning to think one of the late night local visitors may have taken them, as unlikely as it seems. [Khyadag North drawing] As we fi nished off the vodka bottle a great red sunset burst out under the clouds which were all fl at-bot- tomed and windswept. The rest of the night was uneventful and not too cold, but the wind came up from the north again in the morning with the same streaky clouds of the evening before, keeping everyone in their tents until 8:00. Khyadag East, view east. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 52 When I got up at 7:30 I found Ayush hunkered over the stove with a fl aming splinter of wood trying to light it in the gusty wind. Amraa also showed up and succeeded with a fl aming newspaper hidden in a bucket. Gradually the crew awak- ened and warmed up with cups of MacCoffee – the coffee mix sold everywhere here. We started work at 9:00 and decided to open a series of large trenches northeast of the large deer stone at Khyadag North to see what we could learn about the small deer stones and their associated fea- tures rather than just search for horse head dating materials. We laid out a 30x8m area and started clearing a 5x8 block around the small stones. As soon as the sod came off we found two fallen deer stones, medium size and of the pretty crappy granite used at this site, so its uncertain when we get them out, whether they will have readable carv- ings. Some very nice boulder features also became clear. Nasaa mapped the site as we cleared and we soon began shedding clothes as the sun grew higher and the wind dropped. I learned that Sasha had got very angry that the Dutchman, Eisma, had been visiting deer stone sites and photographing them. We all found this a strange reaction, as though anyone should have a permit to photograph a monument. Sasha’s attitude must come from his lifetime devotion to deer stones, such that he sees them as his children! He has not been that angry even seeing looted sites or damaged rock art. The driv- ers went off to buy a sheep and get water by van after we had fi nished a great lunch of khuushuur and cab- bage soup. They still have not re- turned. The weather is very nice now – not too hot and with enough clouds for shade. Maybe we have turned the corner on the cold wind. The afternoon went well, with the sun out part time, but getting windy and cold again in the evening. By nightfall there was a near full moon and clear skies. We excavated F-1 stone pile and found 4 poorly preserved small (horse, young?) teeth perhaps all that remained of a mandible. I don’t think there could have been a skull Khyadag East. Khyadag overview. Arctic Studies Center 53 there, as there was little room under the rocks and not much of a stone chamber. Bayaraa supervised excavating the other two new deer stones and found they had fallen down or were broken down – next to their bases. Both were in poor condition and were hard to read. F3 had a belt with an axe, necklace pits and circles, and F4 pits and a belt. There may have been other carvings but too much of the surface had spalled. Dinner was the front end of a 70,000 tugrik sheep – a traditional Mongol circle around the pot of steaming organs and other delectables. We fi nished with another round of vodka in honor of Bayaraa’s and Ayush’s departure tomorrow. The sheep was medium sized and expensive “because we’re so close to Muren.” An interesting question about Khyadag East is why so many of the deer stones have been broken off, some just above the surface. Feature 1: rock feat. 4 young (horse?) teeth 30cm below surface Feature 2: lenticular rock pile Feature 3: Buried deer stone with belt circles, N,S, two slashes, belt and axe, necklace pits Feature 4 :Buried deer stone, 2 circles and belt, necklace pits Both fi t bases next to their broken places. F4 broken off 25cm below ground. 17 June, Tuesday – Khyadag Bayaraa and Ayush left this morning about 7:30, after some breakfast and a crew shot at the site. Tsera also had to leave and return to his home in Galt where he had some family business that was urgent. So we’ll be down one van and for this day no one to translate, which is not a big issue be- cause we manage OK with sign language and Nasaa understands quite a bit. I paid Bayaraa and Tsera, and gave Bayaraa and Ayush money for the taxi back to UB from Muren. Bayaraa is leaving his archaeological notes and gear here and we’ll bring it all to UB with Khataa. The herder from the nearby ger came by the site soon after we started work and we showed him the new DS and our notes. He seemed quite interested and in return asked if we would like some yogurt – “of course!” – which arrived at noon on horseback. We gave two loaves of bread in exchange. Our digging at the Feature 2 stone cluster did not produce much of use, except for a small piece of charcoal and a few bone fragments. This is a big disappointment given the large size of the feature, which seemed like it might produce at least 2 horse burials. Nevertheless the samples are datable and were deeply buried. Weather was warm and a bit breezy so conditions for once were perfect. Sasha found another DS base that we thought had been just another rock. We backfi lled the 2 features and started turfi ng the next block towards the big deer stone. Amraa’s lunch was a rice soup with lots of sheep vitals, including chopped up blood sausage. Last night’s feast bowl was a veritable primer in sheep biology, which every part used – even the stomach Khyadag East, view northeast. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 54 and intestines which were stuffed with organs and blood, and the heart skin became a container for a much-coveted chopped meat and spiced delicacy. The afternoon was uneventful, except that we found another deer stone in the new block, a fairly large and well-preserved one, with belt groove, a changing war shield with a concave disc, two slashes, pits, and circles. The stone fi ts on top of a base still in the ground, but is still miss- ing its top above the necklace (so maybe the circles aren’t there-yet!). It was lying on pieces that fi t togeth- er for the top of another DS whose lower part is still missing. Another interesting fi nd was Sasha’s discovery of a small deposit of burned bones lying at only a few centimeters from the base of one of the small broken DS bases (about 10cm from the stone, ~18cm below the surface) and possibly a ritual offering of some sort. We fi nished about 7:30 as a thunderstorm threatened and had just got into the middle of a great spaghetti dinner when a big storm wind from the south struck, nearly blowing the tent down and fi lling our bowls and cups with dust and bits of dried grass and probably animal dung! We had to raise the walls to let the wind blow through to keep it up. Fortunately (for us, not the local herders) the rain fell to the east in the hills and kept raining there for two hours, not moving on. By the time I went to bed the sun was still shining on the top of the thunderhead, and the cloud’s “skirts” reached down its slopes making a magnifi cent image that I was just a bit too late to photograph. The wind stayed strong from the east well into the night but the tent held up okay. All during the day two black dogs from neighboring gers hov- ered around the cook tent, shifting around so the changing wind direc- tions always brought them the smell of the sheep carcass hanging from the tent pole. Amraa kept “chasing” them away in a growling voice, and they would retreat a bit before re- turning, usually closer. At night we put the sheep in Khataa’s van for protection. A water-run to the small local stream was also needed in the gusty evening. Supper served by Amaraa at Khyadag East camp. Khyadag East, view west. Arctic Studies Center 55 18 June, Wednesday – Khyadag The storm was gone by morning and it was bright, warm and relatively cool. We got working at 8:30 and after some overall photos of the 2nd block we began working on the new deer stone area. We found black earth and charcoal going down into a rocky base where we started fi nd- ing metal-like broken pieces that seemed more like rock than metal, and would not affect the compass needle or scratch by steel – then some pottery started showing up, and a piece of rib bone, all around the base of the deer stones. This we have not seen around DS sites previously, except for pottery near Erkhel DS-4 and Khushuugiin devseg last year. This time there seems to be some kind of pyrotechnic operations going on, and this was fi nally confi rmed by a piece of slag. We also began fi nding many more pieces of the shiny fl at metal-like fragments that may be some kind of broken cast metal. We’ll see what happens later today. Khataa brought back to camp our new translator Baigel (“Beth”) who has studied English in the tourist program at Hovsgol University in Muren. She has lived in a ger with her herding family until a bit more than a year ago when she started living in Muren. She applied for a translator’s job with Adiya last spring and has been studying English in high school in Muren for 8 years. Her fl uency is quite good once she gets used to people. After lunch we exposed the slag/charcoal cultural level, that turned out to be about 2cm thick with slag at the bottom of the brown/gravely soil and on top of a very fi ne humic silt/loess-like dusty soil, and then, deeper, the sterile gravelly sand. Slag was quite widespread throughout the deer stone area that we deepened from 12-15 south and 0-4 east. Sasha found a very large plate of material with a constant 3-4mm thickness and a curve like the wall of a vessel, but with melted areas. At fi rst I thought it was part of a broken (sacrifi ced?) vessel related to DS ritual, but it was too hard to be scratched by my knife blade. Today I broke some of these pieces and found the inner material granular and sometimes glass, and decided even though they seemed like metal plate they must be slag. Also present with these plate- like pieces was charcoal and true slag, some few pieces of pottery and clay with slaggey deposits on one side and orange-fi red matrix on the other perhaps clay furnace lining material. These deposits ran throughout the area; but test pits showed they did not extend beyond the big stone pile to the east, or north. Its relation to the DS is uncertain, and its possible (though seems unlikely) that it’s an earlier occupation. So for the present I think we have a DS site associated with a bronze produc- tion site. Rain visited us occasionally during the afternoon, and it was cool. After dinner Kyle and I climbed the hill south of camp and got a good look at the surrounding country at sunset, with night hawks whizzing around us. Iron-rich slag from Khyadag East. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 56 19 June, Thursday – Khyadag The early morning sun lured us up early as it was quite warm, and I managed a kind of bath, given the full view situation of our camp, but I at least felt better about changing into clean clothes. Site work advanced to clearing the fl oor and removing all the rocks by lunchtime. Lots of charcoal turned up beneath the rock, so we will have more than enough good samples for C14 dating the slag level. Then of course we will need a horse to date the deer stones. I’m now wondering if our smelting operation might be using the mineral deposits that miners had identifi ed in this valley. This was the cause of the uproar when we worked here a couple days last year, as people were upset with any government-approved activity when they were fi ghting to stop the mine. They eventually succeeded; but I wonder if it was a metal mine. We hardly fi nished lunch and had our 30 minute siesta and were back at work when a storm just struck us, making digging cold and dusty. Although it never rained we had an uncomfortable afternoon crouching around trying to fi nd a place where someone else’s dust was not fl ying in your face. To make it worse we were collecting charcoal from under the rocks we removed and we were seeing our perfect dating material fl ying away. We managed to clear that #2 block area, do some profi les and begin turfi ng the third block with the two standing deer stones, but the wind stayed strong in the northeast, so it was less ‘fun’ than usual. So far no big fi nds or new deer stones. It will be interesting to see how far into this area the slag level extends. We have not decided about digging the big stone pile east of the slag area, but two test pits to the north and east showed no cultural material. It’s still a mystery why there is such a slag midden with no obvious furnace structure nearby. The presence of lots of slag and charcoal directly under the lower level rocks suggests strongly they are related, but the deer stones are not so easily linked to either. And it still leaves open the link with the upper level rocks, which we have assumed were related to deer stone activity. The slag level comes on sterile gravelly sand 25-30cm below the surface, and we generally assume the DS level is 10-15cm below surface. What time is represented by 15-20cm of sterile humic soil? Again we don’t have good an- swers now and will have to see what news the C14 dates will bring. Another cool evening. The kids have gone off with the soccer ball to try out the basketball “hoop” on a pole at the winter cabin across the valley. In this strong wind it may be a challenge, and I don’t think there is even a hoop – just a backboard! Grey skies and whistling wind in the big tent ropes and a bit of sun still on the upper clouds. Looks like more of the same weather tomorrow. Naadam horses are starting to be tied to the tether poles, causing them to fast and lose weight for the racing season, starting in a week in the local arenas. (well there was a hoop after all when I visited the spirited game South end of Khyadag East, view northeast. Arctic Studies Center 57 of 2 on 2! But the wind correction was extreme!). 20 June, Friday – Khyadag A nice night with this time hardly any morning clouds, yet there is a light north wind that may keep the temperature down, if it holds. We seem to have a kind of on-shore/off-shore wind pattern, north until the southern forces take over in midday, and then north again in the evening. We only have at most four working days left, and we need two on the west Kyadag sites. The birds – mostly sparrows – are having a fi eld day on top of my tent after sunrise; then there were ‘grrring’ sounds of a larger bird – I imagined a crane. Down at the waterhole we always see cranes and shell drakes. At noon yesterday two kites were double-timing the mice and squirrels, and a sparrow hawk was wreaking havoc with the small birds who like our campsite detritus. Baigel and I did the remaining two profi les for Area 3 while the guys fi nished clearing Area 3, where they began to fi nd food bone and bits of slag in the upper soil levels. Khataa went off visiting across the valley with some relatives, promising yogurt in return. About 11 A.M. a van came roaring up to the site, but it was not Khataa. It was Bruno and Tugsoo, who arrived from UB yesterday and are in the middle of setting up their camp in the same riverside location. They came up via Erdenet and had a good trip. They have a smaller team this year and will be work- ing on mounds south of us and across the river near the sum center. Bruno had never seen anything like the plate slag/metal we’ve been fi nding and suspects it’s some kind of by-product of metal production- but what metal. It makes a nice scratch in brass, but did not mark his hard steel knife. He and Tugsoo and their driver stayed for a khuushuur lunch and potato salad and then went off to select some khirigsuurs to dig. Some just SE of our camp have become wrapped up in a mining (phosphate) operation and they maybe contracted for with the Institute of Archaeology for big $ and may be off-limits for research to others. Lots of mining deals are being made with the Institute these days, with probable special deals that never quite get made public. During the afternoon we got into the upper layer of A3 and immediately started fi nding broken food bone of sheep/goat and larger animals, most of it broken up for cooking. Also a few pieces of slag and horse teeth, most looking like young animals. Nasaa made a nice map and we found more pieces of deer stones. The breeze was not too bad, from the north again, and we weathered a short cloud- burst of icy rain just before supper – one of the few rainstorms with the rain actually reaching the ground. Dinner was the remains of the sheep, leaving the question of meat for the next few days. It simply does not seem possible for Mongolians to live without meat for lunch and dinner, even though it is only cut into tiny pieces and used as garnish for soups and stew mixes. Bruno is talking West side of Khyadag East trench, view northeast. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 58 about getting a refrigerator into his camp to keep his meat fresh more than two days – maybe his conditions are different by the river than here, but ours lasts 5-6 days. I suspect it may be the beer that is the prime motivator in this case, even though the river is a good cold substitute. I’m starting to think Khyadag West may not get dug this year given the slower progress we are making having to dig so much deeper for the slag level in the site. We may also have to forgo the trip to Hovsgul – something I hoped we could do for Kyle especially, as most of the others have been there. 21 June, Saturday – Khyadag We have three and a half days left here and time is running out for doing everything we hoped for. The day sort of began on that somber note, encouraged by a low cloudy sky and light north breeze. We fi gured out we are going to have to get a few more kilos of meat, and of course a bunch of beer for a fi nal dinner at Bruno’s river camp where we’ll move to on the afternoon of the 24th, to celebrate with them and say goodbye to Nasaa, Songoo and Amraa and Baigel, who will be staying in Muren. At that point my dungarees will have been two weeks out of water and will be crying out desperately for some attention. This morning’s dig was cool and uneventful, other than a few bone and slag fi nds there is not much to say. The slag horizon appears weakly in the northern part of the block but really – at least so far hardly present. What we have been fi nding are quite a few broken horse teeth and bones of sheep/ goats and a few larger animals that have been broken for stewing or just while extracting marrow. Some appear to have been chewed by dogs – the larger ones, which suggest they lay exposed on the surface after discarded. There is no apparent pattern to their distribution – they are mostly clustered around the big deer stone, from just under the sod to 15-20cm deep on sterile gravel. They seem to be the remains of meals associated with the deer stones, and we found many last year in the area we excavated east of the deer stones. Their depths and pres- ervation is all the same, suggesting a single deposition with the stones. There is a curious wall-like con- struction angling eastward to the east of the big DS, paralleling last year’s dig. I wonder what that is all about? This afternoon we will fi nish clean- ing the second level and will map and photograph the rocks, then check under the stones, and then maybe start some mapping of Khyadag West, just in time for a small trench or a couple feature digs to see if we can get a C14 date for that site, which has some parallels and differences with K. East: a similar ring of surrounding boulders, but different style DS art, no mini deer stones or broken DS, and an outer ring of hearth circles. Perhaps we can fi nd a horse there, something that has eluded us at K. East. And I doubt there will be any slag deposits there! Khyadag West deer stone site, view north. Arctic Studies Center 59 Amraa made a good Italian version of the stan- dard Mongolian pasta and lamb potpourri-more or less with the same ingredients but using spaghetti and tomato paste rather than fl our (hand-made pie dough) cut noodles. It’s surprising how much pick- les add to these dishes. Everyone here gobbles up everything pickled! She also made a great potato salad yesterday. I’m getting pretty accustomed to eating the gristle and fat that comes with the bits of cut-up lamb but one thing I can still happily pass up is lamb-tail fat chunks. Even the marrow is fi ne, like melt-in-your-mouth butter. It’s 2:20 P.M.: siesta time for the crew during the hottest part of the day, and light snores are coming from the tents. I took the sunlight and low wind spell for a tub bath and minimal clothes wash. Some interesting folks visited us at the site in the afternoon, driving a fancy Japanese van with a driver named Byamba who speaks excellent English and works for Boojum Expeditions and its boss Kent Maiden, who Bruno and I roomed with in Telluride a couple years ago. Kent has a cabin upon the confl uence of the Shishged and the Tengis River that I’d like to visit sometime. Linnsie and her newly-wed husband Eddie are touring on their honeymoon, driving all over Mongolia and are headed for Hovsgul tonight. She seems pretty tired of driving on these roads and seemed ready to move in with us for some archae- ology, as that was her fi rst special fi eld at the University of Texas – in fact nautical archaeology – but now she is a cancer research specialist. We had a good talk with them and then got to work on fi nishing off our Area 3 excavation, which we mapped (Nasaa!) and photographed and then dug under the bottom level rocks. One surprise was fi nding quite a few slabs around some of the deer stones, and near some boulder features, as though there were small areas of pavement around the base of the deer stones. Digging below the slabs in several cases (DS-5,6,1) we found either small deposits of broken bones and splinters, or in DS-5 two snapped femurs of some khyadag West deer stone 2. Bones associated with Khyadag East deer stone. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 60 small mammal we could not iden- tify, and in DS-6 a piece of ceramic pot. Sasha had earlier found some small calcined bones at the south side of DS-12 (?#). So maybe we have some evidence of small ritual deposits at the bases of DS. What- ever it is is quite simple, but inter- esting and not known before. We also found more slag, but only along the A2/3 border, and little charcoal. But we kept fi nding broken animal bones, sometimes at the base of the deposit, so we should have plenty of dateable material. There were also two barrier-like linear constructions, one of large stacked rocks east of the large DS paralleling the 2007 excavation block, and the other consisting of only 2 vertically posi- tioned rectangular rocks, just west of the DS-3. There is also a large stacked rock feature along the west side of the excavation that could be a horse feature. We’ll uncover that tomorrow- hopefully our last digging day at K.E. By afternoon I’d like us to be at Khyadag West for mapping and exploration. Kyle wandered up to the forested hillside south of camp and explored the “taiga” forest a bit. 22 June, Sunday – Khyadag Amraa and Khataa are going into Muren today to get supplies and take back some unused cooking gear, to lighten the load for our transfer to Bruno’s camp on the 24th. She’s deputized Baigel as cook- for-the-day. Let’s hope the weather stays nice as we won’t have a van or Khataa handy for emergencies. I had to get up at about 3 A.M. and found it dead calm with a full moon and scattered clouds – light enough to dig, almost and very eerie. Com- pletely silent – this evening we should have built a bonfi re on the hilltop as part of the worldwide celebrations of the summer solstice! Which we seem to have forgotten completely! Perhaps that is what the beer Kyle pulled out of his pack was about, unconsciously! Maybe now that it’s offi cially summer the weather will change and north winds will cease. Khyadag East trench, view northeast. Khyadag West trench, view north. Arctic Studies Center 61 We got to work about 8:30, and Amraa and Khataa left an hour later with our unneeded cooking gear and stove; we’ve borrowed one from a neighbor for the next couple of days. Baigel will be our cook for lunch. The ‘blue truck’ ger people dropped by with their kids and had a look at our fi nds – say- ing “tumur” (iron) when they saw the slag plates and how hard they were. They also identifi ed the two bones that I fi rst thought were femurs as ribs! I guess of sheep, but I couldn’t get clear with them on that score. We found a few more food bone pieces in cleaning under the rocks in A3, but nothing special. Then we shifted over to Khyadag West and set up a grid and trench to excavate today and tomorrow. Nasaa began the site map. I returned to KE to fi nish photographing and making notes on the deer stones. The weather was cool, cloudy and nearly windless. Almost perfect conditions. We survived Baigel’s lunch (rice, “old” meat and leftovers thrown in), actually it was fi ne – as good as Amraa’s fare. We’re just teasing her about women’s/men’s work since she grew up in a ger and now is a city person and is not bound by all the old traditions. 23 June, Monday – Khyadag last full day! This morning is the fi rst with a completely cloudless sky and light wind, which bodes for a very hot day of fi nal KW excavations and KE backfi lling! Yesterday afternoon we started excavating KW and immediately started fi nding food bone in the trench we laid out from the big DS, across the circu- lar pavement of rocks to a circular feature just outside the ring pave- ment that looked like a horse burial. Sasha found a portion of a robust jaw or maxillary fragment of a large carnivore – perhaps a bear – near the base of the big DS. Then Moogi found burned and unburned sheep re- mains near the bottom of the circular feature, but it got too dark to fi nish it and see if it is a horse head. Much of it is charred – a fi rst time for that procedure, if so. We also started backfi lling KE – what a chore that is, with fl ying dust, and a shortage of turf for surface treatment. The morn- ing turned out bearable with clouds and a northern breeze. We fi nished digging the skull fragments in F. 1 about half of which were carbonized, and found very little that to us was identifi able – no horse teeth, that’s for sure and the bones seem too fragile for horse. Perhaps it’s the rest (skull) of the sheep/goat who was found in some other remains higher up in this feature. Other than the bones there was no sign of fi re. There was a nice pattern to the preparation of the feature, with large fl at rocks slanting down into bottom, like the features we dug in KE. We also fi nished clearing the soil from the 2nd level rocks and Nasaa mapped this and the feature and completed the map for the entire site. Two attempts to fi nd charcoal in 2 oval hearths west of the boulder ring have so far failed. No calcined bone fragments either. While we were fi nishing these tasks the boys put in some back-fi lling time on the KE site, whose dirt mounds are still quite extensive. Last night I sketched several of the KE deer stones and still have most of the small ones to do before Khyadag West Feature 1 horse burial. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 62 they get covered up. Yesterday a herder rode by with his fl ock of young sheep and goats, using his pole noose to keep them in order. It’s rare to see this technique. We’ve seen several people herding horses with motorbikes. After lunch we photographed and tossed out the second-level rocks and spent most of the afternoon digging down to sterile gravel. In the process we found several really interesting things, more of the carnivore Sasha had found next to the deer stone – plus several deceased marmots – and just at the north side of the DS fragments of the mandible of a dog or wolf, both sides, quite frag- mented. Here we also found a tiny metal blade – either bronze or iron, used to exhaustion – and on the other side of the stone (south) a bronze button with a bar attachment. Nasaa found the knife and Kyle the button. So once again the immediate vicinity of the DS seems to have had some special – and quite idiosyncratic – deposits. The trench yielded quite a few other bone fragments, most of which were splintered or broken for cooking. No other artifacts of any kind though. By 6:30 we had fi nished backfi lling Khyadag West and the boys took on the task of fi nishing the still large piles of earth at KE while I made some sketches of the KW deer stones. We fi nished everything in time for dinner at 8:30 after which the guys went for water for the usual Mongolian up- per body bath, bending over and having someone pour water over your head and shoulders. To celebrate the conclusion of the project we sat around a candle guttering in the breeze, drinking beer and telling stories, mostly about how many kinds of beer were available in the US and the price of cars, the students’ plans for the rest of the summer and their careers. Moogie is going on to work this summer with the Korean Monsoc Project. Sataa and Nasaa have no special plans and Amraa will return to her job in a clothing shop in Muren. Khataa hopes to be driving for Paula DePriest in a few weeks. Lkhagva Ochir, head of ger camp nearby and a relative of Khatbaatar’s provided much help (and yogurt!) to us. 24 June, Tuesday – Khyadag to river camp Our last night was overcast but warm and this lasted all day long. We packed up and by some mir- acle Khataa managed to pack everyone and everything into the van. We returned the tent poles and said goodbye to our local host, Ochir, and in only about 30 minutes were near Bruno’s camp when we met him leaving on his way for supplies in Muren. We set up our camp and soon left for Muren leaving Kyle and Moogie holding the fort. I had not realized that Sodoo and Nasaa would be leaving today and was surprised to discover this in Muren when we arrived and I hardly had enough money to pay them; then I had trouble getting $150 in US cash exchanged so we could buy bread and groceries – principally beer for the evening get-together. Khan Bank would not take any bills – even new ones that had a fold in them from a wallet. But a small exchange shop in town did and so we Khyadag west at base of deer stone 1, bronze button and metal knife blade. Arctic Studies Center 63 were in business and had lunch at the usual restau- rant, said goodbyes to Nasaa and Sodoo and were off bouncing our way to Burentogtoh, the sum cen- ter whose name had become a game over the past several days. Khataa was at his usual breakneck driving style which was a good reminder of what it will be like for the next two days on our way to UB – not the easy-fl ow Tserenam way. In Muren the entire town was bustling with activity of all sorts. A large political rally was taking place with many black cars, white shirt and dark slacks-wearing men, and political banners for the socialist-leaning PRI party fl ying. Everywhere in town slogans and the “milk tea” song were blaring on loud-speakers and pamphlets were being passed out. The ride to Burentogtokh was no less ‘exciting’ with Khataa careening down the potholed track hunched over the wheel, spinning it back and forth, grinning and talking with Amraa, who had decided to come since it was her last day with us. The political tenor of Burentogtoh was quite different, but political nonetheless. We found the sum admin- istration building dark and almost empty, but one offi ce that was occupied was the governor’s, where we had a cordial reception with a twinkle-eyed man who is an amateur historian and culture buff and has traveled widely in Mongolia -- his name is Jamiyanris Purevjal. He welcomed our work and hoped for our success and return next year when he would have more time for chatting about our results than now when he was about to run off for political interviews and events. He was good to spend as much time with us as he did. He wrote us a fi ne note for the record, stamped it and wishes us well. It probably helped that Sasha was born in his sum. On the way out of town we decided to try the river ford, and after I waded across fi nding it passable the van came across smartly, saving two hours of fuel and driving. No shades of Bayan Ulgii here – stalled engines and stranded vehicles in the streams! Hurray team Hovsgul! Back at camp, Bruno and his fi eld teams were back, Bruno complain- ing vehemently about the high Khyadag west showing Feature 1 horse burial. Crew at Khyadag East, L to R: Sodoo, Kyle, Amaraa, Sasha, Nasaa, Khadaa, Tseeree, Ayush, Bayaraa, and Mogi. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 64 prices but now his cook tent looks like a market itself, with bags of potatoes, carrots, and some very good looking (and later with his cook’s help-tasting) red and green peppers. We put two sacks of beer cans in the river to chill and started a long round-up with Kyle, Bruno, his son Thomas, Thomas’ child- hood friend Sam, and Michael, a student of Bruno’s colleague Judith from the Univ. of Auckland, New Zealand – who of course had many Doug Sutton stories. Dinner went on into the rest of the evening, ending with a campfi re gathering of both teams – Tugsoo and 3 other students – a bit of volleyball promoted by Amraa and Baigal who had bought a volleyball in Muren the other day. Eventually Bruno gave in and postponed the morning’s fi eld team departure to 8:30 (from 6:30 or earlier) and the khirigsuur team threw themselves into a new round of stories, beer, and fi re-coaxing. This after we had convinced Tugsoo to relax his no fi re ban to conserve fi rewood, stop devastating the willows lining the river, etc. – so at the instigation of our feisty ladies we had a real nice evening and retired around 11:30 with Amraa and Baigel still chatting away in their tent. Fortunately no ex- cess drinking this year! 25 June, Wednesday – River camp to Ulziit We were up about 7 and pretty soon wide awake with Bruno’s Starbucks coffee. Gradually his team assembled, had a bite to eat and at 8:30 left for work at some khirigsuurs about halfway between Khyadag and camp. We had to wait for Khataa’s arrival from Muren, and so Amraa made up some beef and rice and a pot full of cooked rice for us to use at dinner on the road, with a couple of cans of stew meat. Khataa came about 9:30 and we left at 10:00, stopping in Muren to drop off Amraa, whom I paid for her 20 days work, checked at the ger camp for my missing wash cloth (gone) and checked in with the governor’s offi ce for our (probably unnecessary) permit sign-out clearance. All that duly done, we bought $125 worth of gas and oil and got on the road at 12:30. It had been threat- ening rain all morning, and by the time we got to the Selenge we were dodging thunderheads and showers and continued to do so until evening. We managed to miss the big ones, but the road got more puddled as we proceeded, and it’s supposed to get muddier as we get closer to UB, where big fl oods have been reported with the river 40 feet above normal – if that can be believed. All the way we were met by taxi vans full of people coming back to Muren from UB, perhaps to vote, or just ‘returning’ for summer. We must have seen 8-10 vans. The road down the hill on the south side of the Selenge was a bit muddy and some vans that were very full of people had them walk rather than ride down the hill. They have to do this most of the time in winter – I can’t imagine how the vans get down that hill at all in winter. We found a Chinese grader covering the trench for the internet cable that is being laid across a huge stretch of country between Rashaant and Ulziit (and maybe farther) making an ugly stripe across the valleys and hills alongside the road. Baigel, our translator from Muren at Selenge River hill. Arctic Studies Center 65 We got to Ulziit about 8 and had dinner in one of the restaurants there (with the foulest latrines I’ve had the chance to visit) and camped in an old winter herder’s camp a couple of miles out of town. I can hear the dogs in town and see its lights. The camp is right in the middle of several khirigsuurs and possibly square burials, and one khirigsuur seems to have a whole series of horse burials. The ground is covered with aromatic herbs. The very pungent ones with carrot-top like leaves, and vicious thistle thorn bushes. We were soon visited by the local herder on a pretty pinto (many-colored is the Mongolian name) who seemed like an interesting, crusty sort of fel- low. I had to give up my plan of fi nding a high hilltop camp for our last night out in the country, faced with Khataa’s more or less insis- tence that we stick to the road area and not lose time because of the problem we may face tomorrow. So we’re to rise and go at 6 A.M. It seems like the storms have passed, at least for now. 26 June, Thursday – Ulziit to Ulaanbaatar We had a quiet and very aromatic night with stars and a half moon, with the neighing of horses in the distance. Baigel could not light the dung she had collected for a breakfast cup of tea/coffee, so we struck out right away, around 5:40 into a very beautiful country of green (amazing?!) grass. It was mostly horse country at least this time of year. We followed a ‘country road’ that had led to our camp area, but it soon took us too far east and Khataa had to spend 30 minutes backtracking to the south before we found the right, heavily-trav- eled ‘road,’ whose weaving tracks were out into the green pasture like a loosely-braided strings of brown track slashes in a sea of green. Eventually we reached the east- west road, but it was not until 10 that we got to the fi rst town and gas station, which had run out. This was the start of the paved road and the 35 kilometers to the next town was a bit uncertain as far as fuel was concerned. Following this stretch was the long and gritty section that just a few days ago had been hit by Kyle says ‘goodbye’ to the Selenge River Valley. Pumping gas at Khairkhan. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 66 torrents of rains. All along the way we had been pulling up to taxi vans Khataa knew asking about the road ahead. The an- swer was variable, but the vans were getting through, all chock full with people returning to Muren or their towns to vote. We soon discovered the problem, within the fi rst 100 yards of the “new road” spotting a truck whose tires has sunk to their centers in the soft shoulder. It seems that the road-builders had not used much if any crushed rock or its natu- ral equivalent, in the road bed and the entire thing had turned to mush, draining away in rivulets as run-off from the roadbed, which had not yet been paved. So that was also pocked with potholes and could not be driven on by anything but large heavy trucks. For the next 50 miles the road area was a wasteland of muddy tracks criss-crossing the land on both sides of the ‘highway’ full of small lakes and mud holes and stranded vehicles. One poignant scene we passed was a small town car mired to its fl oor with a young man trying – to no effect – to gain some traction but hope- lessly stuck, with his aged father in a deel, standing by, greatly bow-legged, while the mother sat in the driver seat spinning the wheels as though in butter. Other cars and trucks were abandoned in the worst places. Somehow Khataa piloted us through the mud maze until we reached the outskirts of UB, where the glorious road – one of the centerpieces of modern Mongolia – was being prepared for its blacktop and inauguration, undoubtedly timed to be open at the election in a couple of days. This section of road seemed to be built properly, but as you got further from UB shoddy work took over. Of course natural forces have an im- pact, but storms and fl oods are part of Mongolian life and have to be dealt with – adequate culverts, not building roads in the bottom of fl ood basins, etc. are part of proper plans – all voided in the case of corrupt practices. Once in town we found the “guest- house” near the government store easily, and its interesting mix of travelers, students, and an older California man who was an aspir- ing journalist without credentials yet Amaraa and Khataa cooking last Khyadag supper. Khirigsuur damaged by road construction along the East-West highway. Arctic Studies Center 67 who was exploring a new life here and in China. He once worked for Nick Hellmeth, a Mesoameri- can archaeologist who had been in grad school with me and who seems to have since then found himself in trouble with ethics issues. This place is not classy like Zaya’s but its fi ne, and you can wash clothes, have a hot shower and cook your own meals. The wireless internet has not worked for me – yet. We got the equipment back into storage in the caverns of the museum basement, which is a maze of double-padlocked doors after the thefts, and then paid Khataa, Moogi, and Baigel. Supper was at a garish place full of Mongolians eating western type food. I arranged to see Adiya tomorrow and to have lunch with Orgilmaa, who was surprised to get my call. Kyle and I did some email and hit the sack. Fortunately the electioneering has quieted down. Our guesthouse is part of a commercial complex including a night-club, travel agency and UB Deli restaurant – quite a mix of businesses; all probably fairly marginal fi nancially. Our double room is $32/night. 27 June, Friday – Ulaanbaatar There was a crowd of Koreans outside the guesthouse this morning waiting to get in to the next building for medical care – it’s an outpatient center for elderly Koreans. We had breakfast at the UB Deli restaurant affi liated with the guesthouse. It took us forty minutes to get served a couple of eggs with a salad and potato chips. We then rushed to the museum to meet Sasha, who showed up in a suit as he was also “called” to the Ministry of Culture for some business out of UB. With translation help from Dembereldorj, the foreign relations offi cial at the museum, I paid him his salary and then worked with Kyle on the excavation collections, selecting radiocarbon samples – charcoal, bone, and tooth. Unfortunately Bayaraa had locked up the Altai materials, unless I have put them in some spe- cial place I have forgotten about! I had arranged to have lunch with Orgilmaa and she showed up in her usual fl air – in a green outfi t. She’s doing very well with her language schools and related activi- ties: textbook, student exchanges, and other projects. Her daughter is on her vacation from the States where she is in her last year at Strayer University in Virginia outside D.C., and her granddaughter. Her son is now fi nishing high school and has applied to Middlebury College where he is on the wait- ing list for the fall. We ate at the French Bistro where she had eaten last winter and was poisoned by salmonella in bad eggs. She says she almost died and lost many kilos. The eggs remaining in her fridge were tested and confi rmed poisonous, and she was offered a free meal from the restaurant – some deal! So I understood her hesitation when I suggested the lunch place. I spent the rest of the afternoon starting to photograph the collections and Xerox the many pages of fi eld notes, with assistance from Tsogoo, the museum’s education offi cial and assistant to Director Saruulbuyan. We had supper with Ogie, Adiya, and Tuul-his wife in a nice small restaurant on Peace Avenue a few blocks from Zaya’s. The best restaurant food I had yet in Mongolia. After dinner we dropped in to say hi to Zaya, who was still searching for the meaning of life and had a full house of guests. 28 June, Saturday – Ulaanbaatar I spent nearly the entire day at the museum photographing our collections & getting the notes fi n- ished. Sasha came by for an hour to show me his DS drawings from Khyadag, because I had never fi nished my drawings before the boys started back-fi lling. We have a numbering and mapping prob- lem with some of the DS in A2/3 at KE that Bayaraa will have to fi x as I was digging features when they were moving and mapping stones. Kyle went walking around town, visiting the Gandan Monas- tery and shopping. Toward late afternoon some American college girls came by the museum to talk about their plans to ride horses and write articles about the Tsaatan in Hovsgul and/or Darkhad. They had heard about our work at a British Friday evening embassy party from Orgilmaa Dooloojin and Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 68 were searching for advice and story ideas – more people here as wanderers with literary aspirations! They had grown up on ranches and planned to buy horses and get a guide and travel through the country, writing and taking photos. Maybe they will bump into Paula somewhere. Ayush had invited us to dinner to a “deer emblem” restaurant and so we had another pleasant evening with him and Adiya before more e-mail and bed. Today was a holiday, the day before the parliamentary elections and there was little traffi c or activity of any kind around town. 29 June, Sunday – Ulaanbaatar to USA C14 Samples  USA 1. Tsagaan Asga Hearth F3(2) charcoal 2. Khoton khirig. 333 18 char. 3. Ts. Chuulot F4- bone and char. 4. Lake Khoton 333 small hearth char. 5. Lake Khoton 333 upper level H18 char. 6. On Khad sq. khir. horse canine-tooth 7. Bor Hujiriin Gol-1 F1 2 char. Samples 8. Bor Hujiriin Gol-1 F2? Horse tooth 9. Bor Hujiriin Gol-1 F4- bone, char. 10. Bor Hujiriin Gol-2 char. and calcined bone 11. Khushuutin Gol F1 char. 12. Khushuutin Gol F2 horse canine 13. Khushuutin Gol A3 F3 tooth 14. Khushuutin Gol F6 char. 15. Khyadag East A3 horse teeth #32 16. Khyadag East A3 rib #45 (DS-5) 17. Khyadag East A3 #39 bone 18. Khyadag East A3 F1 teeth (4) 19. Khyadag East A2 -12cm char. 20. Khyadag East S 13-14/E 0-1 slag char. 21. Khyadag East DS-12 burned bone 22. Khyadag East A2 char. Near #10,17 23. Khyadag East A2 general sample char. 12S/1-3E 24. Khyadag East A2 F5 bone 25. Khyadag East A2 50 north of #13 char. 26. Khyadag East A2 under rocks 12-15S/1-4E 27. Khyadag West F1 bone 28. Khyadag West #8 bone base level Last day in UB and it’s another cool and partially sunny day, with a quick thunderstorm at midday that caught Kyle returning from the art museum. We had our fi nal breakfast at the UB Delicates- sen, part of our guesthouse complex and where we see most of the guests too. I also fi nished catch- ing up on email and picked out charcoal from the soil samples from the Altai. We have enough for some good dates – all we need now is money, since I have 28 viable samples. There could be some really interesting surprises here. After the shower we walked down toward the river, getting mixed up in lots of new and renovated construction including several sports complexes and the Mongolian national headquarters for their Olympic Committee. There’s lots of new residential construction here also. We got into a dead end and never made it to the river, so returned to town and had a lunch at Arctic Studies Center 69 the overpriced Irish Pub, whose food is pretty good. Then to our quarters and a nap before fi nish- ing packing. Adiya arrived with a car and his family to drive us to the airport at 9:00. The goodbyes came too quickly, and we were into the maw of security – no problems getting the samples through, fortunately. The fl ight was in a big A330 Air-bus very comfortable and not too crowded. It’s the fi rst time I think I’ve seen a wide-body plane on this route, so maybe travel to Mongolia is picking up. We arrived in Seoul at 3:30 A.M. Some questions: 1. Relation of slag deposits to deer stone component. They seem stratigraphically deeper but there is little to securely determine the stratigraphic level of DS horizon. 2. Compass orientation of DS – Bill Stewart hypothesis of winter solstice. I forgot to get this data on the Khuushootii Gol and Khyadag DS sites. 3. Votive deposits seem to appear at the base of most DS’s. Are they contemporary with con- struction? 4. Why the deep burial of pavement rocks at Khyadag? – up to 30-40cm or more. These pave- ments seem to be ‘pavements’ for ritual meals and not a series of clustered features as they sometimes appear from the surface rock patterns. However features are sometimes present. 5. What is difference in pavement food rituals and circular hearths? – calcined bone in circular hearths and unburned bone food fragments on pavements. 6. To do: a. Get bones identifi ed b. Get horse remains studied c. C14 dates Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 70 Bor Hujiriin Gol-4.+ PART III Field Notes and Maps1 1. On Khad/Mogoit, Tsengel Sum, Bayan Ulgii 2. Biluut 1, 2, 3, Tsengel Sum, Bayan Ulgii 3. Tsagaan Asga, Sagsai Sum 4. Burentogtokh, Burentogtokh Sum 5. Bor Hujiriin Gol, Tsagaan Uul Sum 6. Khushuutiin Gol, Tsagaan Uul Sum 7. Khyadag East, Burentogtokh Sum 8. Khyadag West, Burentogtokh Sum 1 These maps and fi gures have been transcribed from fi eld notes by Kyle Strickland and Barbara Betz. Arctic Studies Center 71 16 horse mounds Single rock fence No hearths Figure 1 25 May 2008 On Khad/Mogoit Site (Jeland in Kazakh) Figure 2 25 May 2008 On Khad/Mogoit Site 75 m SW of khirigsuur shown on the left M M MWIDEFENCE WITH UPRIGHTOUTERSTONES BOULDER M Ž DEPRESSEDCENTER HEARTHRINGS CMWIDE PAVEMENT Figure 4 27 May 2008 Khoton Lake Survey site near Biluut 1 FEATURES Ž M . Structure #9 Round khirigsuur, undisturbed GPS 331 2102 m N 48º 38.479/E 88º 22.485 Inner diameter: 8.3 m Outer diameter: 21.6 m Ž EXPOSEDCOBBLE PLAZAPAVEMENT Figure 3 29 May 2008 Roadside D.S. leaving Lake Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 72 Figure 7 27 May 2008 Lake Khoton Possible deer stone on east side of Structure #12 Grey greywacke? Friable surface, rough Square base, angled top GPS 333 2099 m N 48° 38.183/E 88° 23.148 CMLONG CM Figure 8 27 May 2008 Lake Khoton Turkic 3 box grave complex (Structure #25) Standing slabs align with center of mound #24 to east GPS 344 2109 m N 48° 36.683/E 88° 26.060 ² ² Three small slab boxes with slab markers 30 m north of turkic grave complex (Structure #26) . LARGEGRAVESETTING 3TRUCTURE Figure 6 28 May 2008 Biluut 2E Grave ring with inner upright slab rock . Figure 5 26 May 2008 Biluut 2 Survey XM BOULDERFEATURE Turkic rectang. and large slab on sandy ridge GPS 324 2081 m N 48º 39.116/E 88º 19.669 Ž M M SMALLPOND MGREENSLATESLAB Arctic Studies Center 73 Figure 9 28 May 2008 Lake Khoton Near Biluut 3 Hearth #123 Bone and charcoal in upper brown soil No artifacts or real cultural level Associated with khirigsuur 333 . M M M M CM CM CM ,EVELS     ,EVELS 3OD CMTHICK 3ANDYHUMICSOILWITH CULTURALLEVELATBASE SANDYTANSOIL 'RAVELLYSAND CMLONGSLATESLABON HEARTHFLOOR BURNEDBONE CHARCOAL SLATESLABONHEARTHFLOOR Figure 12 6 June 2008 Burentogtogh Sum Center Deer stone Moved in 1902 from the side of a mountain to the south to its present location in town GPS 352 1380 m N 49° 37.160/E 99° 35.249 Figure 10 28 May 2008 Biluut 1E Biluut 1E rock art drawings Figures like this resemble Nenet, seida idols and BA pendants 4 or 5 of these at one spot  CM M . Mini Hearth #1 (K. Strickland) Depth to base of excavation is 10cm. Silty sand. Nothing found; no stains or bone or charcoal Figure 11 1 June 2008 Tsagaan Asga Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 74  "ROKENFRAGMENTS vXvPIECEDTOGETHER v v  6ERYFAINTPECKINGSANDGOUGEDLINESNEED PLASTICTRACING  &RAGMENTIN'ROUND 0ECKEDCIRCLE v v 3AND 3AND  &ALLEN EMBEDDEDDEERSTONE 6ERYFAINTOUTLINESOFREARHALVESOFMONGOLIANDEER v v  4ILTEDSTONEWITHCIRCLETILTEDTOSOUTH vHXvW  3TANDINGDEERSTONELEANINGTOEAST vHXvW  &ALLEN EMBEDDEDDEERSTONE FROM ABOVETOPTOSOUTH vLXvW  &ALLENSTONEPINKGRANITE WITHŽ GOUGES hNECK LACEv vLXvWFROMABOVE  !LMOSTFALLENGRANITEWITHCIRCLENEARTOP LEAN INGSOUTH vHXvW Tsagaan Asga Deer Stones - Drawn by Richard Kortum Arctic Studies Center 75 #12 Fallen grey-green deer stone, top lying to south (from above) 50” l x ?? #10 Lying green stone, embedded in sand, with 2 circular “starburst” figures on upper face 60” l x 21” w NW ??  4ALL STANDING THINGRANITENORTHFACE vHXvW #15 South face  4ALL THINQUARTZYGREYSTONESOUTH FACE vHXvW #17 Tall, thin pink granite (south face) 84” h x 26” w #18 Fallen, slanted grey stone 48” l x 20” w #19 Lying grey stone, embedded in sand and grass (upper surface from above) 44” l x ?? #11 Tilted stone with ibex (+ graffiti) 56” l x 20” w x 38”h Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 76 B or H uj iri in G ol 1 T sa ga an U ul S um B ay ar sa ik ha n’ s S ite M ap Arctic Studies Center 77 $EER3TONECM $EER3TONECM GROUND SURFACE $EER3TONECM $EER3TONE $EER3TONECM $EER3TONECM $EER3TONE % 3 7 . % . 3 7 . 3 % 3 % % 3 3 % MANYROCKSAROUNDTHE BASE 7ESTSIDEDIFFICULT TOREAD DEER TOTAL PITSINBELT 7ESTAND.ORTH SIDESAREBADLY ERODED SINGLEBELTGROOVE AROUNDSTONE BUTNO OTHEROBJECTS 7ESTAND.ORTHSIDES TOOERODEDTOREAD LYINGONSURFACE 7ESTAND.ORTHSIDESNOTRECORDED 7ESTISTOOERODEDAND)DIDNOTHAVE TIMEFORNORTH INDISTINCTSPOTTED LEOPARD DEERHEAD RESTUNDER 4HEREAREMANYSPLITS INTHISSTONEENDANGERINGIT Bor Hujiriin Gol 1 Tsagaan Uul Sum GPS #355 2021 in N 49 °44.269’, E 98°17.826’ June 8, 2008, W. Fitzhugh drawings SPALLED SURFACE $EER3TONECM AXEORKNIFENOCIRCLES PITS ETC Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 78 Bor Hujiriin Gol 2 Tsagaan Uul Sum Arctic Studies Center 79 $3  Bor Hujiriin Gol 2 9 June 2008 GPS 356, 2043m N 49°44.436’ E 98°17.515’ We mapped this site and excavated a boulder feature that turned out to be a hearth with charcoal and burned (calcined) bone, not a horse burial. Several horse features probably exist here but we only had time for one excavation. WF/Sasha’s drawing of Bor Hujiriin Gol-2 Deer Stone #1, 9 June 2008  CM ,ICHEN CM TALL 73%. $3  %.73   CM (EAVYLICHEN 'UANOONTOP .OMAJOR SPALLING BUTNOT EVENLY FINISHED (EAVY CAPOF GUANO CM² FROM$3 CM Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 80 Bor Hujiriin Gol 2 Feature 1 9 june 2008 Bor Hujiriin Gol 3 10 July 2008 Deer Stone 1 Granite GPS 357 2017 m N 49º 46.078’ E 98º 17.469’ Bor Hujiriin Gol 3 10 July 2008 Deer Stone 2 Granite Fallen on side 2 m north of DS 1 Arctic Studies Center 81 Khushuutiin Gol Map A Drawn by J. Bayarsaikhan $3 $3 $3 $3 $3 $3 $3 Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 82 Khushuutiin Gol Map B Drawn by J. Bayarsaikhan Located immediately NW of Map A Arctic Studies Center 83 Khushuutiin Gol Deer Stones (WF Drawings) $3  $3  GROOVE WITH PITS POLISHED FACE NOMARKS DEER DEER WHITEGRANITE XXCM ² ² XXCM DEER POLISHED FACE 7 3 3 { % 7 $3  ² PARTLYBURIED INGROUND PINKGRANITE XXCM 6OLKOVEXCAVATED 6OLKOVEXCAVATED BOTH LYINGONGROUND WHITEGRANITEHASHIGHLYPOLISHEDCARVINGS $3  WHITEGRANITE POLISHEDFACE CARVINGS TOOFAINT UNDERGROUND NOT WORKED % 3 7 . 3 7. $3 STANDING FEWMARKS MANYBIRDDROPPINGS LEANING² TOTHEWEST XXCM BROKEN TOP  WHITEGRANITEANDPERFECT RECTANGULARCROSS SECTION XXCM ,OTSOFPOLISHONUPPERPARTOFDEERSTONE )RREGULARSURFACE NOATTEMPTTOFINISHTHECARVING SURFACE $3  GREYGRANITELYINGONSURFACE XXCM MAXMEASURES % 3 UNFINISHED BASE $3 LYINGONSURFACE PINKGRANITE XXCM $3  LARGECRYSTALLINE TANGRANITE TOOERODED TOREADANYTHING BUTTHEDOWN SIDESHOWED THIS  HORSES SEE6OLKOV HORSES SEE6OLKOV TOP ² XXCM LYINGONTHEGROUND  CHEVRON UNWORKED UNWORKED Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 84 3MALL$3 ABOUTM7OFMAIN +HUSHUUTIIN'OLSITE CMLONG ,YINGONSURFACEWITHNOFEATURES AROUND Khushuutiin Gol 13 June 2008 (WF Drawings) $3  "LUEGRANITELYINGONSURFACE HEAVYCARBONATESCALECOVERSMUCHOFTHISSTONE "ASE TOPMAY BE BROKEN OFF IENO NECKLACEETC XXCM $3 GREYGRANITE BROKENCMABOVEGROUND XXCM $3 BLUEGRANITEXXCM UNMARKEDSLABINCLININGTOWARD.% SURROUNDEDBYACIRCLEOFSMALLSTANDING SLABSANDOTHERROCKS $3 "LUEGRANITE$3LYINGONSURFACE EXCAVATEDFROMDEPRESSIONMTO.% hFLAKEDvINPREPARATIONXXCM $3 BLUEGRANITESLAB WITHDEERENGRAVING POSSIBLYPARTOFADEERSTONE $RAWNBY"AYARSAIKHAN Arctic Studies Center 85 Khushuutiin Gol-1 13 June 2008 Feature 6 .OCALCINEDBONE NOHORSEHEAD !NICESMALLSAMPLEOFCHARCOAL CAMEFROM CMBELOW SURFACEINTHEEASTERNENDOFTHE SQUAREATINTERFACEBETWEENTHE BROWNANDSTERILESILTYTANSOIL CMBELOWTANSILTWASSTERILE SANDYGRAVEL ,EVEL % . $3  . $3  ,EVEL 4HISLOOKEDLIKEANICEHORSEBURIAL FEATURE EVENINTHEARRANGEMENT OFFLATROCKSIN,EVEL BUTNOTHING WASFOUND& & & & Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 86 HIGH ROCK HIGH GREY ROCK DEER STONE TOP HIGHGREY ROCK HIGH GREY ROCK SITEBASELINEh.ORTHv 7 . . % . . 7 % Khushuutiin Gol DS-Site Feature 2 11 June 2008 Arctic Studies Center 87 HORSESKULL APPEARED HERE 4HISISONEOFTHEMOREDISTINCTCIRCULARROCKFEATURESEASTOFTHEDEERSTONEGROUPIN!4HEY SEEMEDLIKEASOLIDPAVEMENTOFROCKS BUTTHEYMAYBEJUSTCLOSELY SPACEDINDIVIDUAL hHORSEvBURIALS4HESEFEATURESCLUSTERAROUNDTHEDEERSTONES&EATUREWASMADEOFROUNDED COBBLES RATHERSMALLONESMOSTLY7HENWECLEAREDTHESURFACE WEFOUNDANOUTERRINGOF ROUNDEDSTONES ARINGOFTHINVERTICALSTONESANDINSIDETHATSOMELARGEROCKSANDFLATSTONES SLANTINGINWARDTOWARDTHECENTER5NDERONEOFTHELARGECENTERROCKSTHETOPOFTHECRANIUM APPEARED4HEATLASVERTEBRAEWASINLOOSEGRAVELCMSOUTHOFTHE3%FACINGSKULL VERTEBRAETIGHT TOTHESKULLONITSNORTHSIDEANDHOOFPARTSONEITHERSIDEOFTHENOSE!TLASWASINPOORCONDITION BUTTHERESTOFTHESKULLWASSOLID3OFARNOSIGNOFTHEJAW SMALL ROCKS & & & & & & SMALL ROCKS 32 32 32 SMALL ROCKS . . 7 7 . . 7 7 Khushuutiin Gol Feature 3 A3 11 June 08 Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 88 Khyadag East Deer Stones (WF drawings) $3 CMABOVEGROUND $3 CM $3 CMABOVEGROUND 37.% 37.% 37.% SPLIT CONCAVE DISC $3  CM ABOVE GROUND GROUND LEVEL EXCAVATED BASE 37.%   $3 PINKGRANITE NOMARKSBROKEN CMABOVEGROUND $3  BELTCM BELOW SURFACE 37.% BROKEN Arctic Studies Center 89 $3 Khyadag East (WF copied from Sasha’s notes $3  $3  NOMARKS CM  CM  CM ERODEDTOP CM CM $3  "ROKEN$3 A BROKEN LYING ONGROUND CM CM CM $3 A CM CM LYINGONGROUND PARTIALLYEXPOSED  FITS $3F $3 A 3OMEQUESTIONABOUT IDENTIFICATIONHERE CM CM CM TOPNOT FOUND SEE $3#.  PHOTO BASEFORTHISISCMFROMABASE ITSBASELOCATEDINWEST  3 % 7 TOPVIEWS LOCATEDNEAR 3WALL ANOTHERSTONE FOUNDBY 3ASHA Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 90        M ² 7ELAIDOUTAGRIDXMETERSTOENCOMPASSMOSTOFTHEAREAWEWANTEDTOMAPANDINVESTIGATETHISYEAR ,ASTYEARS EXCAVATIONOFAROCKPAVEMENTEASTOF$3 PRODUCEDSOMEBONESAMPLES ONEOFWHICHWEDATEDAT"0PROBABLY AHORSETOOTHFRAGMENT 4HISYEARWEWANTEDTOEXCAVATEALARGERAREATOCHECKONTHESITELAYOUT THEMANYSMALLBROKEN DEERSTONESFOUNDLASTYEAR ANDSEEIFWECOULDREFINETHEDATINGOFTHELARGEANDSMALLDEERSTONES7ESELECTEDAXM BLOCKTOEXCAVATETODAY FROM MWHERETHEMAJORITYOFTHESMALLDEERSTONESWERELOCATED!LMOSTIMMEDIATELYWE FOUNDABURIED$3ANDSOONANOTHER OFMEDIUMSIZE ONEOFWHICHFITSTHEBROKENEXPOSEDSTUBOFA$3WEMAPPEDLAST YEARANDTHESECOND WHOSEBROKENBASEWEFOUNDCMBELOWTHESURFACENEARTHEBASEOFTHEFALLENSTONE4HESEARE GREATNEWFINDSANDTHEYSUGGESTMUCHMOREISUNDERTHESURFACE &EATURE!CLUSTEROFLARGEROCKINROUGHLYCIRCULARARRANGEMENTWITHSEVERALOFTHELARGESTINTHEOUTER"ENEATHONEWE FOUNDFOURBADLY PRESERVEDTEETHYOUNGHORSE CMBELOWTHESURFACE!NASHYDEPOSITALSOEXISTEDATTHISLEVEL RIGHT ATTHEBASEOFTHETANGRAVELLYSOILANDTHEWHITECARBONATEDEPOSITS.OCHARCOAL BONEOROTHERSIGNSOFCULTURALMATERIALS THETEETHWEREINAROWANDMUSTHAVEBEENPARTOFAJAWOROTHERBONEMATERIALTHATHADDISAPPEARED &EATURE!ROUGHLYLENTICULAR SHAPEDBOULDERFEATUREMADEOFSMALLFISTTOHEADSIZE ROCKS5NDERTHESEROCKSTHE BROWNORGANICSOILWASINTACTATTHEEASTENDOFTHEFEATURE &EATURE$EERSTONEWASBADLYWEATHEREDASAREMOSTOFTHESE+HYADAGSTONES,YINGHEADTOTHESOUTHWITHITSBROKEN ENDCM37OFITSABOVE GROUNDBROKENBASE STILLINPLACE&EATURESASLIGHTLY INCLINEDTOPWELL MARKEDNECKLACEPITS CIRCLEEARRINGSBELTGROOVEWITHONEAXE#ONDITIONOFSURFACEPOOR TWOSLASHESONFACE &EATURE$EERSTONELYINGBENEATHTURF TOPTO.7 SLIGHTLYINCLINEDTOP-ARKINGSCIRCLEEARRINGS BELTGROOVE NECKLACE PITS#ONDITIONOFSTONEANDSURFACEPOOR Khyadag East DS Site 16 June 2008 & && & M Arctic Studies Center 91 $ 3  &E AT UR E  &E AT UR E  %%%%%%%% &E AT UR E  &E AT UR E  !2 %! !  $ 3  $ 3   $ 3  $ 3 A   $ 3  $ 3 $ 3  F  $ 3 B  $ 3  B$ 3  A !2 %! !  !2 %! !  N OT E XC AV AT ED &E AT UR E  A FTE RC LE AR IN G  3 %  3 % 3 %  3  3  3  3  3  3  3  3  3  3 3  3  3  3  3  3 $ 3   C M A BO VE G RO UN D X   X  4 OP M ISS IN G % RO DE D / NL Y BE LT GR OO VE P RE SE NT $ 3 A B   CM A BO VE G RO UN D X   X  0 IN K GR AN ITE " RO KE N AT G RO UN D LE VE LA BO VE B EL T "A DL Y PR ES ER VE D " EL TG RO OV E ON LY P RE SE NT 4 OP A NG LE SF OR W AR D %A ST $ 3   C M A BO VE G RO UN D X   X  0 IN K GR AN ITE % RO DE D 4O P M ISS IN G " EL TG RO OV E PR ES EN T ON E BE LT AP PE ND AG E RE CT AN GU LA RS HA PE O N . OR TH SI DE  $ 3    CM A BO VE G RO UN D X   X  0 IN K GR AN ITE 4 OP B RO KE N AB OV E PI TS B UT P RE SE NT 3 OU TH S SID E TO P SP AL LE D OF FB UT P RE SE NT # IRC LE B EL TA ND B OW O N . OR TH SI DE  O N %A ST $ 3  S M AL LP OS SIB LE $ 3 BA SE B RO KE N BE LO W G RO UN D SU RF AC E . O M AR KS   X  C M $ 3    CM A BO VE G RO UN D X   X  0 IN K GR AN ITE 4 OP M ISS IN G " EL TG RO OV E AT G RO UN D LE VE L. OR TH SI DE B AD LY SP AL LE D $ 3    CM A BO VE G RO UN D X   X  . O M AR KS % RO DE D . OT E XC AV AT ED 0 IN K GR AN ITE $ 3   IN !  5 ND ER GR OU ND RO UN DE D TO P AP PE AR SI NT AC T  X   L W 0 IN K GR AN ITE 0 OS SIB LE $ 3 K hy ad ag E as t A re as A 1, A 2, a nd A 6    "O NE P IE CE S&   C M #H AR CO AL P IE CE  CM &  "L AC K FLI NT U TIL IZ ED FL AK E  YO UN G HO RS E  T EE TH  C M &  $ EE R3 TO NE &  $ EE R3 TO NE &  3M AL LC AL CI NE D BO NE FR AG M EN TS  C M  CM 3 7 O F$ 3 IN G RE Y SA ND Y SO IL        "O X LIK E SE TT IN G OF SM AL L$ EE R3 TO NE SI N !  7 HA TP UR PO SE P AT TE RN FO RT HI SA RR AN GE M EN T $ EE R3 TO NE S    A AL IG N . 3 /   RI GH TA NG LE W ITH $ 3  $ 3  . 3 W ITH $ 3  4H IS AR EA IN SID E BO X 3A SH A EX CA VA TE D TO    C M B EL OW SU RF AC E 4H E RE ST O F! RE A  W AS E XC AV AT ED O NL Y TO   E XC EP TF OR &  A ND &  X SM AL LP IE CE SO FB RO KE N BO NE  C M D EE P &E AT UR E  &E AT UR E  & & Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 92    %X CA VA TIO N TO EX PO SE U PP ER RO CK S&E AT UR E $ 3     &E AT UR E  $ 3  A BU RIE D $ 3  B !R EA !  !R EA !  $ 3  $ 3    !R EA !  N OT E XC AV AT ED !R EA !  N OT E XC AV AT ED $ 3   $ 3  $ 3   $ 3  W ITH NE CK LA CE PI TS  3          3          3        3         3  %  %  %  %  %  %  %  %  0 IN K GR AN ITE D EE RS TO NE M ID SE CT IO N AS SE M BL ED G RO UN D TO TO P  C M B AS E  CM W ID TH  C M M ID SE CT IO N LE NG TH   CM BE LT  CM FR OM B OT TO M S HI EL D  CM FR OM B OT TO M  CM D IA M  PI T NE CK LA CE A TT OP B RO KE N AB OV E PI TS S HI EL D BE LO W B EL TC ON CA VE DI SC  0 IN K GR AN ITE C OR NE RF RA GM EN TO F  FI TS O N TO P   0I NK G RA NI TE TO P SE CT IO N OF A D EE RS TO NE  P ITS O N EA CH FL AT SID E  SLA SH ES O N EA ST FA CE $ 3  B $ 3  A $ 3  B $ 3  A &E AT UR E  ! LIG NM EN TO FR OC KS W ITH M AN Y PR OT RU DI NG W EL LA BO VE G RO UN D SU RF AC E . O AP PA RE NT FU NC TIO N B UT IT D OE SN OT SE EM A CC ID EN TIA L! LO W ER FE NC E LIK E W AL L OC CU RS O NE M ET ER W ES TO F$ 3  M AK IN G W ITH $ 3  AN D  A KI ND O FE NC LO SU RE A RO UN D TH E BI G $ 3  K hy ad ag E as t A re as A 2- A 5 $ EE R3 TO NE S $ 3 ' RA NI TE " AS E  X C M  C M FR OM G RO UN D TO B RE AK A TM ID S EC TIO N & AC E HA S  B EL T NE CK LA CE P ITS C IRC LE RI NG S 4 OP SE CT IO N LE NG TH  C M T OT AL H EI GH TA BO VE G RO UN D  C M $ 3   C M SO UT H OF  3  C M A BO VE G RO UN D G RE Y GR AN ITE P ITS N EC KL AC E B EL OW SU RF AC E  FA CE E AS T TO P AN GL ES U P TO E AS T X  CM $ 3  , AR GE P IN K GR AN ITE SL AB   X X  CM T W O HO RS ES O N SO UT H SID E TW O CU RLE D FE LIN ES S M AL LA XE O N BE LT SO UT H SID E CI RC LE S PI TS  O N EA ST SI DE B EL T ( OR SE SV ER TIC AL HE AD SU P FE ET TO E A ST & EL IN ES A RE N OT W EA TH ER ED A ND M AY BE RE CE NT A DD ITI ON S 4O P AN GL ES TO W AR DS E AS T $ 3  0 IN K GR AN ITE  C M A BO VE G RO UN D " RO KE N TO P PR ES EN T  X X  CM  "E LT GR OO VE  C M B EL OW SU RF AC E 0 ITS A ND C IRC LE SP RE SE NT 4 OP A NG LE ST OW AR D EA ST  $ 3  0 IN K GR AN ITE B RO KE N  CM A BO VE G RO UN D  X  CM B EL TG RO OV E TO P M ISS IN G $ 3  0 IN K GR AN ITE T OP SID E BR OK EN B UT P RE SE NT 0 ITS A LL AR OU ND B EL TG RO OV E UN DE RG RO UN D ! BO VE G RO UN D  X X  CM T OP A NG LE ST O EA ST               SM AL LT RIA NG UL AR B ON E FRA GM EN TI N UP PE RD AR K SO IL   PH AL AN GE P RO BA BL Y SH EE P GO AT IN U PP ER H UM IC SO IL   SM AL LB ON E FRA GM EN T   SM AL LB ON E FRA GM EN T    SM AL LB ON E FRA GM EN TS N OT IL LU ST RA TE D   BO NE FR AG M EN T    TIN Y BO NE FR AG M EN TS N OT IL LU ST RA TE D NU M BE RE D   FA CE S HA PE D RO CK FR OM    3  %  X  CM   AB RA DE RS TO NE W ITH P OL ISH ED SI DE FO UN D IN B OU LD ER P ILE E AS TO F %   3 N O PR OV EN EN CE   TO OT H CL AW  0H OT O TA KE N   SIZ E Arctic Studies Center 93 &E AT UR E                     %%%%%  3   3  3 OU TH         4E ST 0I T &   ! & 4 ES T 0I T %  % % % &E AT UR E  $ 3 EX TE ND S C M A BO VE G RO UN D EX CA VA TE D TH IS BL OC K TO ST ER ILE EV ER YT HI NG E LSE E XC AV AT ED O NL Y TO C LE AN U PP ER RO CK S $ 3   $ 3  V ER Y TH IN  C M X  C M NO M AR KI NG S TO P IS C M B EL OW SU RF AC E $ 3  B AS E IS W ED GE D W ITH SM AL L R OC K OR IE NT ED . 3 N OT % 7 L IK E OT HE R$ 3  C M D EE P C UL TU RE LE VE L  NO P RO FIL E DR AW N ST ER ILE TO P TO B OT TO M    SLA G     R IB B ON E  C M B ET W EE N RO CK S W ITH C HA RC OA L  C ER AM IC FR AG M EN T CH AR RE D    C ER AM IC FR AG M EN T CH AR RE D    C ER AM IC FR AG M EN T CH AR RE D    S LA G FRO M  C M W ITH IN CL US IO NS  B ON E PI EC E  C M IN D AR K SA ND Y GR AV EL LY SO IL  C ER AM IC FR AG M EN TS O RS M EL TE RL IN ER C LA Y FI RE D W ITH O RA NG E IN TE RIO RA ND B LA CK SL AG LI KE E XT ER IO R  S LA G hP LA TE vR ES EM BL IN G VE SS E  C M IN B LA CK SO IL  4 HI CK SL AG FI RE D CL AY P IE CE S BE LO W RO CK S  ! SH EE P BO NE FR OM B AS E OF RO CK PI LE & EA TU RE   CM BE LO W SU RF AC E 4E ST 0 IT  . OR TH   3   %   3   % 3O UT H   3   %   3   % . O CU LTU RA LM AT ER IA LF OU ND S O CU LTU RE D ZO NE D OE SN OT E XT EN D PA ST % AS T OF RO CK P ILE 4E ST 0 IT  3O UT H 0R OF ILE                    "R OW N 3A ND Y 3O IL 3T ER ILE 3 OI L 4A N ' RA VE LLY 3 OI L %X CE LLE NT C HA RC OA LS AM PL ES C OL LE CT ED FR OM B EN EA TH RO CK SW ITH SL AG 3L AG C HA RC OA LL AY ER P RE SE NT TH RO UG HO UT    3  % ( OW EV ER IT W AS M OS T CO NC EN TR AT ED IN A RE AS W HE RE RO CK SW ER E PR ES EN T ' EN ER AL LY T HI SL EV EL IS O NL Y   CM TH IC K OR LE SS %X CA VA TE D BL OC K   3   % IS ST ER ILE SO IL TH AT W AS G EN ER AL LY    CM B EL OW SU RF AC E AN D W AS D EE PE ST B ET W EE N  %  3  SY M BO LS RE CO RD D EP TH TO ST ER ILE &I RE D CL AY W ITH O PE N SID E HA VI NG A SL AG GY SU RF AC E AN D TH E OT HE RS ID E FIR ED TO A N OR AN GE C OL OR W ER E PR ES EN TI N SE VE RA LA RE AS B UT M OS TLY W ER E ISO LA TE D FIN DS  W AS LA RG ES TP IE CE 4 HE SE M AY B E CL AY FU RN AC E LIN IN GS BU TI FS O W HY A RE TH ER E NO T M OR E )F TH IS IS A SM EL TE R FO RB RO NZ E W HE RE IS TH E FU RN AC E AR EA 4 HE RE IS SO FA RN O IN DI CA TIO N A ND O UR FI ND SS EE M M OR E LIK E W AT ER D EP OS ITS N OT M ET AL M OR E LIK E A M ID DL E TH AN A FU RN AC E AR EA  7 HA TI ST HE A SS OC IA TIO N W ITH D EE RS TO NE S 4 HE SL AG C HA RC OA LS EE M ST O BE D IRE CT LY AS SO CI AT ED W ITH TH E DE ER ST ON ES A ND TH E BO UL DE RP AV EM EN TS 3 OM E BO UL DE RS IN PA VE M EN TA PE AR FI RE C RA CK ED B UT N OT E NO UG H TO B E FU RN AC E FLO OR S A ND SL AG  CH AR CO AL A RE N OT FO UN D BE TW EE N TH E RO CK S BU TE XC EP TI N TH EI RL OW ES TL EV EL S K hy ad ag E as t A 2 &E AT UR E  IS AT . OR TH ER N EN D OF TH E & RO CK PI LE  . OR TH O F&  3 UR FA CE RO CK SD ID N OT ID EN TIF Y TH E BU RIE D CI RC UL AR A RR AN GE M EN TO FI NC LIN ED SLA BS S LA NT IN G IN TO A  X  CM SP AC E ON ST ER ILE SA ND Y GR AV EL . OT HI NG W AS FO UN D IN TH IS FE AT UR E W HI CH M AY H AV E HE LD P ER ISH AB LE DE PO SIT S 3I M ILA RI NC LIN ED SL AB SW ER E FO UN D IN &  3  3  3 % % %                          Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 94 3333 % % % % % Khyadag East A2         Arctic Studies Center 95 7EST0ROFILE AT%FROM3TO3 3TERILE           Khyadag East A2 Profiles 4URFSOD 3ANDYGRAVEL 3ILTYSAND #ULTURALSLAG 3TERILE 2OCK           .ORTH0ROFILE AT3FROM% % 4URFSOD #ULTUREDLAYERWITHGREYHUMICSOIL SLAG ANDCHARCOAL 'RAVELLYLENSWITHSLAG 4ANSILTSANDGRAVELSTERILE 2OCK 3OUTH0ROFILE AT3FROM% %           4URFSOD 'REYBLACKGRAVELLYSANDYSOIL NOARTIFACTS #ULTURALSLAG 3TERILE 2OCK Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 96 EXCAVATEDIN 3OUTHERNLIMIT OFSLAG    3 3 3 3 3 3 % % % % % Khyadag East Area 3 15-20S 20 June 2008 Surface and upper level rocks Arctic Studies Center 97 %%%%% 3 3 3 3 3 3                   Khyadag East Area 3 15-20S 20 June 2008 XSLAG COLLECTIONSPECIMENS CHARCOAL STAINEDSOILINSLAGLEVEL BUTFEWPIECESOFCHARCOALWEREFOUND 3URFACEANDUPPERLEVELROCKS FLATROCKSNOTMARKED 3LAGWITHHEAVY CHARCOALSTAINS $3  $3  $3  $3  3OUTHERN LIMITOF SLAGFINDS $3  SMALL UPRIGHT $3WITH NOMARKS ITSTOPIS CM BELOWSURFACE $3  $3  EXCAVATIONEXTENDED TOINCLUDETHISDEERSTONE WITHNECKLACEPITS )NUPPER SOIL BELOW STLEVEL ROCKS  NEEDTOBEADDEDTOTHIS BASEMAP YOUNGHORSETEETH CM BELOW PIECESOFBONE WITHSLAG CMBELOWSURFACE HORSETEETH CM BONEFRAGMENT LONGBONECRACKEDFORCOOKINGEATING CM BONEFRAGMENTFOOD CM BONEFRAGMENTCHEWEDBYDOG CM CONSIDERABLESLAG TO CMINTHISSQUARE HORSETOOTHFRAGMENT CM LONGBONECHEWEDBYDOG CM JOINTFRAGMENT PIECESOFBONE CM LONGBONE SPLIT CM SMALLBONE CM ONOTHERMAP BONECHUNK CMONSTERILEGRAVELATBASEOFROCK DEPOSITS GOODBASALROCKFEATUREDATE SMALLBONESFOUNDCMNORTHOF$3 AT CM A POSSIBLERITUALDEPOSIT FITTINGPIECESOFCERAMICCMSOUTHOF$3 AT CM INDARKSILTYSOIL.ODECORATION BLACK FIREDEXTERIOR BROWN PASTEWITHSANDTEMPER BROKENPROXIMALFEMURSOFASMALLMAMMAL TO CM BELOWSURFACE"ROKENINSAMEPLACEUSINGSAMEELEMENT OFTWODIFFERENTANIMALS SMALLFRAGMENTOFTOOTH CM SMALLFRAGMENTOFBONE CM SMALLFRAGMENTOFBONES CM LONGBONESMALLMAMMAL CMONSTERILEINTERFACE X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X XX XX X X X X X X X X X XX X X X X X X X X X X X X XX X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X XX X X X X X X X X X X X X X X XX XX X X X Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 98 %%%%% 3 3 3 3 3 3 & & & & &  & && & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & && & & & & &            &                           X X X X X X X X X X X X X $3  $3  $3  $3  $3  $3  & FLATROCKS ROCKSBELOWGROUNDINCM X HIGHEXPOSEDROCKS Khyadag East Area 3 0E-4E, 15-20S Arctic Studies Center 99 $ 3  LY IN G DO W N $ 3  4E ST 0 IT  4 ES T0 IT  $ 3  $ 3  K hy ad ag W es t M ap  M  M . Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 100 Khyadag West (WF drawings) +HYADAG7EST$3  $3  TOO ERODED TOSEE MARKS GROUND $3  OTHER DEER DEER CARVINGS DEERTO FAINTTO READ 37.% QUIVER WITH BOW EXCAVATED THISSIDE ONLY CM 37.% 37.%37.% Arctic Studies Center 101       3U RF AC E CL EA NI NG LE VE L  SM AL LB ON E JO IN T  B EA RM OL AR   B ON E FRA GM EN T  B ON E FRA GM EN TS FR OM B EN EA TH  ST LE VE LR OC KS IN & EA  IN CL UD IN G A SH EE P GO AT A TLA S AX IS  SM AL LJ OI NT E ND  C M A TB AS E OF RO CK P AV EM EN T  C HA RR ED A ND U NC HA RR ED B ON ES A TB AS E OF & EA  C EN TE R OF C RA NI AL B ON E DE PO SIT TO P  C M B EL OW SU RF AC E BO TT OM  C M O N ST ER ILE G RA VE LT HE H OR SE H OO F  TO OT H FRA GM EN T  CM . 4E ST 0 IT  O VA LH EA RT H  X M   CM   CM  3 LIN E $ UG TO ST ER ILE SO IL GR AV EL C M D EE P N OT HI NG FO UN D 4U RF  CM D EE P EX PO SE D C M A BO VE SO IL AT P EA K HE IG HT EX PO SE D C M A BO VE SO IL AT P EA K HE IG HT EX PO SE D C M A BO VE SO IL AT P EA K HE IG HT   CM   CM .   7   7 $ UG TO ST ER ILE SO IL GR AV EL  CM D EE P N OT HI NG FO UN D TU RF  CM D EE P  3 LIN E 4E ST 0 IT  O VA LH EA RT H  X M K hy ad ag W es t S ur fa ce R oc ks /T es t P its $ EE R3 TO NE   .  M Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 102   .  M            $ EE R3 TO NE   BO NE FI ND S 5 ND ER  ND LE VE LR OC KS   SM AL LL ON G BO NE FR AG M EN T CO OK ED  B EL OW SU RF AC E  LO NG B ON E FRA GM EN T SP LIT  CM   BA LL JO IN TF RA GM EN T  CM   PA RT O FS M AL LH ER BI VO RE TO OT H RO W  C M B EL OW SU RF AC E IN B LA CK SO IL   TO OT H  C M   BO NE SP AL L  CM   BO NE  C M   TE ET H IN M AN DI BL E  C M   JO IN TP AR T  CM   SM AL Lh FIN GE RN AI Lv LIK E BO NE  CM   BR ON ZE B UT TO N  C M IN SA ND Y UP PE RS OI L   LO NG B ON E FRA GM EN TS  CM O N ST ER ILE G RA VE LF OU ND W ITH IR ON B RO NZ E K NI FE B LA D RE M NA NT   IRO N B RO NZ E KN IFE B LA DE   W OL FD OG LE FT M AN DI BL E   S EE     BO NE FR AG M EN T  C M   SK UL LF RA GM EN TS  TO  C M S TE RIL E GR AV EL M AY B E RE LA TE D TO   FRO M JU ST A BO VE TH IS AR EA BR ON ZE I RO N K NI FE B LA DE   $ EE R 3T ON E  GR OU ND LE VE L  CM O FT HE G RA NI TE SL AB W AS RE M OV ED IN FI NI SH IN G TH IS $ 3   K hy ad ag W es t S ec on d le ve l r oc ks 22 -2 3 Ju ne 2 00 8 M ap pe d by N as an ja rg al Arctic Studies Center 103 PART IV Report on the 2008 Deer Stone Project Jamsranjav Bayarsaikhan, National Museum of Mongolia Áèä 2008 îíû 5-ð ñàðûí 24 íèé 11 öàã 20 ìèíóòàíä EZNIS êîìïàíèé Saab 340B ìàðêûí ̺ðºí - ªëãèé õîòûí ÷èãëýëèéí íèñýõ îíãîöîîð Óëààíáààòàð õîòîîñ õººðºâ. Ìàíàé ñóäàëãààíû áàãèéí á¿ðýëäýõ¿¿íä Ìîíãîëûí òàëààñ ̯Ì-í ñóäëàà÷ Æ.Áàÿðñàéõàí, ÌÓÁÈÑ-èéí îþóòàí Ï.Íàöàãäîðæ, ÀÍÓ-ûí òàëààñ Ñìèòñîíû õ¿ðýýëýíãèéí Óìàðä Òóéë ñóäëàëûí òºâèéí çàõèðàë William Fitzhug, ò¿¿íèé îþóòàí Êyle áîëîí Ç¿¿í Òåííåñè èõ ñóðãóóëèéí ñóäëàà÷ Richard Kortum íàð áàéâ. Áèäíèéã Áàÿí- ªëãèéä áóóõàä, ñóäàëãààíä ÿâàõààð óðüä÷èëàí òîõèðîëöñîí 2 ìàøèí òîñîæ àâàâ. Òýð îðîéäîî áèä Öýíãýë ñóìûí ç¿ã õ¿ëãèéí æîëîî çàëàâ. Áèä Öýíãýë ñóìûí íóòàã Õîòîí, Õóðãàí íóóðàíä õ¿ðòýëõ áàðòààòàé çàìûã òóóëàõäàà îëîí óäàà ìàøèí ýâäýð÷, çàìûí àéëààð õîíîãëîí 2 ºäºð ÿâñíû ýöýñò 25-íû îðîéõîí Öàñò õàéðõàí óóëûí öýðãèéí àíãèä õ¿ð÷ î÷èâ. Òýíä íýã õîíîîä ºã뺺 íü Õîòîí íóóðûí õîéä ñàâä îðøèõ Áèë¿¿ò òîëãîé õýìýýõ õàäíû çóðãèéí äóðñãàëò ãàçðûí îð÷èìä õ¿ð÷ áóóöãààâ. Öàñò õàéðõàí óóëûí öýðãèéí àíãè îðîõ çàìäàà áèä Õóðãàí íóóðûí àð áèåä îðøèõ Ìÿíãàí õîíõîð õýìýýõ ãàçàðò áóé íýãýí áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººã ¿çýæ ñîíèðõîâ. Ýíý áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº Ò¿ðýã áîëîâ óó ãýìýýð íýãýí äóãóé áóëøíû ç¿¿í òàëä íàðàí óðãàõ ç¿ã öóâðóóëàí áîñãîñîí ãóðâàí õºøººíèé õàìãèéí ç¿¿í òàëä îðøèæ áàéíà. Óã áóãàí õºøºº áóëøíààñ 75 õýìä 25 ì îð÷èì çàéä áàéíà. ¯¿íýýñ õàðàõàä õóó÷èí áàéðëàëààñàà õºäºëñºí áºãººä Ò¿ðýãèéí ¿åä óã õºøººã àøèãëàæ çýë ÷óëóó õèéñýí áîëîëòîé (Çóðàã 1). Çóðàã 1 Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 104 Ýíý õºøºº 142 õ 60 õ 20 ñì õýìæýýòýé, õºøººíèé íýã ºðãºí òàë äýýð äóãóé öàãèðàã ò¿¿íèé äîð 2 áóãûã òîëãîéã íü ãàçàð ðóó õàðóóëàí ä¿ðñýëæýý. Õî¸ð áóãàíû çàâñàðò íýã àäóóã ìºí ë òîëãîéã íü óðóó õàðóóëàí ñéèëñýí áîë, õºøººíèé ç¿¿í òèéø õàíäñàí íàðèéí òàë äýýð, ãóðâàí àäóóã öóâðóóëàí òîëãîéã íü äýýø õàíäóóëàí ä¿ðñýëæ, õºøººíèé íºãºº ºðãºí òàëä íýã òîì áóãà äýýø öîðîéëãîí ñèéëñýí íü õàðàõàä áýðõ áîëæýý (Çóðàã 2-3). Ýíý áóãàí õºøººã “Ìîíãîë íóòàã äàõü ò¿¿õ ñî¸ëûí äóðñãàë” òîëü áè÷ãèéí õýðýãëýãäýõ¿¿í á¿ðä¿¿ëýõ øèíæèëãýýíèé àíãè ¿çýæ, äóðäñàí íîìîíä ºíãºò çóðãèéí õàìò õýâëýñýí áîëîâ÷ óã áóãàí õºøººíèé òîäîðõîéëîëòûã äóòóó äóëèìàãõàí ¿éëäñýí áàéíà1. Òóõàéëáàë õî¸ð áóãàíû äóíä áóé àäóóã ÷îíî ãýæ àíäóóðñàí áîë, õºøººíèé íàðèéí òàëä áóé öóâàðñàí ãóðâàí àäóóã îãò äóðäààã¿é ºíãºðñºí áàéíà. Áóãàí õºøºº á¿õèé ýë áóëøíû õîéä òàëä õýìæýýãýýðýý èæèë áàñ íýã äóãóé áóëø áàéõ àãààä ìºí ë ç¿¿í òèéø öóâàðñàí ãóðâàí çýë ÷óëóóòàé áàéíà (Çóðàã 4). 1 Ìîíãîë íóòàã äàõü ò¿¿õ ñî¸ëûí äóðñãàë. Óëààíáààòàð 1999. Çóðàã 2. Çóðàã 3. Arctic Studies Center 105 Áèä Áèë¿¿ò òîëãîéí õàäíû çóðãèéí îð÷èìä áàãà õýìæýýíèé õàéãóóë õèéæ, õèðèãñ¿¿ðèéí õýëáýð, á¿òýö áîëîí áóãàí õºøºº á¿õèé äóðñãàëò ãàçàð èëð¿¿ëýí ñóäëàõ çîðèëãîòîé áàéâ. Òåííåñè èõ ñóðãóóëèéí ñóäëàà÷ Ðè÷àðä Êîðòóì áèäýíä óðä æèë ¿çñýí áóãàí õºøººãºº çààæ ºãºõººð òîõèðëöñîí áàéñàí ÷ òýðýýð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº á¿õèé òýð äóðñãàëò ãàçðûã îëæ ÷àäààã¿é áèëýý. Èéìýýñ áèä çàðèì íýã õèðèãñ¿¿ðèéí òîéì äýâñãýð çóðàã ¿éëäýæ, íýãýí ñîíèðõîëòîé õèðèãñ¿¿ðèéí òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæóóäààñ 2 òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæ ìàëòñàí þì. Ýíýõ¿¿ õèðèãñ¿¿ð Õîòîí íóóðûí õîéä õºâººíä æèæèã äýâñýã äýýð GPS-èéí 48°38’10,58 N, 88°23’08,62 E, öýãèéí îãòëîëöîë äýýð äàëàéí ò¿âøíýýñ äýýø 2085 ìåòðèéí ºíäºðò, ìàøèí çàìûí õàæóóä îðøèíî (Çóðàã 5-6). Óã õèðèãñ¿¿ð 50 ì äóãóé õ¿ðýýòýé, ãîëûí ÷óëóóí îâîîëãîíû ãîë÷ 14 ìåòð, ãîëûí ÷óëóóí îâîîëãîíîîñ õ¿ðýýíýýñ äºðâºí ç¿ãò ÷èãýëñýí õýðýýñ ÷óëóóí áàéãóóëàìæòàé. Õèðèãñ¿¿ðèéí õ¿ðýýíèé ãàäíà òàëààð òîéðóóëàí 57 øèðõýã æèæèã äóãóé äàãóóë áàéãóóëàìæ ¿éëäæýý. Áèä ýäãýýð äàãóóë áàéãóóëàìæààñ õî¸ðûã ñîíãîæ ìàëòñàí þì (Çóðàã 7). Çóðàã 4. Çóðàã 5. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 106 Çóðàã 6. Çóðàã 7. Arctic Studies Center 107 Íýãä¿ãýýð òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæ: Õèðèãñ¿¿ðèéí ç¿¿í õîéä õýñýãò îðøèõ áºãººä ñì ãîë÷òîé, 9 øèðõýã ÷óëóóã òîéðóóëàí òàâüæ, õýìæýýãýýð àðàé òîì íýã ÷óëóóã ãîëä òàâüæýý. Ýíý áàéãóóëàìæèéã ìàëòàõàä øàòñàí ÿñíû 2 æèæèã õýñýã, í¿¿ðñíèé 2 æèæèã õýñãýýñ ººð ÿìàð ÷ ýä ºëãèéí ç¿éë èëðýýã¿é áèëýý (Çóðàã 8). Õî¸ðäóãààð òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæ: Ýíý òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæ õèðèãñ¿¿ðèéí áàðóóí õîéä õýñýãò îðøèõ áºãººä 10 øèðõýã ÷óëóóã òîéðóóëàí òàâüæ, 3ì ãîë÷òîé öàãèðàã ¿¿ñãýæýý. Áàéãóóëàìæèéã ìàëòàõàä ÷óëóóí öàãèðàãíû äîòîð òàëûí òàëáàéí çàðèì õýñãýýñ øàòñàí õàð õºðñ, øàòñàí ÿñíû õýñã¿¿ä, í¿¿ðñíèé æèæèã õýñã¿¿ä íýëýýä ãàðàâ(Çóðàã 9). Õî¸ð áàéãóóëàìæèéã ìàëòàõàä óã òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæóóäûã ¿éëäñýí ÷óëóóíóóäûí ¸ðîîëîîñ äîîø áàéãàëèéí ýõ õºðñ ãàðñàí áîëíî. ¯¿íýýñ ãàäíà áèä ýíý õèðèãñ¿¿ðèéí ãîëûí ÷óëóóí îâîîëãîíû ç¿¿í óðä òàëààñ íýãýí õºøºº ÷óëóó áîëîëòîé ãîíçãîé ÷óëóóã îëæ, ñàéòàð íÿãòàëæ ¿çâýë áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººíèé íýã õýëáýð áîëîõ çºâõºí á¿ñ ä¿ðñýëñýí, ººð ÿìàð íýã ä¿ðñëýëã¿é õºøºº áîëîõûã îëæ ìýäýâ. Óã õºøºº 135 ñì ºíäºð, 37 ñì ºðãºí áàéâ Çóðàã (10). Çóðàã 8. Çóðàã 9. Çóðàã 10. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 108 Îíü õàäíû (Îí òàñ) äóðñãàëò ãàçàðò õèéñýí ñóäàëãàà: Áàÿí-ªëãèé àéìãèéí Öýíãýë ñóìûí íóòàã Ìîãîéòûí ã¿¿ð ãàð÷, Ìîãîéòûí Ò¿ðýãèéí ¿åèéí õ¿í ÷óëóóí õºøººä îðîõ çàìä, Îíü õàä õýìýýõ æèæèã öîõèîò õàä á¿õèé íàð òîññîí ýíãýð áóé. Ýíý ýíãýðèéí ºìí¿¿ð ýìæñýí äýíæ áîëîí õºíäèéãýýð íýëýýä õýäýí õèðèãñ¿¿ð áóé. Ýäãýýð õèðèãñ¿¿ðèéí èõýíõè íü äóãóé õ¿ðýýòýé áºãººä ãàíö íýã äºðâºëæèí õ¿ðýýòýé áàéíà (Çóðàã 11-12). Îíü õàäíû õèðèãñ¿¿ð¿¿äèéí äîòîð áèäíèé ñîíèðõîëûã òàòñàí íýãýí õèðèãñ¿¿ð áàéâ. Óã õèðèãñ¿¿ð äºðâºëæèí õ¿ðýýòýé, õ¿ðýýíèé äºðâºí áóëàíä äóãóé ÷óëóóí áàéãóóëàìæòàé, õ¿ðýýíèéõýý ç¿¿í óðä òàëààð òºâëºðñºí 16 äàãóóë áàéãóóëàìæòàé (Çóðàã 13-14). Ýíý õèðèãñ¿¿ðèéí õàìãèéí ñîíèðõîëòîé ç¿éë íü ÷óëóóí îâîîëãî á¿õèé äàãóóë áàéãóóëàìæóóä þì. Áèäíèé ñ¿¿ëèéí 2 æèë ýíý á¿ñ íóòàãò õèéñýí ñóäàëãààíû àæèãëàëòààð, òóõàéí á¿ñ íóòàãò áóé õèðèãñ¿¿ð¿¿ä èõýíõèäýý äóãóé öàãèðàã ÷óëóóí áàéãóóëàìæòàé áàéñàí áºãººä ÷óëóóí îâîîëãî á¿õèé äàãóóë áàéãóóëàìæ áàðàã òîõèîëäîîã¿é áèëýý. Õàðèí Çóðàã 11. Çóðàã 12. Arctic Studies Center 109 äóðäàí áóé õèðèãñ¿¿ðò ÷óëóóí îâîîëãî á¿õèé äàãóóë áàéãóóëàìæóóä òîõèîëäñîí íü áèäíèéã ñîðèëûí ìàëòëàãà õèéõýä õ¿ðãýñýí þì. Áèä ýíý õèðèãñ¿¿ðèéí ç¿¿í óðä òàëä îðøèõ äàãóóë áàéãóóëàìæóóäûí õàìãèéí äîòîð òàëä îðøèõ 2,8ì ãîë÷òîé íýãýí äàãóóë áàéãóóëàìæèéã ñîíãîæ ìàëòñàí áèëýý (Çóðàã 15). Ýíýõ¿¿ òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæèéí äàðààñ ÷óëóóíóóäûã àâ÷ äîîø ìàëòñààð îäîîãèéí ºíãºí õºðñíººñ äîîø 45 ñì ã¿íýýñ àäóóíû òîëãîéí òàõèëãà èëð¿¿ëýí îëñîí áºãººä Çóðàã 13. Çóðàã 14. Çóðàã 15. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 110 óã àäóóíû òîëãîéã ç¿¿í óðä ç¿ãèéí 115 õýìä õàíäóóëàí, õ¿ç¿¿ã àìàí õ¿ç¿¿ õàòàí õ¿ç¿¿ õî¸ðûí äóíäóóð íóãàëàæ, õàòàí õ¿ç¿¿íýýñ õéîøõè 6 ¿å õ¿ç¿¿ã òîëãîéíû óðä òàëààð äàãóóëàí òàâüæ, àìàí õ¿ç¿¿ã òîëãîéòîé çàëãààòàé õýâýýð òàâüñàí áîëîëòîé äàãçíû õîéä õýñýãò áàéâ. Õàðèí 4 òóóðàéã òóñ á¿ð òóóðàéíû äýýä çàëãàà áîãèíî òàãàëöàãíû õàìòààð õî¸ðûã íü àäóóíû òîëãîéí óðä õóøóóí äîîð, õî¸ðûã íü ýð¿¿íèé õîéä óãëóóðãà äîîð òàâüñàí áàéâ (Çóðàã 16-18). Çóðàã 16. Çóðàã 17. Çóðàã 18. Arctic Studies Center 111 Öàãààí Àñãûí äóðñãàëò ãàçàðò õèéñýí ñóäàëãàà Áèä Îíü õàäíû äóðñãàëò ãàçðààñ Õîâä ãîëûã Ìîãîéòûí ã¿¿ðýýð áóöàæ ãàðàí ãîëûí ç¿¿í ýðãèéã äàãàí ç¿¿í óðä ç¿ãò ÿâñààð Õàð íóóðûí áàðóóí õàÿàãààð ãàð÷, Ñàãñàé ñóìûí íóòàã Õàð ÷óëóóòûí ãîëûí õîéä õºâººíä îðøèõ Öàãààí àñãûí äóðñãàëò ãàçàð õ¿ðñýí þì. Ýíý äóðñãàëò ãàçàð áèä ºíãºðñºí æèë öººí õîíîãîîð àæèëëàæ íýã äàãóóë áàéãóóëàìæ ìàëòàí ñóäàëñàí áîëîâ÷ ÿìàð íýã ýä ºëãèéí èëð¿¿ëæ ÷àäààã¿é þì2. Ó÷èð èéì òóë ýíý æèë áèä äóðñãàëò ãàçðûí îí öàãèéã áàãöààëäàõàä ÷óõàë øààðäëàãàòàé, ðàäèîêàðáîíû çàäëàí øèæèëãýý õèéæ áîëîõóéö äýýæ îëîõûã çîðüñîí áîëíî. Áèä ñàéòàð çºâëºëäñºíèé ýöýñò áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººä á¿õèé äóðñãàëò ãàçàðò áóé äóãóé öàãèðàã ÷óëóóí áàéãóóëàìæóóäààñ õî¸ðûã ñîíãîæ ìàëòñàí áèëýý. Íýãä¿ãýýð äàãóóë áàéãóóëàìæ: Ýíýõ¿¿ äàãóóë áàéãóóëàìæ íü Öàãààí àñãûí áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººäèéí òºâ õýñýãò îðøèõ áîñîî áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººäèéí óðä õýñýãò áàéðëàíà. ßìàð íýã ÷óëóóí äàðààñã¿é çºâõºí 16 øèðõýã ÷óëóóã Ẻðººð íü íèéë¿¿ëæ, äóãóé öàãèðàã õýëáýð îðóóëàí ¿éëäñýí áàéãóóëàìæ áîëíî (Çóðàã 19-20). Áèä òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæèéí õ¿ðýýíä 3 õ 3,5ì õýìæýýòýé òàëáàéä ìàëòëàãà ýõëýâ. ªíãºí õºðñèéã õóóëæ äîîø ìàëòàõàä, òàëáàéí õîéä áîëîí 2 Áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº òºñëèéí 2007 îíû õýýðèéí ñóäàëãààíû òàéëàí (̯Ì-í Íîìûí ñàí) Çóðàã 19. Çóðàã 20. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 112 ç¿¿í òàëûí ÷óëóóäûí äîòîð òàëààñ øàòñàí õàð õºðñ ÿëãàð÷, ò¿¿í äîòðîîñ í¿¿ðñ, øàòñàí ÿñíû æèæèã õýñã¿¿ä ãàð÷ áàéñíààñ ãàäíà òàëáàéí òºâ áîëîí áàðóóí õýñýãò æèæèã øàòñàí õàð í¿¿ðñ, ÿñ á¿õèé òîëáóóä èëýð÷ áàéâ (Çóðàã 20 F-3). Ìàëòëàãà ºíãºí õºðñíººñ äîîø 30 ñì áîëîõîä áàéãàëèéí ýõ õºðñ ãàðñíààð ìàëòëàãà äóóñàâ. Õî¸ðäóãààð äàãóóë áàéãóóëàìæ: Ýíý öàãèðàã áàéãóóëàìæ öóâðàà áóãàí õºøººäèéí ç¿¿í õîéä õýñýãò îðøèõ óíàìàë áóãàí õºøººäèéí óðä õýñýãò îðøèíî. Áèä ýíý òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæèéí õ¿ðýýíä 2,5 õ 2,5 ì õýìæýýòýé òàëáàéä ìàëòëàãà õèéâ (Çóðàã 21). Óã áàéãóóëàìæ ìºí ë ÿìàð íýã ÷óëóóí äàðààñã¿é áºãººä 16 øèðõýã ÷óëóóã Ẻðººð íü íèéë¿¿ëýí äóãóé öàãèðàã õýëáýð ãàðãàí ¿éëäæýý. Ìàëòëàãûí ÿâöàä òàëáàéí ç¿¿í óðä òàëûí ÷óëóóíóóäûí äîòîð òàëààñ íýëýýä õýìæýýíèé øàòñàí õàð õºðñ èëýð÷, ò¿¿íèé äîòðîîñ í¿¿ðñ, øàòñàí ÿñíû æèæèã õýñã¿¿ä îëíîîð ãàðàâ (Çóðàã 22). Çóðàã 21. Çóðàã 22. Arctic Studies Center 113 Ýäãýýð ÿñíóóäûí äîòîð õýìæýýãýýð íýëýýä òîì, õàãàñ øàòàëòòàé ÿñíû õýñýã îëäñîí áºãººä õýëáýðèéã íü õàðàõàä ÿìàð íýã àìüòíû ÷ºìºãíèé ÿñíû õýñýã áîëîõ íü èëýðõèé áàéâ (Çóðàã 23). Çóðàã 23. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 114 Õºâñãºë àéìãèéí Öàãààí-Óóë ñóìûí íóòàãò õèéñýí ñóäàëãààíû àæèë Áèä 2008 îíû 6-ð ñàðûí 4 íèé ºã뺺 Óëààíáààòàð õîòîîñ Õºâñãºë àéìàãò õèéõ ñóäàëãààíäàà ìîðäîâ. 6-ð ñàðûí 5-íû îðîé ̺ðºí õîòîä èðæ, 6- ð ñàðûí 6-íû ºã뺺 Õºâñãºë àéìãèéí Ñî¸ëûí õÿíàëòèéí áàéöààã÷ Ä.Ýðäýíý÷èìýãòýé óóëçàæ, ñóäàëãààíû çºâøººð뺺 ¿ç¿¿ëæ, á¿ðòã¿¿ëñíèé äàðàà Öàãààí-Óóë ñóìûí íóòàã Àãàð áàãèéã çîðèí õºäëºâ. Áèä ýíý æèë Õºâñãºë àéìàãò õèéõ ñóäàëãààíû àæëàà Öàãààí-Óóë ñóìûí Àãàð áàãèéí íóòàã Áîð õóæèðûí ãîëä áóé áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººò äóðñãàëò ãàçðààñ ýõëýõýýð øèéäâýðëýñýí áàéâ. Ýíýõ¿¿ äóðñãàëò ãàçðûã àíõ Îðîñûí ñóäëàà÷ Â.Â. Âîëêîâ îëæ íèéòë¿¿ëñýí þì3. Áèäíèé Áîð õóæèðûí ãîëûí áóãàí õºøººä õýìýýí íýðëýæ áóé ýíý äóðñãàëò ãàçðûã Âîëêîâ Àãàðûí áóãàí õºøºº õýìýýí òýìäýãëýñýí áàéäàã. Ãàçàð çé¿í áàéðøèëûíõàà õóâüä ýäãýýð áóãàí õºøººä íü Èõ Áîãä óóëûí ç¿¿í õîðìîéä, Áîð õóæèðûí ãîëûí áàðóóí äýíæèä GPS-èéí N 49°44,271, E098°17,825 öýãèéí îãòëîëöëî äýýð îðøèíî (Çóðàã 24). 3 Â.Â.Âîëêîâ. Îëåííûå êàìíè Ìîíãîëèè. Ìîñêâà 2002. ñòð 86-88 Çóðàã 24. Arctic Studies Center 115 Ýíýõ¿¿ äóðñãàëò ãàçàðò áèäíèéã î÷èõîä 5 áîñîî, íýã óíàìàë áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº áàéâ. Áîñîî õºøººä óðòðàãèéí äàãóó öóâàðñàí áàéäàëòàé áàéðëàõ áºãººä óíàìàë áóãàí õºøºº áàðóóí õîéä òàëä íü áàéðëàëòàé áàéëàà (Çóðàã 24) Áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººäèéí ýðãýí òîéðîíä áóé äàãóóë áàéãóóëàìæóóäûí èõýíõè íü ýâäýð÷ õýëáýð òîäîðõîéã¿é áîëæýý (Çóðàã 25). Äýýðõ çóðàãò áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººäèéí äóãààð áîëîí ìàëòñàí äàãóóë áàéãóóëàìæóóäûã òýìäýãëýâ. Çóðàã 24. Çóðàã 25. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 116 1-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: 165 õ 41 õ 28 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Óã õºøººíèé ç¿¿í ç¿ãò õàðñàí íàðèéí òàëáàéí äýýä õýñýãò õî¸ð òàøóó çóðààñ ä¿ðñýëæ, ò¿¿íèé çýðýãöýý áàðóóí õàæóó òàëä æèæèã òîì 2 öàãèðàã, ç¿¿í õàæóó òàëä íýã öàãèðàã äóãóé ä¿ðñýëæ, òýäãýýðèéí äîîõíóóð 27 øèðõýã ºíäºã äàðàì äóãóéã õºøººã òîéðóóëàí ñèéëñýí áàéíà. Õºøººíèé äóíäóóðààñ äîîõîí õýñãýýð ãóðâàëæèí óóëàí õýýãýýð ÷èìñýí á¿ñ ä¿ðñýëæ, õî¸ð òàøóó çóðààñòàé óðä òàëûí òàëáàéä á¿ñíýýñ æèæèã, òîì 2 õóòãà, ç¿¿í òàøààíààñ ñààäàã, õàðèí áàðóóí òàøààíààñ óðò èøòýé ñ¿õ ç¿¿ñýí áàéäàëòàéãààð õîíõîéëãîí ñéèëæýý. Ç¿¿í òàëä á¿ñíèé äýýõýí òàëä äóãóé òîëü õîíõîéëãîí ä¿ðñýëñýí íü òîäõîí õàðàãäàæ áàéâ (Çóðàã 25). Õºøººíèé õîéä áîëîí áàðóóí òàë èõ õýìæýýãýýð õàãòñàí áàéâ. Âîëêîâ óã õºøººã çóðàõäàà õºøººíèé äýýä õýñýãò áàéãàà äóãóé öàãèðàã ä¿ðñí¿¿äèéã á¿ãäèéã íü îðõèãäóóëñàí áàéãàà íü ñàéí àæèãëàæ õàðààã¿éòýé õîëáîîòîé áîëîâ óó4. 2-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: 133 õ 34 õ 32 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Ýë õºøººíèé ç¿¿í óðä ç¿ãò õàíäñàí ºðãºí òàëûí äýýä õýñýãò 2 òàøóó çóðààñ ñèéëæ, ò¿¿íèé äîîãóóð õºøººã òîéðóóëàí áóãûí õîñ ýâýð ñèéëýýä, äýýä òàëûí ýâýðíèé ñàëàà çàâñðààð æèæèã äóãóé õîíõîðóóä ä¿ðñýëñíèé 8 øèðõýã íü îäîîãîîð ìýäýãäýæ áàéíà. Ýíýõ¿¿ õîñ ñóë ýâýðíèé äîîð õî¸ð òàøóó çóðààñòàé òàëä óðò èøòýé íýã ñ¿õ, äóãóé òîëèéã òóñ òóñ ä¿ðñýëñýí áîë ç¿¿í õàæóó òàëä íóì ñóì ä¿ðñýëñíèé èõýíõè õýñýã á¿äãýð÷ ¿ã¿é áîëæýý. Ýäãýýð ä¿ðñëýëèéí äîîãóóð ãóðâàëæèí óóëàí õýýòýé á¿ñ, á¿ñíýýñ õóòãà, ñ¿õ, ñààäàã ç¿¿ñíýýð ñèéëñýí áàéíà (Çóðàã 26). Õºøººíèé ¿ëäñýí òàëä ÿìàð íýã ä¿ðñëýë àæèãëàãäàõã¿é áàéíà. Ìàãàäã¿é áàëàð÷ ¿ã¿é áîëñîí áàéæ áîëíî. Âîëêîâ ýíý 4 Â.Â.Âîëêîâ. Îëåííûå êàìíè Ìîíãîëèè. Ìîñêâà 2002. òàáëèö 87-3 Çóðàã 25. Çóðàã 26. Arctic Studies Center 117 õºøººíèé çºâõºí ç¿¿í áîëîí õîéä òàëûí ä¿ðñëýë¿¿äèéã òîéì áàéäëààð çóðæ õýâë¿¿ëñýí áºãººä áóñàä òàëáàéã íü îðõèãäóóëñàí áàéíà5. 3-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: 234 õ 50 õ 28 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Ýíý õºøºº íýëýýä ãýìòýæ ìóóäñàí áºãººä ýíä áóé áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººäèéí õàìãèéí ºíäºð íü þì. Ýíý õºøººíèé á¿ñíýýñ äýýøõ õýñýã õîâõîð÷ ãýìòñýí òóë ä¿ðñëýëèéã õàðàõ àðãàã¿é áîëñîí áàéíà. Õàðèí õºøººíèé á¿ñ áîëîí á¿ñíýýñ ç¿¿ñýí çàðèì ýä ç¿éëñ òîäîðõîé õàðàãäàæ áàéíà. Õºøººíºº 9 ñì ºðãºí á¿ñ ñèéëæ á¿ñèéã ãóðâàëæèí óóëàí õýýãýýð ÷èìæ, óóëàí õýýíèé ãîëä æèæèã äóãóé õîíõîðóóä (òîâðóó Æ.Á) ä¿ðñýëæýý. Á¿ñíýýñ óðò èøòýé, ìºðºí人 õîñ òàë äóãóé öàãèðàãòàé òîì ñ¿õ, äóãóé òîëüòòîé ÷èíæààë õóòãà ç¿¿æ, õóòãàíû äîîð ìîðü ñèéëæýý (Çóðàã 27-28). Âîëêîâ ÷ óã õºøººíèé á¿ñíýýñ äýýøõ ä¿ðñëýëèéã õàðæ ÷àäààã¿é áîëîëòîé çºâõºí á¿ñ áîëîí á¿ñíýýñ äîîøõ ä¿ðñëýë¿¿äèéã íèéòë¿¿ëñýí áàéäàã6. Ýíý õºøººíä ä¿ðñýëñýí á¿, á¿ñíèé ÷èìýãëýë õèéãýýä ñ¿õ íü òóõàéí ¿åèéí õ¿ì¿¿ñèéí õóâöàñ, áàãàæ õýðýãñëèéí ò¿¿õèéã óëèðóóëàí ñóäëàõàä îíöãîé à÷ õîëáîãäîëòîé þì. 4-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: 164,5 x 27 x 33 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Ýíý áóãàí õºøºº íü õýëáýð, õèéö, ä¿ðñëýëèéí õóâüä áóñàä áóãàí õºøººäººñ íýëýýä ºâºðìºö þì. Ó÷èð íü èõýíõè áóãàí õºøººã õèéõäýý ÷óëóóãàà äºðâºí òàë ãàðãàí çàñ÷, ýãö øóëóóí õèéñýí áàéäàã áîë ýíý õºøººã õèéõäýý õºøººíèé äýýä õýñãèéã íýã òèéø íü áºãòèéëãºí çàñ÷, õ¿íèé í¿¿ð ä¿ðñëýýä, í¿¿ðíèé õî¸ð õàæóó òàëûí òàëáàéä òóñ á¿ð íýæãýýä äóãóé öàãèðàã (ýýìýã) ä¿ðñýëæ, õ¿ç¿¿ã íü òîéðóóëàí 18 øèðõýã æèæèã õîíõîð äóãóé (õ¿ç¿¿íèé ç¿¿ëò) 5 Â.Â.Âîëêîâ. Îëåííûå êàìíè Ìîíãîëèè. Ìîñêâà 2002. òàáëèö-88-2 6 Â.Â.Âîëêîâ. Îëåííûå êàìíè Ìîíãîëèè. Ìîñêâà 2002. òàáëèö-88 Çóðàã 27. Çóðàã 28. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 118 ñèéëæýý. Õºøººíèé äóíäààñ äîîãóóð ãóðâàëæèí óóëàí õýýòýé, óóëàí õýýíèé ãîëä æèæèã õîíõîð äóãóé öýã¿¿äýýð (òîâðóó Æ.Á) ÷èìñýí ºðãºí á¿ñ ä¿ðñýëæ, á¿ñíýýñ õ¿íèé í¿¿ðòýé òàëä Ï õýëáýðèéí äýãýý, ç¿¿í òàøàààíààñ íóì ñóì, áàðóóí òàøààíààñ ñààäàã, õîéä òàëààñ ñ¿õ áîëîâ óó ãýìýýð íýã ýä ç¿¿ñíýýð ä¿ðñýëæýý. Õàðèí ç¿¿í òàøààíä á¿ñíèé äýýõýí òàëä íýã òîì ñ¿õ, õîéä òàëä á¿ñíèé äýýõýí òàëä òàãíàé õýýò òàâàí òàëò ä¿ðñ ñéèëñýí áºãººä á¿ñíýýñ äýýøõ áóñàä òàëáàéä ñ¿ðýã áóãà ä¿ðñýëñýí íü íýëýýä á¿äãýð÷ ìóóäñíû óëìààñ öººí õýäèéã íü õàðàõ áîëìæòîé áàéâ(Çóðàã 29). Áèä ýíý áóãàí õºøººíèé ãàð çóðãèéã õèéæ ÷àäààã¿é çºâõºí íàðèéâ÷èëñàí ºíãºò ãýðýë çóðãóóä àâñàí áîëíî(Çóðàã 30). 5-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: 165 õ 34 õ 30 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Óã õºøººíèé áàðóóí áîëîí õîéä ç¿ã õàðñàí òàë èõýä õîâõîð÷ ãýìòñíèé óëìààñ õàðàãäàõ ç¿éëã¿é áîëæýý. Õàðèí ç¿¿í óðä ç¿ãò õàðñàí òàëûí äýýä õýñýãò õî¸ð òàøóó çóðààñ ä¿ðñýëæ, ò¿¿íèé çýðýãöýý óðä ç¿ãò õàðñàí òàë äýýð íýã ñàëàà óíæëàãà á¿õèé äóãóé öàãèðàã (ýýìýã Æ.Á) ä¿ðñëýýä òýäãýýðèéí äîîãóóð õºøººã òîéðóóëàí ñéèëñýí æèæèã äóãóé õîíõîðóóäààñ çºâõºí äýýð äóðñäñàí 2 òàëûí ä¿ðñëýë¿¿äèéã õàðàãäàæ áàéíà. Ç¿¿í óðä ç¿ãò õàðñàí òàëä õîíõîðóóäûí äîîð èðâýñ þì óó áàð ãýëòýé óðò ñ¿¿ëòýé àìüòíûã ýâõð¿¿ëýí ñèéëæ, ò¿¿íýýñ äîîø á¿ñ õ¿ðòýë çàéä ëàâòàéÿà ãóðâàí áóãà ä¿ðñýëñýí íü ìýäýãäýæ áàéíà. Õºøººíä ä¿ðñýëñýí á¿ñ çºâõºí ýí òàë äýýð õýñýãõýí ãàçàð õàäãàëàãäàí ¿ëäýæ áóñàä íü áàëàð÷ ¿ã¿é áîëæýý. ¯ëäñýí õýñãýýñ õàðàõàä Çóðàã 29. Âîëêîâûíõîîð Çóðàã 30. Arctic Studies Center 119 ãóðâàëæèí óóëàí õýýòýé, óóëàí õýýíèé ãîëä æèæèã õîíõîð öýãýýð (òîâðóó) ÷èìñýí ºðãºí á¿ñ àæýý (Çóðàã 31-32). ¯¿íýýñ ººð ä¿ðñëýëèéã õàðàõ àðãàã¿é áîëæýý. Ýíý õºøººã Â.Â. Âîëêîâ îãò äóðäààã¿é îðõèãäóóëñàí áàéíà. 6-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº:196 õ 34 õ 22 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Ýíý áóãàí õºøºº öóâðàà áîñîî áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººäèéí õîéä òàëä óíàñàí, õýâòýý áàéäàëòàé áàéâ (Çóðàã 25-¹6). Óã õºøººíºº íýëýýä ä¿ðñëýë áàéãàà áîëîâ÷ çàðèì òàëä áàñ ë á¿äãýð÷ õàðàõàä áýðõ áîëæýý. Õºøººíèé íýã òàëûí îðîé õýñýãò õî¸ð òàøóó çóðààñ ä¿ðñýëæ, òàøóó çóðààñíû õî¸ð òàëä òóñ á¿ð íýã äóãóé ä¿ðñ, íýã äóãóé ä¿ðñíèé õàæóóä áàñ íýã ãóðâàëæèí ä¿ðñ ñèéëæýý. Õàðèí ýäãýýð ä¿ðñíèé çýðýãöýý áàðóóí õàæóó òàëä íýã äóãóé öàãèðàã, íýã ãóðâàëæèí ä¿ðñ ãàðãàæýý. Ýäãýýðèéí äîîãóóð õºøººã òîéðóóëàí æèæèã äóãóé õîíõîðóóä (õ¿ç¿¿íèé ç¿¿ëò Æ.Á)ä¿ðñýëæ, ò¿¿íýýñ äîîø á¿ñ õ¿ðòýë çàéä 5-6 áóãà ä¿ðñýëñýí áºãººä áóãàíóóäûí äóíä äóãóé òîëü, íýã áóãàíû ãýäñýí äîîð õóòãà, ñ¿õ õî¸ðûã çºð¿¿ëýí ä¿ðñýëæýý. Óã õºøººíºº ãóðâàëæèí óóëàí õýýãýýð ÷èìñýí ºðãºí á¿ñ ñèéëñýí áºãººä íýã òàëä íü á¿ñèéã äàâõàðäóóëàí ä¿ðñýëæ, ò¿¿íýýñ ñààäàãòàé íóì ç¿¿ñíýýð ñèéëæýý (Çóðàã 33-34). Ýíý õºøººíèé äýýä òàëûí ä¿ðñëýë¿¿ä íýí ñîíèðõîëòîé þì. Áèä óã õºøººíèé ¿íäñýí áàéðëàëèéã õàéñàí áîëîâ÷ îëæ ÷àäààã¿éí óëìààñ õýâòýý ÷èãýýð íü ¿ëäýýñýí áîëíî. Çóðàã 31.Áèëëèéí çóðàã Çóðàã 32. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 120 7-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: Ýíý õºøººã áèä 4, 5-ð áóãàí õºøººíèé õîîðîíäîõ çàéä ãàçàðò áóëàãäñàí áàéñíûã îëæ ãàðãàñàí áîëíî (Çóðàã 25–F3). Óã õºøººíºº çºâõºí öóëãóé á¿ñ, á¿ñíýýñ íü íýã ñ¿õ ç¿¿ñýí ä¿ðñëýëòýé. ªºð ÿìàð íýã ä¿ðñëýëã¿é (Çóðàã 35-36). Áèä Áîð õóæèðûí ãîë -1 õýìýýí äóãààðëàñàí ýíý äóðñãàëò ãàçàðò áóé áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººäèéí á¿ðýí äýâñãýð çóðàã ¿éëäýæ, ñóäëàà÷ Âîëêîâûí õýâë¿¿ëñýí ñóäëàãààòàé õàðüöóóëàí íàðèéâ÷èëñàí, ãàð áîëîí ãýðýë çóðàã àâñàí áºãººä áèäíèé öóãëóóëñàí ìàòåðèàë çàðèì òàëààð Âîëêîâûíõîîñ çºð¿¿òýé áóéã çîðèóä äóðäàõ íü ç¿éòýé áîëîâ óó. Ò¿¿í÷ëýí áèä äóðñãàëò Çóðàã 33.Â.Â.Âîëêîâûíõîîð Çóðàã 34. Çóðàã 36.Çóðàã 35. Arctic Studies Center 121 ãàçàðò áóé òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæààñ ñîíãîæ, ãóðâàí òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæ ìàëòñàí þì (Çóðàã 25- F-1, F-2, F-4). Íýãä¿ãýýð òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæ: 3-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººíèé ç¿¿í óðä òàëä îðøèõ áºãººä ýíý òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæèéí õ¿ðýýíä áèä 3 õ 4 ì õýìæýýòýé òàëáàéä ìàëòëàãà ýõëýâ (Çóðàã 37 ).Ýíý òàëáàéãààñ áèä ÿìàð íýãýí îëäâîð îëîîã¿é ìàëòëàãà äóóñàâ. Õî¸ðäóãààð òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæ: Ýíý áàéãóóëàìæ 1-ð òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæààñ õàðàëäàà áàðóóí òàëä îðøèíî (Çóðàã 25- F2). Òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæèéí õ¿ðýýíä áèä 2,5 õ 3 ì õýìæýýòýé òàëáàéä ìàëòëàãà õèéâ (Çóðàã 38). Ýíý òàëáàéã ìàëòàõàä òàëáàéí ãîë õýñýãò 35 ñì ã¿íä íàðàí óðãàõ ç¿¿í óðä ç¿ãò (145 õýìä) õàíäóóëàí òàâüñàí àäóóíû òîëãîé îëäîâ (Çóðàã 39). ¯¿íèé äàðàà áèä ãàçàðò áóëàãäñàí 7-ð áóãàí õºøººã ìàëòàæ ãàðãàñàí áºãººä ýíý òàëáàéã F-4 õýìýýí äóãààðëàñàí áèëýý. 3-ð òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæ áóþó F-4: Ýíýõ¿¿ òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæ 1-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººíèé ç¿¿í óðä òàëä îðøèíî (Çóðàã 25-F4, 40). Ýíý òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæûí õ¿ðýýíä áèä 2,5õ 3ì òàëáàéä ìàëòëàãà õèéñýí áîëîâ÷ ÿìàð ýä ºëãèéí ç¿éë ãàðñàíã¿é. Çóðàã 37. Çóðàã 39.Çóðàã 38. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 122 Áîð õóæèðûí ãîë -2: Áîð õóæèðûí ãîë 1 äóðñãàëò ãàçðûí áàðóóí õîéä ç¿ãò 309 õýìä 500 îð÷èì ìåòð çàéä, GPS-èéí N49°44,437, E098°17,513 öýãèéí îãòëîëöîë äýýð äàëàéí ò¿âøíýýñ äýýø 2050 ìåòðèéí ºíäºðò, æèæèã õàìàð äýýð îðøèíî. Ýíä áóé õî¸ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººò äóðñãàëûã áèä Áîð õóæèðûí ãîë-2 õýìýýí íýðëýæ, äýâñãýð çóðãèéã ¿éëäýí, áàãààõàí õýìæýýíèé ñóäàëãàà õèéñýí þì. Ýë äóðñãàëò ãàçàðò áóé õî¸ð áóãàí õºøººíèé îð÷èí òîéðîíä áóé òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæóóäûã àæèãëàõàä çàðèì íü õýëáýð õýìæýý íü òîäîðõîé áîëîâ÷ çàðèì íü òîäîðõîé áóñ õàðàãäàæ áàéëàà (Çóðàã 41). Áèä ýíý äóðñãàëò ãàçàðò áóé òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæóóäààñ íýã òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæ ñîíãîæ ìàëòñàí þì (Çóðàã 41-ä áóé äºðâºæèí òàëáàé). Ýíý òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæèéã ºíãºí õºðñèéã õóóëæ, äîîø ìàëòàõàä òàëáàéí õîéä õýñãýýñ øàòñàí ÿñíû æèæèã õýñã¿¿ä, í¿¿ðñíèé æèæèã õýñã¿¿ä Çóðàã 40. Çóðàã 41. Arctic Studies Center 123 áàãà õýìæýýãýýð ãàðñíààñ ººð ç¿éë îëäñîíã¿é (Çóðàã 42). Ìàëòëàãà ãàçðûí ºíãºí õºðñíººñ äîîø 20 ñì ã¿í áîëîõîä áàéãàëèéí ýõ õºðñ ãàðàâ. Áîð õóæèðûí ãîë-2 ûí 1-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: 180 õ 59 õ 33 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Óã õºøººíèé ç¿¿í óðä ç¿ãò õàðñàí íàðèéí òàëûí äýýä õýñýãò õîñð òàøóó çóðààñ, ò¿¿íèé çýðýãöýý áàðóóí õàæóó òàëä íýã ñàëàà óíæëàãàòàé äóãóé öàãèðàã (ýýìýã) ä¿ðñýëñýíèé èõýíõè õýñýã íü õîâõîð÷ ¿ã¿é áîëñîí àæ. Ýäãýýð ä¿ðñíèé äîîãóóð õºøººã òîéðóóëàí 21 õîíõîð äóãóé ä¿ðñ ñèéëæýý. Õºøººíèé äóíäààñ äîîõíóóð öóëãóé íàðèéí á¿ñ õîíõîéëãîí ñéèëæ, õî¸ð òàøóó çóðààñòàé òàëûí á¿ñíýýñ öàãèðàãàí òîëüòòîé îõîð ÷èíæààë ç¿¿ñíýýð ä¿ðñýëæýý. ̺í õóòãàòàé òàëûí á¿ñíèé äýýõýí òàëä äóãóé òîëü õîíõîéëãîí Çóðàã 42. Çóðàã 43. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 124 ãàðãàæýý. Õºøººíèé õîéä íàðèéí òàëä ä¿ðñëýãäñýí á¿ñíèé äýýõýí òàëä òàãíàé õýýòýé òàâàí òàëò ä¿ðñ áóé íü ìýäýãäýõ áîëîâ÷ á¿äãýð÷ òóí ìóóäñàí ó÷èð áèä çóðàãò îðóóëæ ÷àäñàíã¿é (Çóðàã 43). Õºøººíèé áóñàä òàëáàé õàãàíä èäýãäñýí, õîâõîð÷ óíàñàí çýðãýýñ øàëòãààëàí ÷óõàì ä¿ðñëýë áàéñàí ýñýõ íü òîäîðõîéã¿é áàéíà. Âîëêîâ ýíý õºøººíèé çºâõºí õî¸ð òàøóó çóðààñòàé òàëûã çóðæ õýâë¿¿ëæýý. Áîð õóæèðûí ãîë-2 ûí 2-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: 98 õ 32 õ 20 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Óã õºøººíèé ç¿¿í ç¿ãò õàðñàí íàðèéí òàëûí äýýä õýñýãò õî¸ð òàøóó çóðààñ ä¿ðñëýýä, äóíä õýñãýýð íü õºøººã òîéðóóëàí íàðèéí öóëãóé á¿ñ ñèéëæ, áàðóóí òàøààíààñ æèæèã ñ¿õ, ç¿¿í òàëûí òàøààíààñ æèæèã áºãòºð õóòãà ç¿¿ñíýýð ä¿ðñýëñýí áàéíà (Çóðàã 44). ªºð ÿìàð íýã ä¿ðñëýëã¿é. Âîëêîâ ýíý õºøººíèé ãóðâàí òàëûã çóðæ õýâë¿¿ëñýí áàéíà. Áèä Áîð õóæèðûí ãîëûí îð÷èìä áàãààõàí õàéãóóë õèéñíèé ¿ð ä¿íä õýä õýäýí áóãàí õºøºº áóéã îëæ ¿çñýí þì. ¯¿íèé íýã íü áèäíèé Áîð õóæèðûí ãîë-3 õýìýýí íýðëýñýí äóðñãàëò ãàçàð þì. Ýíý äóðñãàëò ãàçàð Áîð õóæèðûí ãîë-1 äóðñàãëò ãàçðààñ õîéä ç¿ãò 3,4 êì çàéä, GPS-èéí N49°46,076, E098°17,466 öýãèéí îãòëîëöîë äýýð äàëàéí ò¿âøíýýñ äýýø 2021 ìåòðèéí ºíäºðò îðøèíî. Ýíä íýã áîñîî, íýã óíàìàë áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº áàéíà(Çóðàã 45).Áîñîî áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº 97 õ 28 õ 24ñì õýìæýýòýé. Õºøººíèé îðîé õýñýãò õî¸ð äóãóé öàãèðàã ä¿ðñýëæ, ò¿¿íèé äîîãóóð õºøººã òîéðóóëàí 13 øèðõýã æèæèã äóãóé õîíõîð ñéèëæ, õºøººíèé ¸ðîîë õýñýãò ãóðâàëæèí óóëàí õýýòýé á¿ñ ä¿ðñýëñýí íü õàðàãäàæ áàéíà. Á¿ñíýýñ äîîøõ õýñýã ãàçàðò áóëàãäñàí ó÷èð ä¿ðñëýë áàéãàà ýñýõèéã õàðæ ÷àäñàíã¿é. Õàðèí õºøººíèé ç¿¿í õàæóó òàëä á¿ñíýýñ äýýø õî¸ð õóòãà, ñààäàãòàé íóì, òîëü çýðãèéã ä¿ðñýëñýí áîë, õîéä òàëä á¿ñíèé äýýõýí òàëä òàãíàé õýýòýé òàâàí òàëò ä¿ðñ Çóðàã 44. Çóðàã 45. Arctic Studies Center 125 ñèéëæýý. Õºøººíèé ç¿¿í óðàãø õàðñàí óðä òàëä á¿ñíýýñ äýýø áóãà ä¿ðñýëñýí ìýäýãäýæ áàéãàà áîëîâ÷ òîäîðõîé õýëýõ àðãàã¿é áàéëàà. Õàðèí óíàìàë õºøºº 215 õ 40 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Õºøººíèé çàðèì õýñýã ãàçàðò áóëàãäñàí áºãººä áèä öàãèéí áàéäëààñ áîëîîä ýðã¿¿ëæ õàðæ ÷àäààã¿é. Ìë áàéãàà òàëóóäûã õàðàõàä õºøººíèé äýýä õýñýãò äóãóé öàãèðàã ä¿ðñ, óóëàí õýýòýé á¿ñ, òàãíàé õýýòýé òàâàí òàëò ä¿ðñ çýðýã ç¿éëñ õàðàãäàæ áàéëàà (Çóðàã 46). Çóðàã 46. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 126 Áîð õóæèðûí ãîë-4 äóðñãàëò ãàçàð: Ýíý äóðñãàëò ãàçàð Áîð õóæèðûí ãîëûí ç¿¿í òàëä GPS-èéí N49°48,440, E098°18,025 öýãèéí îãòëîëöîë äýýð äàëàéí ò¿âøíýýñ äýýø 2017 ìåòðèéí ºíäºðò, îëîí æèæèã õàäàí öîõèîá¿õèé íàìõàâòàð óóëûí óðä áèåä îðøèíî. Ýíä ÿìàð íýãýí äàãóóë áàéãóóëàìæã¿é õî¸ð áîñîî áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº áóé (Çóðàã 47). Ýíý õî¸ð õºøººíèé íýã 170 ñì, íºãºº íü 196ñì ºíäºð, õî¸óëàà íàðèéí öóëãóé á¿ñíèé ä¿ðñëýëòýé. ªºð ä¿ðñëýë áóé ýñýõ íü òîäîðõîéã¿é õàã èäýæ, õîâõîð÷ ãýìòýæ ìóóäñàí õºøººä þì. Çóðàã 47. Arctic Studies Center 127 ªâãºä áàãèéí íóòàã Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí äóðñãàëò ãàçàð Ýíý äóðàãàëò ãàçàð Öàãààí-Óóë ñóìûí òºâººñ áàðóóí õîéø 20 îð÷èì êì çàéä, Óëààí òîëãîéí ç¿¿í óðä áèå, Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí õîéä òàëä GPS-èéí N49°42,261, E098°35,706 öýãèéí îãòëîëöîë äýýð äàëàéí ò¿âøíýýñ äýýø 1874 ìåòðèéí ºíäºðò îðøèíî (Çóðàã 48). Ýíý äóðñãàëò ãàçàð 13 áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº, äàãóóë òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæóóäûí õàìò îðøèõ áºãººä õºøººäèéí èõýíõè íü óíàæ, ¿íäñýí áàéðëàëàà àëäñàí áàéíà (Çóðàã 49). Çóðàã 48. Çóðàã 49. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 128 Ýíýõ¿¿ äóðñãàëò ãàçðûã øèíæëýõ óõààíû ¿¿äíýýñ àíõ ñóäàëñàí õ¿í áîë Îðîñûí ñóäëàà÷ Â.Â.Âîëêîâ áºãººä òýðýýð ýíý äóðñãàë ãàçàðò áóé áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººäººñ 11 õºøººíèé òîäîðõîéëîëò õéèæ, 8 áóãàí õºøººíèé ãàð çóðãèéã õýâë¿¿ëæýý7. ̺í òýðýýð íýëýýä òîéìîëñîí, á¿ä¿¿â÷ äýâñãýð çóðàã ¿éëäñýí áàéíà (Çóðàã 50). Ýíý çóðàã áèäíèé õèéñýí äýâñãýð çóðãààñ õîë çºðæ áóéã òýìäýãëýõ íü ç¿éòýé áîëîâ óó. Ýíý äóðñãàëò ãàçàðò áóé áóãàí õºøººäèéí áàéðëàë á¿òöèéã àæèãëàõàä ãóðâàí õýñãýýñ á¿ðäñýí á¿ëýã äóðñãàë áîëîõ íü èëýðõèé áàéâ. Ýíä áèäíèéã î÷èõîä 13 áóãàí õºøºº áàéñíû çºâõºí 4 æèæèã õºøºº ë áîñîî áóñàä íü óíàæ ¿íäñýí áàéðëàëàà àëäñàí áàéëàà. Ýíý äóðñãàëò ãàçðààñ áàðóóí òèéø íýëýýä õîë çàéä òóñäàà áàéðëàë á¿õèé õî¸ð óíàìàë áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº áàéâ. Ýíý õî¸ðòîé íèéëýýä íèéò 15 áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº ýíä áàéâ. Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí äóðñãàëò ãàçðûí äýâñãýð çóðãèéã áèä 2 õýñýã õóâààæ ¿éëäñýí áºãººä ýõíèéõ íü óðä òàëûí 2 á¿ëýã áóãàí õºøººäèéí îð÷èíä õàìààðàãäàíà (Çóðàã 51). 7 Â.Â.Âîëêîâ. Îëåííûå êàìíè Ìîíãîëèè. Ìîñêâà 2002. Çóðàã 50. Â.Â.Âîëêîâûí ¿éëäñýí äýâñãýð çóðàã Arctic Studies Center 129 Ò¿¿í÷ëýí áèä äóðñãàëò ãàçðûí õàìãèéí õîéä õýñýãò áóé á¿ëýã áóãàí õºøºººäèéã òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæóóäûí õàìòààð íü íýã äýâñãýð çóðàãò áóóëãàâ (Çóðàã 52). Çóðàã 51. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 130 Çóðàã 52. Arctic Studies Center 131 Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí 1-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: Óíàìàë, 282 õ 54 õ 29 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Õºøººíèé îðîé õýñãèéã ñàéòàð çàñ÷, õî¸ð ºðãºí òàëûí íýã äýýð íü íýã äóãóé öàãèðàã, íºãºº äýýð íü íýã òîì íýã æèæèã äóãóé öàãèðàã ä¿ðñýëæ, ò¿¿íèé äîîãóóð õºøººã òîéðóóëàí õîîðîíäîî õýëõýýòýé æèæèã äóãóé õîíõîðóóä (õ¿ç¿¿íèé ç¿¿ëò Æ.Á) ñèéëæ, ò¿¿íýýñ äîîø á¿ñ õ¿ðòýëõ çàéä íèéò äîëîîí áóãà öîðîéëãîí ä¿ðñëýýä, áóãàíóóäûí äîîð íàðèéí õ¿ðýýòýé äóãóé òîëü, íóì ñóì, òàãíàé õýýò òàâàí òàëò ä¿ðñ çýðãèéã ñèéëæ, ò¿¿íèé äîîãóóð îëîí äàâõàð óóëàí õýýãýýð ÷èìñýí ºðãºí á¿ñ ä¿ðñýëæ, á¿ñíýýñ õóòãà, ãóðâàëæèíäóó õýëáýðòýé áèë¿¿? ìàÿãûí ýä, áàñ íýã ñààäàã ìýò ¿ë ìýäýãäýõ òýãø ºíöºãò õýëáýðò íàðèéí óðò ýäëýë çýðýã ýä ç¿éëñ ç¿¿ñýí áºãººä õºøººíèé íýã ºðãºí òàëûí á¿ñíèé õýñýã èõýä õîâõîð÷ ìóóäñàí òóë á¿ñíýýñ ç¿¿ñýí ç¿éëñ ñàéí ìýäýãäýõã¿é áàéíà (Çóðàã 54). Ñóäëàà÷ Â.Âîëêîâ ýíý õºøººíèé ãóðâàí òàëûí ä¿ðñèéã ãàð çóðàãò áóóëãàæ, íýã ºðãºí òàëûí ä¿ðñëýëèéã îðõèãäóóëàí çóðæýý (Çóðàã 53). Ãýâ÷ òýðýýð îðõèãäóóëñàí òàëûí ä¿ðñëýëèéã òîäîðõîéëîí áè÷ñýí áàéäàã. Çóðàã 53. Âîëêîâûíõîîð Çóðàã 54. Æ.Áàÿðñàéõàí Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 132 Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí 2-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: Óíàìàë 253 õ 43 õ 31ñì õýìæýýòýé. Óã õºøººíèé îðîé õýñãèéã õ¿íèé òîëãîé ìýò õýëáýð îðóóëàí çàñ÷, íýã íàðèéí òàëûã òîëèéëãîí çàñ÷ ò¿¿íèé áàðóóí õàæóóä òîì æèæèã õî¸ð öàãèðàã, ç¿¿í õàæóóä íýã äóíäàæ õýìæýýíèé öàãèðàã ä¿ðñëýýä òýäãýýðèéí äîîãóóð õ¿ç¿¿íèé ç¿¿ëò ìýò íýã øóëóóí çóðààñûã õî¸ð òàëûí öàãèðàãíóóäààñ ýõë¿¿ëæ, íýã íàðèéí òàëä ãóðâàëæëóóëàí äîîø óíæóóëàí íéèë¿¿ëæ, ò¿¿íèé ÿã äîîãóóð õºøººã òîéðóóëàí áàñ íýã øóëóóí çóðààñûã õîíõîéëãîí ñèéëæýý. Ò¿¿íýýñ äîîø á¿ñ õ¿ðòýë çàéä ãóðâàí òîì áóãà, õî¸ð æèæèã áóãà òýäãýýðèéí äîîð òîëü, íóì ñóì, òàãíàé õýýò òàâàí òàëò ä¿ðñ çýðãèéã ä¿ðñýëæýý. Ò¿¿íèé äîîãóóð ãóðâàëæèí óóëàí õýýòýé á¿ñ ä¿ðñýëæ, á¿ñíýýñ õî¸ð õóòãà, õî¸ð ñ¿õ, ñààäàã ìýò íýã æèæèã ýäëýë, äºðâºëæèí õàâòàãà ìýò áàñ íýã ýäëýë çýðãèéã ç¿¿ñíýýð ñèéëñýí áàéíà (Çóðàã 55-56). Ýíý áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº ýíä áóé áóãàí õºøººäèéí õàìãèéí òîì, óðàí, ã¿í ñéèëáýðòýé õºøºº áºãººä ¿íäñýí áàéðëàëûã îëîõ áîëîìæã¿é áîëñîí áàéâ. Ãýâ÷ îäîî óíàñàí ãàçðààñ íýã õîëã¿é îðøèæ áàéñàí áîëîâ óó õýìýýí áèä òààìàãëàæ áàéíà. Çóðàã 55. Âîëêîâûíõîîð Arctic Studies Center 133 Çóðàã 56. Æ.Áàÿðñàéõàí Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 134 Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí 3-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: Óíàìàë õóãàðõàé, 136 õ 39 õ 30 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Óã õºøºº á¿ñíèéõýý äýýõýí òàëààð õóãàð÷ äýýä õýñýã íü ¿ã¿é áîëñîí. ¯ëäýñýí õóãàðõàé õýñýã äýýð öóëãóé ºðãºí á¿ñ, á¿ñíèé äýýõýí òàëä íýã áóãûí òîëãîéí ä¿ðñëýë áóé íü ìýäýãäýæ áàéíà (Çóðàã 57).Ýíý õóãàðõàé õýñýã äýý𠺺ð ÿìàð íýã ä¿ðñëýëã¿é áàéíà. Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí 4-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: Óíàìàë,186 x 50 x 20 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Óã õºøººíèé íýã ºðãºí òàëûí îðîé õýñýãò íýã æèæèã äóãóé îíãè ä¿ðñýëæ, ò¿¿íèé äîîãóóð æèæèã äóãóé õîíõîðóóä ò¿¿íýýñ äîîø á¿ñ õ¿ðòýë çàéä ãóðâàí áóãà ñéèëæ, áóãàíû äîîãóóð ãóðâàëæèí óóëàí õýýãýýð ÷èìñýí á¿ñ ä¿ðñýëñýí íü ìýäýãäýæ áàéíà. Áóñàä òàëóóäûí ä¿ðñëýë á¿äãýð÷, õàðàõ àðãàã¿é áîëæýý (Çóðàã 58). Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí 5-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: Áîñîî, 128 õ 29 õ 24 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Óã õºøººíèé íýã ºðãºí òàëûí îðîé õýñýãò íýã òîì äóãóé îíãè ä¿ðñëýýä, ò¿¿íèé äîîãóóð õºøººã òîéðóóëàí îëîí æèæèã äóãóé õîíõîðóóä ñèéëæ, ò¿¿íýýñ äîîø õºøººã òîéðóóëàí îëîí ñ¿ðýã áóãà ä¿ðñýëñýí áîëîâ÷ ÷óõàì õýäýí áóãà áóéã ìýäýõýä áýðõ áîëñîí áºãººä òýäãýýð áóãàíû äîîãóóð ãóðâàëæèí óóëàí õýýãýýð ÷èìñýí á¿ñ ä¿ðñýëæýý (Çóðàã 59). Á¿ñíýýñ õóòãà, ñ¿õ çýðýã ýä ç¿éëñ ç¿¿ñíýýð ä¿ðñýëæýý. ªºð ÿìàð íýã ä¿ðñëýë áàéõã¿é áîëîëòîé áàéíà. Çóðàã 57. Çóðàã 58. Çóðàã 59. Arctic Studies Center 135 Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí 6-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: Áîñîî áîëîâ÷, á¿ñíèéõýý äýýã¿¿ð õóãàðñàí, 86 õ 29 õ 18 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Óã õºøººíèé äýýä õýñýãò õºøººíèé ãóðâàí òàëä íèéò 7 øèðõýã æèæèã äóãóéã õîíõîéëãîí ñéèëæ, õºøººíèé äîîä õýñýãò ãóðâàëæèí óóëàí õýýãýýð ÷èìñýí ºðãºí á¿ñ ä¿ðñëýýä, õºøººíèé àð òàëä á¿ñíèé äýýõýí òàëä òàãíàé õýýòýé òàâàí òàëò ä¿ðñ ñèéëñíýýñ ººð ä¿ðñëýë õàðàãäàõã¿é áàéíà. Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí 7-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: Óíàìàë, 202 õ 42 õ 34 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Óã õºøººíèé íýã íàðèéí òàëûí îðîé õýñýãò íýã òîì òàøóó çóðààñ ò¿¿íèé çýðýãöýý õî¸ð òàëä òóñ æèæèã, òîì õî¸ð öàãèðàã ä¿ðñýëæ, òýäãýýð ä¿ðñëýëèéí äîîãóóð õºøººã òîéðóóëàí 28 øèðõýã æèæèã äóãóé õîíõîð (Õ¿ç¿¿íèé ç¿¿ëò Æ.Á) ñèéëæ, ò¿¿íèé äîîø á¿ñ õ¿ðòýë òàëä áàð þì óó? èðâýñ? áîëîëòîé õî¸ð àðààòàí áîëîí 22 àäóóã äàâõàðäóóëàí ä¿ðñýëæ, àäóóíóóäûí çàâñàð çàéä äóãóé òîëü áîëîí òàãíàé õýýò òàâàí òàëò ä¿ðñ ñèéëñýí áàéíà. Õºøººíèé á¿ñ ìºí ãóðâàëæèí óóëàí õýýòýé, á¿ñíýýñ íóì ñóì, äóãóé òîëüòîé ÷èíæààë áîëîí öàãèðãàí òîëüòòîé áºãòºðä¿¿ õóòãà, ñ¿õ çýðãýýñ ãàäíà ¿ë ìýäýãäýõ õî¸ð áàãàæ ìºí ç¿¿ñíýýð ä¿ðñýëñýí áàéíà. Ò¿¿í÷ëýí á¿ñíèé äîîð ñ¿õíèé õàæóóä íýã ìîðü, õî¸ð ¿ë ìýäýãäýõ çýâñãèéí õàæóóä áàñ íýã æèæèã ìîðü ä¿ðñýëñýíýýð ýíý õºøººíä íèéò 24 ìîðü óðàí ÷àäìàã ñéèëñýí áàéíà (Çóðàã 61-62). Çóðàã 60. Çóðàã 61. Âîëêîâûíõîîð Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 136 Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí 8-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: Óíàìàë, õóãàðõàé, 263 õ 77 õ 23 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Ýíý õºøºº äóíäóóðàà õóãàð÷ 2 õýñýã áîëñîí áºãººä õºøººíèé íýã ºðãºí òàëä ãóðâàí òîì áóãà öîðîéëãî ä¿ðñýëæ, äîîä òàëûí áóãàíû òîëãîé äýýð äóãóé òîëüòòîé íýã òîì ÷èíæààë õóòãà, õ¿ç¿¿í äîð íü ñààäàã ìýò íýã ýä ä¿ðñýëýí ãàðãàñàí áîë íºãºº ýñðýã òàëûí ºðãºí òàëáàéä ìºí ãóðâàí áóãà ä¿ðñýëñíèé äîîä òàëûí áóãàíû ä¿ðñ õîâõîð÷, áàëàð÷ ìóóäñàí áàéíà. Äîîä òàëûí áóãàíû äîîð õóãàðõàé õýñýã äýýð óðò èøòýé íýã òîì ñ¿õ ñèéëæýý. Õàðèí íýã íàðèéí òàë äýýð ºðãºí òàë äýýð ä¿ðñëýãäñýí íýã òîì áóãàíû Çóðàã 62. Æ.Áàÿðñàéõàí 8-ð áóãàí õºøºº. Âîëêîâûíõîîð Arctic Studies Center 137 ýâðèéã ¿ðãýëæë¿¿ëýí ñèéëýí ãàðãàñàí áîë, íºãºº ýñðýã íàðèéí òàëä íýã æèæèã áóãà, íýã õóòãà, òàãíàé õýýò òàâàí òàëò ä¿ðñ çýðãèéã ä¿ðñýëæýý (Çóðàã 63). Çóðàã 63. Æ.Áàÿðñàéõàí Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 138 Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí 9-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: Óíàìàë, 230 x 65 x 20 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Óã õºøººã Âîëêîâ àíõ õýâë¿¿ëñýí áºãººä ìºí ë òîäîðõîéëîëò õèéãýýä çóðàã íü á¿ðýí áóñ áàéíà (Çóðàã 64). Õºøººíèé íýã ºðãºí òàëûí äýýä õýñýãò õî¸ð ñàëàà óíæëàãàòàé òîì îíãè ä¿ðñëýýä, ò¿¿íèé äîîð òîëãîé íü óðóóãàà õàðñàí íýã òîì áóãà, ò¿¿íèé ýñðýã áàñ íýã áóãûã äýýø öîðîéëãîí òîëãîéã íü çºð¿¿ëýí ñéèëæýý. Õàðèí íºãºº ýñðýã òàëûí ºðãºí òàëáàéí îðîé õýñýãò íýã æèæèã áóãûã òîëãîéã íü óðóó õàðóóëàí ä¿ðñýëñýí áîë ò¿¿íèé äîîðîîñ õî¸ð òîì áóãûã äýýø öîðîéëãîí ñèéëæ, äîîä òàëûí áóãàíû ãýäñýí äîîð òîëüòîíäîî ìîðèíû òîëãîéí ä¿ðñò òîì õóòãà, ò¿¿íèé õàæóóä óðò ñ¿¿ëòýé, ýðýýí öîîõîð áèåòýé áàð þìóó èðâýñ ãýìýýð ãóðâàí àðààòíûã äýýø öóâðóóëàí ä¿ðñýëæýý. Õàðèí íýã íàðèéí òàë äýýð õî¸ð áóãûã äýýø öîðîéëãîí ä¿ðñýëæ, íºãºº ýñðýã íàðèéí òàëä äóãóé òîëü, òîëãîé íü äîîø õàðñàí íýã æèæèã áóãà, ò¿¿íèé äîîð íàðèéí öóëãóé á¿ñ ñèéëæ, á¿ñíýýñ íýã äýãýý ìàÿãûí ýäëýë, ò¿¿íèé õàæóóä òîëüòîíäîî ìîðèí òîëãîéò õóòãà ç¿¿ñýí ä¿ðñëýëòýé (Çóðàã 65). Çóðàã 64. Âîëêîâûí Çóðàã 65. Æ.Áàÿðñàéõàí Arctic Studies Center 139 Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí 10-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: Õóãàðõàé æèæèã õýñýã, 102 õ 60 õ 20 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Ýíý õºøººã õèéñýí ÷óëóóã õàðàõàä ìàãàäã¿é 11 ð õºøººíèé õóãàðõàé õýñýã áàéæ ìàãàäã¿é áîëîâ÷ çóçààí çýðýã õýìæýýã õàðàõàä ýðãýëçýýòýé ñàíàãäàíà. ßìàð ÷ àòóãàé ýíý õºøººíèé íýã õàâòãàé òàëáàé äýýð íýã òîì áóãàíû òîëãîé, õ¿ç¿¿, ýâýðíèé ä¿ðñëýë, íºãºº ýñðýã òàëûí õàâòãàé äýýð ãóðâàí áóãàíû ä¿ðñëýë áóé íü òîäõîí õàðàãäàæ áàéíà(Çóðàã66). Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí 11-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: Áîñîî, 68 õ 52 õ16 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Õóãàðñàí áóãàí õºøººíèé ¸çîîð õýñýã, õóãàðñàí äýýä õýñýã íü îëäîîã¿é, ýâëýõýýð õýñýã áàéãààã¿é. ¯ëäñýí ýíý ¸çîîðûí íýã ºðãºí òàëä õî¸ð áóãûã äýýø, äîîø òîëãîéã íü çºð¿¿ëýí ä¿ðñýëñíýýñ ººð ä¿ðñýëã¿é áàéíà(Çóðàã 67). Çóðàã 66. Æ.Á Çóðàã 67. Æ.Á Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 140 Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí 12-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: Áîñîî, 83 õ 33 õ 23 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Ýíý õºøººíä ÿìàð íýã ä¿ðñëýë áàéõã¿é (Çóðàã 68). Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí 13-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: Óíàìàë, 213 õ 57 õ 24 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Ýíý áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº äóðñãàëò ãàçðûí õàìãèéí õîéä õýñýãò óíàñàí áàéâ. Óã õºøººíèé íýã ºðãºí òàëûí îðîé õýñýãò íýã äóãóé îíãè ñèéëæ, ò¿¿íèé äîîð õî¸ð æèæèã áóãà, õî¸ð òîì áóãà ä¿ðñýëæ, õàìãèéí äîîä òàëûí áóãàíû òîëãîé äýýð íýã òîì õóòãà ñèéëæýý. Õóòãàíû èø õýñýã õîâõîð÷ ìóóäñàí òóë ñàéí ìýäýãäýõã¿é áàéíà. Õºøººíèé íºãºº ýñðýã òàëûí ºðãºí òàëáàéä íýã äóãóé îíãèíîîñ ººð ä¿ðñëýëã¿é. Õàðèí íýã íàðèéí òàë äýýð äóãóé òîëü,”Ï” õýëáýðèéí äýãýý ä¿ðñýëæýý(Çóðàã 69-70 ). Çóðàã 68. Ñóìààð çààñàí áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº Çóðàã 69. Çóðàã 70. Arctic Studies Center 141 Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí 14-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: Ýíý áóãàí ÷óëóóí äýýð òîäîðõîéëñîí Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí á¿ëýã áóãàí õºøººíººñ áàðóóí òèéø 100 îð÷èì ìåòð çàéä ãàçàðò áóëàãäñàí íýã áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº áóé. ¯¿íèé çºâõºí áàãààõàí õýñýã íü ãàçðààñ öóõóé áàéñàí òóë áèä íàðèéí õýìæýýñ àâ÷ ÷àäñàíã¿é. Õºøººíèé ñèéëáýð íýëýýä ñàéí õàäãàëàãäñàí áàéâ. Ãàçðààñ öóõóéæ áóé õýñýã äýýð òîì æèæèã 2 äóãóé öàãèðàã, ò¿¿íèé äîîãóóð õîîðîíäîî íàðèéí õîâèëîî õýëõýãäñýí îëîí æèæèã äóãóé õîíõîðóóä, áóãàíóóäûí ä¿ðñëýë¿¿ä áóé íü òîä õàðàãäàæ áàéâ. ͺ㺺 ýñðýã òàëûí ºðãºí òàëáàéä õýëõýýòýé õîíõîðóóäûí äîîð õî¸ð òîì áóãàíû òîëãîé, íýã æèæèã áóãàíû áèå, íýã òîì ýâýðíèé ä¿ðñëýë áàéãàà áºãººä ýâýðíèé çàâñàð õîîðîíä äóãóé òîëü, æèæèã íóì ñóì ä¿ðñýëæýý (Çóðàã 71 ). Ýíý áóãàí õºøºº áóé ãàçðûã àæèãëàõàä óðä íü õýí íýãýí õ¿í óõàæ òîíîñîí þì óó ãýëòýé áàéâ. Õºøººíèé ç¿¿í òàëä íàìõàâòàð ÷óëóóí äàðààñòàé íýãýí äóãóé áóëø áàéâ (Çóðàã 72). Çóðàã 71. Çóðàã 72. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 142 Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí 15-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: Óíàìàë, 62 õ 27 õ 18 ñì õýìæýýòýé. 14-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººíººñ áàðóóí òèéø áàñ 100 îð÷èì ìåòð çàéä áàñ íýã æèæèã áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº ãàçàðò áóëàãäñàí áàéñíûã îëñîí þì (Çóðàã 73). Óã õºøººã íîãîîâòîð áîðæèí ÷óëóóãààð õèéñýí áºãººä íýã òàëûí îðîé õýñýã ãóðâàí òàøóó çóðààñ ä¿ðñýëæ, ò¿¿íýýñ äîîø öóâóóëàí 5 æèæèã äóãóé õîíõîð ãàðãàæýý. Õàðèí íºãºº íýã õàæóó òàëä ºðãºí õ¿ðýýòýé äóãóé öàãèðàã ñèéëæ, ò¿¿íèé äîîð äºðâºí æèæèã äóãóé õîíõîð ãàðãàæ, äóãóé õîíõîðóóäûí äîîð õóòãà þì óó ãýëòýé ¿ë ìýäýãäýõ (+) òýìäýã õýëáýðèéí õî¸ð ä¿ðñ ãàðãàñàí àæ (Çóðàã 74,75). Çóðàã 73. Çóðàã 75. Çóðàã 74. Arctic Studies Center 143 Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººäèéí îð÷èìä õèéñýí ìàëòëàãà ñóäàëãàà: Áèä Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí äóðñãàëò ãàçàðò 4 òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæ ìàëòàí ñóäàëñàí áèëýý. 1-ð òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæ: Ýíý òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæ äóðñãàëò ãàçðûí óðä òàëûí á¿ëýã ÷óëóóí áàéãóóëàìæóóäûí õîéä õýñýãò, 5-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººíèé õîéä òàëä îðøèíî (Çóðàã 51 F-1-èéã õàðíà óó). Ýíý òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæèéí õ¿ðýýíä áèä 2,5 õ 2,5ì õýìæýýòýé òàëáàéä ìàëòëàãà õèéâ(Çóðàã 76). Ìàëòëàãûí ÿâöàä ÷óëóóí äàðààñíû äîîðîîñ 20-25 ñì-èéí ã¿íýýñ øàòñàí ÿñíû æèæèã õýñýã, í¿¿ðñíèé 2 æèæèã õýñãýýñ ººð þì ãàðñàíã¿é, ìàëòëàãà äóóñàâ 2-ð òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæ: Ýíý áàéãóóëàìæ óðä òàëûí á¿ëýã ÷óëóóí áàéãóóëàìæààñ áàðóóí íýëýýä çàéä òóñäàà áàéõ ãóðâàí òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæûí ãîëä îðøèíî (Çóðàã 51 F-2). Ýíý òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæûí õ¿ðýýíä áèä 3 õ 3,5 ì òàëáàéä ìàëòëàãà õèéæ, ãàçðûí õºðñíººñ äîîø 39 ñì ã¿íä ç¿¿í óðä 120 õýìä õàíäóóëàí òàâüñàí àäóóíû òîëãîéí òàõèëãà èëð¿¿ëýí îëñîí þì (Çóðàã 77-78). Àäóóíû òîëãîéí äàãçíû ÿñ õýìõýð÷ áàðàã ¿ã¿é áîëñîí, òîëãîéíû àð òàëä 2 õ¿ç¿¿íèé ÿñ, íýã áîãèíî ñýýð áàéâ(Çóðàã 79,80). ̺í àäóóíû òîëãîéí ç¿¿í óðä òàëààñ íýã òóóðàéí ÿñ îëñîí þì. ¯¿íýýñ ººð ÿìàð íýã ç¿éë îëäîîã¿é þì. Òàõèëãûí çàí ¿éëýýð áîë äºðâºí òóóðàé áîëîí Çóðàã 76. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 144 õ¿ç¿¿íèé áóñàä ÿñ áàéõ ¸ñòîé áîëîâ÷ áèä ìàëòëàãûí òàëáàéãààñ îëîîã¿é áèëýý. Ìàãàäã¿é ìýðýã÷ àìüòàä çººæ ¿ã¿é õèéñýí áàéæ áîëîõ þì. 3-ð òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæ: Ýíý òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæ äóðñãàëò ãàçðûí áàðóóí õîéä òàëûí á¿ëýã ÷óëóóí áàéãóóëàìæûí õ¿ðýýíä 9-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººíèé ç¿¿í óðä òàëä îðøèíî (Çóðàã 52- F3 ). Òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæûí õ¿ðýýíä áèä 2 õ 2,5 ì òàëáàéä ìàëòëàãà õèéâ (Çóðàã 81). Ìàëòëàãûí ÿâöàä òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæûí ãîë äóíäàõ ÷óëóóí äàðààñíû äîîðîîñ, ºíººãèíé ãàçðûí õºðñíººñ äîîø 51 ñì-èéí ã¿íä àäóóíû òîëãîéí òàõèëãà ¿éëäñýí áàéâ (Çóðàã 82). Àäóóíû òîëãîéã ç¿¿í óðàãø 115 õýìä õàíäóóëàí, 6 õ¿ç¿¿ã çàëãààòàé íü òîëãîéí ç¿¿í õàæóóä äàãóóëàí òàâüæ, äºðâºí òóóðàéíû 2-ã íü óðä õóøóóí äîð, ¿ëäñýí 2-ã íü ýð¿¿íèé àð óãëóóðãà äîð òàâüæýý (Çóðàã 83). Àäóóíû òîëãîéí äàãçàí äîîð ºðººñºí ýð¿¿ íü õàæóó òàëààðàà õýâòýý áàéäàëòàé áàéâ. Õàðèí íºãºº ýð¿¿ íü áàéõã¿é áàéëàà. Àäóóí òîëãîíé õîéä õýñýã áîëîí áàðóóí õàæóóãààñ ¿íñ íýëýýä õýìæýýãýýð ãàðñàí áºãººä ¿íñýí äîòðîîñ øàòñàí ÿñíû æèæèã õýñã¿¿ä îëäîæ áàéñàí þì. Çóðàã 77. Çóðàã 78. Çóðàã 80.Çóðàã 79. Arctic Studies Center 145 Áèä äýýðõ ãóðâàí òàõèëãûí áàéãóóëàìæààñ ãàäíà ººð ãóðâàí ãàçàð áóþó óðä òàëûí á¿ëýã ÷óëóóí áàéãóóëàìæûí áàðóóí óðä òàëä íýã, 6-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººíèé ç¿¿í óðä íýã, 5-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººíèé ç¿¿í ºìíº áàñ íýã æèæèã òàëáàéä ìàëòëàãà õèéñýí áîëîâ÷ ÿìàð íýã ýä ºëãèéí ç¿éë îëîîã¿é þì (Çóðàã 84-èéí F-4, F-5, F-6). Çóðàã 83. Çóðàã 82.Çóðàã 81. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 146 Çóðàã 84. Arctic Studies Center 147 Áóÿíò ãîëûí äóðñãàëò ãàçàð: Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí ç¿¿í õîéíîîñ öóòãàõ íýãýí æèæèã ãîëûã Áóÿíò ãîë õýìýýí íýðëýíý. Ýíý ãîëûí ç¿¿í áèåä õýäýí æèæèã áîñîî ÷óëóó áóéã àæèãëàí, î÷èõîä ãóðâàí áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº áàéâ (Çóðàã 85). Äóðñãàëò ãàçàð GPS-èéí N49°42,935, 98°35,077 öýãèéí îãòëîëöîë äýýð îðøèíî. Áóÿíò ãîëûí 1-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóã õºøºº: Õóãàðõàé õýñýã, 46 õ 50 õ 14 ñì õýìæýýòýé ÿìàð íýã ä¿ðñëýë áàéíà. Áóÿíò ãîëûí 2-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóã õºøºº: Õóãàðõàé õýñýã, 27 õ 28 õ 17 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Óã õºøºº óðüäûí íýãýí öàãò õóãàð÷ õóãàðñàí õýñýã íü ¿ã¿é áîëñîí áàéíà. Ìàãàäã¿é ãàçàðò áóëàãäñàí áàéæ áîëîõ þì. Õàðèí õóãàðõàé ¸çîîð íü ãàçàðò çîîëòòîé õýâýýð áàéíà. Ýíý õóãàðõàé ¸çîîðûí àðûí íàðèéí òàë äýýð òàãíàé õýýòýé òàâàí òàëò ä¿ðñ, íýã ºðãºí òàëä íýã áóãàíû áºãñíèé ä¿ðñ ¿ëäæýý (Çóðàã 86). Çóðàã 85. Çóðàã 86. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 148 3-ð áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº: Ýíý áóãàí õºøºº á¿òýí áºãººä 45 õ 23 õ 19 ñì õýìæýýòýé. Õºøººíèé óðä òàëûí ç¿¿í óðä òàëûí íàðèéí òàëáàéí îðîé õýñýãò ãóðâàí òàøóó çóðààñ ä¿ðñëýýä ò¿¿íèé çýðýãöýý áàðóóí õàæóó òàëä íýã äóãóé öàãèðàã ñèéëæ òýäãýýðèéí äîîãóóð õºøººã òîéðóóëàí îëîí æèæèã äóãóé õîíõîðóóä ä¿ðñýëñíýýñ 14 øèðõýã íü ìýäýãäýæ áàéíà. Ýäãýýð õîíõîðóóäûí äîîð õºøººíºº áóãà áîëîí áóñàä ÿìàð íýã ä¿ðñëýë áàéãàà áîëîâ÷ á¿äãýð÷ õàðàõàä áýðõ áîëæýý (Çóðàã 87). Äýýä Áàÿíç¿ðõ óóëûí äóðñãàëò ãàçàð: Áóÿíò ãîëûí áóãàí õºøººò äóðñãàëò ãàçðààñ õîéø 2 êì îð÷èì çàéä Äýýä Áàÿíç¿ðõ óóë õýìýýõ íýãýí ñàéõàí óóë áèé (Çóðàã 88 ). Ýíý óóëûí ç¿¿í áîëîí óðä ýíãýð õîðìîéãîîð îëîí àðâàí õèðèãñ¿¿ð áèé. Ýäãýýð õèðèãñ¿¿ðèéí èõýíõè íü äºðâºëæèí õ¿ðýýòýé, õ¿ðýýíèéõýý äºðâºí Çóðàã 87. Çóðàã 88. Arctic Studies Center 149 áóëàíä áîñîî ÷óëóóòàé áàéõ áºãººä çàðèì õèðèãñ¿¿ðèéí õ¿ðýýã äàãóóëàí ÷óëóó áîñãîñîí íü ñîíèðõîëòîé áàéíà (Çóðàã 89-90). Ýíý óóëíàà áèäíèé òîîëñíîîð 100 ãàðóé õèðèãñ¿¿ð ëàâ áàéíà. Ò¿¿í÷ëýí ýíý óóë ìàø ñàéí áîðæèí ÷óëóóòàé òºäèéã¿é çàðèì õýñýãò áèäíèé ñóäëàí áóé Õºøººòèéí ãîëûí áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººäèéí çàðèìûã õèéñýí õºõ ºíãèéí ÷óëóó áàñ áàéíà. ¯¿íýýñ àæèãëàõàä áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººäèéã õèéõ ÷óëóóã ýíäýýñ àâ÷ áàéñàí áàéæ áîëîõ þì. Çóðàã 89. Çóðàã 90. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 150 Õºâñãºë àéìãèéí Á¿ðýíòîãòîõ ñóìûí íóòàã Õÿäàãèéí áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººò äóðñãàëò ãàçàðò õèéñýí ñóäàëãààíû àæèë: Áèäíèé Öàãààí-Óóë ñóìàíä õèéñýí ñóäàëãààíû àæèë ºíäºðëºæ, äàðààãèéí äóðñãàëò ãàçàð áîëîõ Á¿ðýíòîãòîõ ñóìûí íóòàã Õÿäàãèéí äóðñãàëò ãàçàð ëóó í¿¿ñýí þì. Õÿäàãèéí áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººò äóðñãàëò ãàçàð ̺ðºí õîòîîñ ç¿¿í õîéø 20 êì îð÷èì çàéä GPS-èéí N49°48,900, E99°54,042 öýãèéí îãòëîëöîë äýýð, äàëàéí ò¿âøíýýñ äýýø 1575 åòð ºíäºðò îðøèõ áºãººä ýíý äóðñãàëò ãàçàð îëîí æèëèéí ºìíººñ óäàà äàðàà ñóäëàãäñàí þì. Ýíä õî¸ð õýñýã áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøººò äóðñãàëò ãàçàð áèé. Áèä ¿¿íèéã Õÿäàãèéí áàðóóí äóðñãàëò ãàçàð (Çóðàã 91), Õÿäàãèéí ç¿¿í äóðñãàëò ãàçàð (Çóðàã 92)ãýæ íýðëýñýí áèëýý. Ýíý äóðñãàëò ãàçðûã îëîí ¿åèéí ñóäëàà÷èä íîì á¿òýýëäýý õýâëýæ èðñýí áîëîâ÷ ìàëòëàãà ñóäàëãàà îãò õèéãäýýã¿é áàéñàí þì. Õàðèí áèä äóðñãàëò ãàçàðò 2007 îíä àíõ Õÿäàãèéí ç¿¿í äóðñãàëò ãàçàðò áàãà õýìæýýíèé ìàëòëàãà õèéñýí áèëýý8. Õàðèí ýíý æèë áèä ýíý õî¸ð äóðñãàëò ãàçðûí á¿ðýí äýâñãýð çóðãèéã ¿éëäýæ, õýä õýäýí õýñýã ãàçàðò ìàëòëàãà ñóäàëãàà õèéñýí þì. Ýíýõ¿¿ ñóäàëãààíû òàëààð Àìåðèêèéí òàëûí òàéëàíä äýëãýðýíã¿é ºã¿¿ëýõ áîëíî. 8 Æ.Áàÿðñàéõàí. Áóãàí ÷óëóóí õºøºº òºñëèéí 2007 îíû õýýðèíé ñóäàëãààíû òàéëàí. ̯Ì-í Íîìûí ñàí. American-Mongolian Deer Stone project: Field report 2007. William Fitzhugh and J.Bayarsaikhan, Editors Çóðàã 92.Çóðàã 91. Arctic Studies Center 151 Two Things I Noticed on the Way I report here on a two-week research visit to the East Taiga Tsaatan (Dukha) reindeer people living northeast of Tsaagan nuur in Khovsgol aimag, Mongolia. My project was a collaboration with the Smithsonian-Mongolian National Museum Deer Stone Project which has worked for several years in the Khovsgol region.1 We arrived in Muren, situated about 600 km from Ulaanbaatar on June 5, 2008. Here I separated from the group and hired a vehicle, and after driving all night arrived at the mountain pass, Oliin davaa, where I found many people gathered, coming by car, motorbike, and horse to attend an ovoo ceremony. Although it was summer, there was an early morning chill, and at this high altitude people were shivering from the cold. Oliin davaa is the last mountain pass one crosses before entering the Darkhad valley, and from early times, Darkhat Mongolians have practiced an ovoo ceremony here. This ritual was abandoned during the socialist period, but now this tradition has been revived. Oliin davaa has 13 ovoos, constructed with wood poles, of which the center-most is the largest. In front of this ovoo was placed a butchered lamb and offerings of cookies, candies, and other foods. After an opening by aimag and sum offi cials, the ceremony began with a young shaman performing rituals while standing before the large ovoo. The shaman’s dress and ornaments were newly made and his chanting was broadcast over a loud-speaker. During the performance, a woman (said to be his wife) occasionally offered him a drink of an alcoholic beverage. By the end of the performance the shaman appeared to be drunk, resulting in discontent among the local people. Two large fl at stones carved and painted with the images of a human fi gure were erected in front of the main ovoo. These fi gures were said to be images of former Darkhad Mongolian shamans. After the ceremony, people returned to the sum center for a Darkhad music festival. Later on, I came upon a Mongolian family and outside their ger, a wooden sledge attracted my atten- tion. A house-wife told me in this region there are two kinds of sledges used for travel on snow and ice: a small sledge for travel on snow and a larger sledge for ice travel. This one was a snow sledge, the more common variety for use in this snowy region. Both kinds of sledge were used in earlier PART V Notes on a Visit to the East Taiga Reindeer People Ts. Ayush Institute of History, Mongolian Academy of Sciences Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 152 times and were often pulled by horses. Today, oxen are mostly used with the snow sledge to bring wood from the mountains, ice from the river, and hay in from the fi elds. The sledge is made from birch, willow, and larch and is approximately four meters long. Travel to the East Taiga We arrived at the sum center of Tsagaan Nuur on the afternoon of June 6 and I quickly found a young man who agreed to arrange transportation to the eastern taiga. From the sum we hired two mo- torbikes and once in the taiga, we would travel by horse. We left on the morning of June 7 and on the way crossed the Shishgid River by raft and rode upstream along the Khorgo River. Although rocky in some areas, the road was not too bad. After covering 30 km we arrived at the place where a guide with horses was waiting for us. Our guide, a young Durvud-Mongolian man, was married to a Tuva woman, but did not know Tuva language. As we continued our journey, the road to the taiga became rougher, and so not wanting to waste time, we transferred our loads to one horse and con- tinued our journey. At dusk, we came upon a camp site of reindeer people near Jugneg River. This camp was located at the edge of the Eastern Taiga. My choice for this camp was not random, because it was the time to move from the spring to the summer camp, and it was important for me to meet with people before they moved. First Camp in East Taiga I found fi ve families camping here and met with each family and took notes. In the fi rst tent I met Ts. Phunsal, a 72-year old female, and her son P. Purevjav, 40. The family history of Phunsal, her siblings and her children was interesting. Her parents were born in Tuva and she was born in Mongolia. Her two brothers and one sister were married to Mongolians and now lived in Muren. At the age of 21, Phunsal left the taiga and went to work in the nearby fi shing industry at Tsaagan nuur. After working for about 30 years she returned to the taiga. She never married and is a single mother who raised 6 children of her own. The oldest daughter is married to a western Tuvan. Her son also married a Tuvan woman. The next daughter is married to a Mongolian. Both son and daughter move with this camp. Other interesting information Phunsal provided was about hunting birds and about food prepared from birds and fi sh. Reindeer people hunt three kinds of birds. For cooking the bird is cut into three pieces – two legs and chest, which is mainly boiled for eating. Its broth is considered good for the health. Arctic Studies Center 153 Fish is boiled or fried, and in the wilderness meat is often barbecued over an open fi re. Purevjav’s family is the only one in the camp who spends winter in the sum center, and in other sea- sons he tends to live in the taiga, herding reindeer. He has six children. Four are school-aged, so this is the reason he has moved to the sum center in the winter. I learned some information from Purevjav on seasonal habitats of reindeer people, making fl our from wild potatoes, and extracting butter from reindeer milk. According to him, reindeer people for many years have started living closer to the sum center, which reduced the distance of moving. This camp moves to a summer camp 100 km from the sum center; in spring and autumn they camp 60 km from the sum center; and in winter they are not far away, only 30 km from the center. This is probably because the children are in school and the food supply comes largely from the sum center. During early times when fl our was rare, reindeer people used to extract fl our from wild yellow potatoes. This root is shaped like garlic with cloves and is preserved in two ways. Either the cloves are separated, dried and added to soup or broth, or they are pounded into a fi ne powder and used like fl our. Wild potatoes are abundant in the taiga, suffi cient to provide fl our. During summer and especially in the autumn, butter is extracted from milk. Reindeer milk is thick, and its fatty content is high, but it therefore easily turns sour. Sour milk is boiled to produce sour curd and is then pressed between two wooden boards to make curd or aaruul. From the liquid, butter is extracted. Although butter cannot be made in large quantities, it is occasionally consumed by reindeer people. The East Taiga people use two kinds of reindeer saddles, the small wooden Mongolian style saddle and the army saddle. The army saddle has two types; the smaller one is called the Mongolian army saddle, and the larger one the Russian army saddle. Inside the tent I noticed a wooden baby cradle that is common among ethnic groups in this northern re- gion. The cradle is made from willow and cedar and is hung from the tent poles. The head of the cradle is protected by a round-shaped cover made from willow. The third family I visited was that of my guide, Ganbat. They are hard work- ing people who own 32 reindeers, 10 horses, and three cows. In the taiga it is rare to keep many livestock. These people are experienced hunters, from whom I learned information on a hunting device called murag, a fl ute for calling deer that is used by taiga hunters but is now becoming rare. It is 70 cm long and made from cedar. A round slender piece of cedar is split lengthwise and hollowed out, one part being made narrow while the other part is thick. They are re-attached together after being carefully cleaned. In ancient times this instrument was used to hunt male reindeer during the mating season in autumn when male reindeer herd up together with the females. When not with females, the males can be easily called to the sound of the murag. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 154 Other interesting notes I recorded were about a fl our product prepared by the reindeer people from ancient times called khongoono, a tradition- al bread. It is prepared by adding salt to water and making dough, which is formed into a ring shape which is put into hot ashes. After a while it is turned and put back into the hot ashes. After it is done, the khongoono is taken out, wrapped in a cloth, and the ashes are shaken off. It is then cut in slices or broken in small portions. Adults eat it along with tea, and children with milk. They say it is more delicious and nutritious than common bread. Now they are using modern bread- making technique which is why making of khongoono is declining. Another reason is that khongoono requires more fl our than common bread. Ganbat’s father is Mongolian and his mother is from Tuva. She was once a famous udgan, a female shaman. She died two years ago, and it was interesting to fi nd out how the funeral was conducted and where her shaman belongings were stored. According to the shaman beliefs, the deceased is buried soon after death, not keeping the person at home for long, and other shamans give instructions as to where to bury the deceased shaman. Ganbat buried his mother after one day. The deceased is taken out of the house not from the entrance door but from the right lower edge of the tent. Two long poles of wood are tied together horizontally, making a sookh that is hitched to a rein- deer. The deceased is placed on the sookh and is dragged rather than being placed on the reindeer. The body is then placed in the open on the front lower slope of a mountain, head resting on a large piece of cedar wood and facing backwards. The deceased is not dressed, but is covered with a cloth. The shaman’s belongings, as well the sookh is left behind at the burial spot. Small pieces of white cloth are tied on the branches of trees. They believe that the spirit does not disappear but is trans- formed into a ghost and always resides there. When a shaman dies, the reindeer people and Darkhad- Mongolians follow the tradition of storing all the belongings of the deceased shaman in a respectful manner. However, there are some differences in connection with this tradition. The Darkhad people build a separate wooden enclosure or pen to store the belongings, and the reindeer people tend to Arctic Studies Center 155 hang the possessions on tree branches. Ganbat tied all his mother’s possessions on the branches of a large cedar tree. This act is called “to summon the spirit.” When hanging the clothes and belongings of the deceased, they should look just the same as when he/she was dressed when alive. There were fi ve families in this camp, 29 people altogether. Nine children from three of the fami- lies go to school, while the others reside in the taiga. The ethnic origin, family history and marriage customs are interesting indeed. Ethnically, they are Tuvan and Mongolian, the Tuvans belonging to the group of Soyon, Urad, and Balgash ethnicities of Tuva, while the Mongolians are from Darkhad- Mongol and Durvud-Mongol groups. Among these families there is one single, three mixed, and one Tuvan family. They are expecting two new families to join this camp in the autumn. The fi ve fami- lies have 106 reindeer, 26 horses, and 19 cattle. The number of animals differs in all of the families. Two families own 32-40 reindeer and the other three have 10-14 reindeer. Most of the families own 2-4 horses, and two of the families had 6-10 horses. Three families had all three animals: reindeer, horses, and cattle. These families have started to herd cattle, but they do not possess other livestock. The horses are grazed in the taiga and the cattle on lower ground pastures and are looked after by relatives or friends. Two families in the camp had TVs and can watch broadcasts on four channels, and all families acquire electricity from solar energy. There is also a communication system available. I remained in this camp for three days and after my departure to another camp, the fi rst family moved to the sum- mer camp. The family loaded their belongings on a reindeer; the head of the family himself rode a horse, carrying the heaviest loads of fl our, rice etc., and led the caravan. Second East Taiga Camp The second camp was located on the outer slope of Moorog Mountain, 40 km from the sum center. This is the largest camp in the eastern taiga and consisted of 13 families. In winter 2-3 families move to sum center, while others live all year round in the taiga. They have 180 reindeer, 42 horses, 7 cattle, and only one family owns about 10 goats. Most of the families own 10 reindeer and have 2-3 horses for transport. Six families had 20-30 reindeer. One family had 31 reindeer, 12 horses, 4 cattle, and 16 goats. There was one family who had no reindeer, but owned horses. Among 13 families three were single, four families had mixed marriages, and the other six were Tuvan. Five families own TVs, and the camp also had communication devices. The camp has set up a ‘tent motel’ to house visitors who come during the summer season. These quarters were empty and had no furniture, and they charge 5000 tugrik per night. I talked with all the family members in this group and gathered information on burial traditions, hunting prac- tices, costumes, and assortment of milk products, and birch bark and leather articles. I also recorded legends about their ancient religious beliefs. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 156 I met with a young man who is Tuvan and is married to a Mongolian woman. They were married eight years ago and have two children. The only possession they own is two horses, for they lost all their reindeer three years ago. With no reindeer to herd, they live in the sum center during winter and use horse and reindeer for transportation. The husband sometimes hunts and carves reindeer horn for sale to tourists. His wife works as a seamstress, making Mongolian dels for taiga and sum people. In winter they make holes in the ice and catch fi sh for food. The information I received from this family was about weddings, which I also learned about from three other families. One couple was married eleven years ago; the next one, eight; and the last had been married for two years. On the ethnic side, all three are mixed mar- riages of Mongolian- and Tuvan. Considering geographic regions, one couple’s marriage was between the eastern taiga and the western taiga; the other three couples are between eastern taiga and young people from the sum center. Although the traditional wedding ceremony of Tuvan-reindeer people includes wedding in the tent, riding reindeer, and giving reindeer for a dowry, their weddings are becoming more similar to Darkhad-Mongolian weddings. Also, the bride is offered a mortar, pestle, and brick tea to signify family bondage. About burial traditions, I took interesting notes from four people above the age of sixty. They re- spectfully buried their parents long ago according to their tradition. Reindeer people bury imme- diately, not later than a day after a person dies. After a person is dies, his/her clothes are taken off and the body is laid out straight forward, head facing north, and placed on the fl oor of right side of the tent. Early in the morning at sunrise the deceased is taken out, feet fi rst, not through the door but between the wooden poles beside the entrance door. They carry the dead on a stretcher or on a leather skin, and usually walk to the burial site. If the location is far, they use a sookh dragged by a reindeer. After the funeral, the sookh is dismantled and left at the site. They prefer to place the dead on a mountain slope. Usually, the deceased, head to the north and facing directly back, is placed at the foot of a large tree where the fi rst morning sun shines. A hide is spread under the deceased and the body is covered with old skin tent covering or a deel. They remove all possessions of the de- ceased and throw them far away. At the burial site and along the way, pieces of white cloth are tied on the tree branches. Soon after the funeral, the family moves to another location, as far away as they can. They leave a specifi c sign on the abandoned camp site indicating that a person has died there. When they move, stones are piled on the fi replace location. Tent poles and hitching posts for rein- deer are left standing by a tree with their pointed ends facing the sunrise. Afterwards the relatives of the deceased avoid camping near the place where the person died. They believe that the ghost of the deceased remains near the burial site. Any tragedy, disease, or misfortune that occurs is thought to be connected to the ghost of the dead person. Shamans do not attend the funeral ceremony. One of the major occupations of reindeer people is hunting. I got some interesting information on Arctic Studies Center 157 hunting during the spring season. Spring hunting is called “dog time,” meaning hunting with dogs. Dogs and skis are accounted as necessary aspect of spring hunting, which begins when the snow starts to melt. However, this method is not practiced today. Skis were only about 2 meters long and were made from green branches of larch or thick willow. It is impossible to ride a horse or a reindeer on thin, melting snow. At this period, skis are the most effi cient means of walking on snow. Dogs help locate the game. The duration of the hunting period is short, lasting only two weeks. People also hunt birds during the spring, the largest being wood grouse (capercaillie) which has more fl esh. Black and brown wood grouse are abundant in the eastern taiga. In the spring, when mating season begins, wood grouse gather in fl ocks among the trees and create an extraordinary sound. The taiga people call it “wood grouse gathering”. At this moment, the birds do not pay attention to their sur- roundings, and so they are easily hunted. The wood grouse never changes its gathering places and comes to the same spot each spring, which also makes it easy to hunt them. Today reindeer people have more taste for Mongolian style clothing. In earlier days their clothing was made from wild animal skins like reindeer, deer, and elk. Winter dress was made mostly from reindeer skin, which is warm, soft, and can be worn for long time. During the warm season, they pre- fer skins of animals which have short or thin hairs. The collar and lapel of a skin deel is trimmed by black cotton. Deels made of reindeer skin are trimmed with sheep skin. The tanned skin or leather is smoked to prevent rotting from dampness. Traditional boots are prepared from the leg skins of rein- deer, deer, and elk, the latter being considered most suitable. From eight leg skins one pair of boots can be made. Although rarely seen, some older people still wear these kinds of boots. Other skin arti- cles are blankets made from sheep skin, and household utensils are often made of leather. For winter storage, milk is preserved in bags made from reindeer or deer skin called a khogoor; but unfortunate- ly they are no longer used. Most families still use skin baskets or bags called barav, and make them in pairs for reindeer saddle-bags, usually from elk skin. Barav baskets are tanned and then smoked so that the container can be stretched to hold more goods. In recent times reindeer people adopted baskets called achmag, which are suitable for loading oxen. Achmag are widely used by Darkhad- Mongolian people. Made from heavy cattle hide, they are considered suitable for moving camp gear and can be used for long periods. Tsaatan people make smaller versions for use on reindeer. (Endnotes) 1 This project was funded by the Smithsonian Institution’s Deer Stone Project. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 158 PART VI Khuren Taiga: The Tsaatan’s lost homeland in sacred reindeer dewlap embroidery Paula T. DePriest Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution In the past several years the Smithson- ian-Mongolian Deer Stone Project’s botany team with 2008 participant Danielle Soyo, O. Sukbaatar, J. Oyumaa, and Oltzi; Tsaatan guide Sanjim and his sons Amerijeral (Khal- zan), Batmonkh, and Bayamonkh, his foster son Batzaya, and his grandson Khongaa; Mondokh and his son Khuuhoo; and Dark- had guide Enkhbat, has explored the terri- tories of the Tsaatan, the “Reindeer People” of Mongolia. The Tsaatan are ethnic Tuvan reindeer herders living around the north- ern Darkhad Valley of Hovsgol Aimag in northern Mongolia. These territories include hunting grounds, plant-gathering places, and traditional, but now abandoned, reindeer sea- sonal pastures up to 100 km from the Tsaa- gannur, Ulaan Uul, and Renchinlkhumbe sum centers. These trips have been important in clarifying the Tsaatan’s cultural concepts of their taiga homelands, the optimal organization of their seasonal camps, the current and historical carry- ing capacity of their reindeer pastures, and their protection of wild animals and hunting grounds. In addition we have mapped the locations of sacred mountains, springs, and ovoos -- worship sites, and documented the use and representation of natural materials and landscapes in ongons – sacred objects. The focus of the 2008 expedition, July 2 – August 1, 2008, was a sacred landscape displayed by Tsaatan guide Amerijeral, called Khalzan, in July 2007 (Figure 1). In the early summer of that year Khalzan, a Tsaatan shaman, was performing shaman shows in a tourist camp just east of Ulaan Baatar, the capitol city of Mongolia. During our visit to the camp, Khalzan displayed for shaman researcher Marilyn Walker (2008) a number of his sacred items: shaman coat, headdress, reindeer boots, drum, drumstick, walking sticks, etc. One item displayed was an “altar” cloth, hung behind him during performances. The cloth portrayed a landscape with a distinctive two-part lake, the outline of a mountain ridge, a reindeer, and a star. These items were depicted with white stitching of reindeer dewlap hairs on a dark red woven fabric rectangle. The fabric was approximately 40 X 60 cm and mounted on a larger panel of white cotton fabric. When asked about the sacred landscape, Khalzan reported that the cloth was sewn by his Figure 1. Khalzan displaying his shaman coat and headdress with one corner of the sacred red alter cloth shown in the background. Khalzan’s wife Byambasuren and daughter are assisting by lighting “Atrz,” juniper incense. (Photograph by Paula T. DePriest) Arctic Studies Center 159 maternal grandmother Dejid [1911-1989] and represented an actual location -- Khuren Taiga, “Brown Taiga,” (Figure 2; N50°39.499′ E 098°45.043′) in the now abandoned pastures of Ulaan Taiga, “Red Taiga.” Ulaan Taiga is used as the name of the alpine tundra on the western side of the Dark- had Valley extending from the Shishged Gol north of the cur- rent summer pastures at Minge Buleg in Tsaagannur sum to the legendary Delgar Moron gol south of Lama Taiga in Bayanzurh sum. Khuren Taiga is in Ulaan Uul sum near the headwaters of three rivers – the Bussin Gol, the Shishged Gol, and the Delgar Moron, and near the large lakes of Tayjiyn nuur (N50°35.923′ E 098°39.352′) and Targan nuur (N50°35.869′ E 098°33.178′). Khalzan explained that Dejid had sewn the cloth to remember her parents and the area where they had lived and herded reindeers. The two-part lake represented on the sacred cloth is Ganzaga nuur, meaning “saddlebag” lake, although alternate names such as Gashoohol “two people together,” Holboo, and Ardag were provided by various Tsaatan guides. Ganzaga is at the headwaters of the Guna gol, “three-year old male yak,” a river transversing the southern Darkhad Valley and joining the Shishged gol. In the eighth and ninth centuries the Khuren Taiga area was part of the Uighur kingdom centered just across the Tuvan border at the Por-Bazhyn Fortress in Tere Khol’ Lake (N50°36.908′ E 097°23.095′). Some of the current Tsaatan such as the Soyon clans, including Khalzan’s mother Chuuluu’s family, consider themselves Uighur descendants. Chuuluu herself was born in 1947 to Dejid of the northern Tuvan (Todzha) Balyksh (as Balyisi and Baliqci in Dioszegi, 1961, and Balyas in Dioszegi, 1962) clan and a famous Tsaatan Shaman of the Uighur Soyon clan, Gomb [1918-1992], along the Delgar Moron close to this area and just within the Mon- golia border. Our guide Mondokh, born to a Darkhad family, was adopted as an infant by Gomb and Dejid in the early 1960s. Between July 13 and 24, 2008, the botany team visited Khuren Taiga and the surrounding area. After organizing Tsaatan guides and horses at Kharmai gol in Tsaa- gannur sum, the group departed on horse- back from Soyo, a distinctive lone peak at the eastern edge of the Darkhad Valley. We traveled along the south side of the Hog Gol, “Melody River,” beyond a tourist ger camp newly established by anthropolo- Figure 2. Satellite image of Khuren Taiga and Ganzaga nuur represented on the sacred cloth. (Photograph by Paula T. DePriest) Figure 3. Sacred mountain with “eyes” of persistent snow. (Photograph by Paula T. DePriest) Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 160 gist and Tsaatan fi lm maker Hamid Sardar, and turned up through the Dund Taigas, the spring and fall pastures of the Darkhad and Uranghai cattle and yak herders, just below Temee “Cam- el” rocks. From these meadows we crossed a small pass and dropped into an area of Karst lakes where mountain streams disappear into cliff faces and freshwater lakes have no visible inlets or outlets. The Tsaatan guides pointed out the location of a number of ethnic Darkhad and Uranghai ongons and sacred mountains on the ridges around the Dund Taigas and Karst lakes, including one sacred mountain with “eyes” of persistent snow (Figure 3). After crossing the Mungarag gol in the Karst region, we climbed up to the former sum- mer pastures of the reindeer herders, including Gomb and Dejid. Before 1985 this area support- ed large reindeer herds (>2,000) and a fl ourish- ing Tsaatan population (est. 60 tents) with usable summer pastures perhaps an order of magnitude larger than the current pastures at Minge Buleg. From a small mound that was the location of the original ovoo, and a new ovoo constructed by the guides, we could see the summer pastures from the crumbling slopes of Khuren Taiga and the two-part Ganzaga nuur to the high ridgeline with snowfi elds. Because the pasture has not been grazed for over 20 years, the plant community provides an important example of ungrazed alpine tundra. Unlike our predictions, the birch shrub cover had not increased without ongoing reindeer grazing and is signifi cantly less in these pastures than in the current pastures at Minge Buleg. A large number of plant species were blooming in the pasture and the area around the snowfi eld; we documented these plants with plant collections and photographs. One unique fi nd was the traditional Mongolian medicinal plant sawwort – Saussurea dorogostaiskii. (Figure 4). We documented Saussurea in bloom in this and other locations, a unique occurrence since the plant rarely blooms. The guides also collected the plant to make a fermented medicine. We visited the Khuren Taiga and Ganzaga nuur to fi nd remnants of Gomb and Dejid’s camp, including hearth stones, fi rewood, reindeer stakes, and a stack of rocks where Khalzan played as a child (Figure 5). Khalzan drew a map of the Khuren Taiga summer camp to show the locations of the numerous ortzs (teepees) as he knew the summer camp in the 1970s and early 1980s (Figure 6). These ortzs included many of the West Taiga families that now camp at Minge Buleg and their par- ents including Gomb† and Dejid† (parents of Chuuluu and guide Mondokh), guide Sanjim and Chuu- luu (parents of guides Khalzan, Batmonkh, and Bayamonkh), Shagdar† and Shaman Suyan† (parents of Bayara and East Taiga Shaman Tsend†), Gosic† and Oltzi (parents of Delgar, Tsetseg, Shonkhor, Dalai, etc.), Chuuluun† and Bunynt (parents of Dogie, Zorgic, Erdenchemig, Oyunchemig, etc.), Ag- calag† (father of Shamans Ghosta and Gonzoric), and a number of other families now living in East Taiga. Figure 4. Rare medicinal plant Saussurea in bloom. (Photograph by Paula T. DePriest) Arctic Studies Center 161 Departing Khuren Taiga, we traveled through the expansive summer pastures, fi nding tent poles in a number of camp locations. Some of these camps were used as recently as the late 1990s when a few Tsaatan families (Bayandalai, Zorig, etc.) used the areas as summer pastures for their reindeer. We visited a number of lakes that had been used for fi shing by the rein- deer herders, including the large lakes of Tayjiyn nuur, “Nobleman lake,” (N50°35.923′ E 098°39.352′) and Targan nuur, “Fat lake,” (N50°35.869′ E 098°33.178′), and the guides caught large fi sh in a lake near Khuren Taiga (Figure 7). Fishing is important to the Tsaatan as a supplement to herding and hunting, and the clan name of many of the Tsaatan, including the grandmother Dejid and our guide Sanjim, is the Balyksh or “fi sher” in Tuvan. In the area of the large Tayjiyn nuur we passed the sacred mountain Ulaan Uul, or “red mountain.” Like Khuren Taiga, it is a mountain of crumbling reddish brown rocks that by Tsaatan tradition should not be walked on, especially not by women. These mountains, and other mountains of reddish or brownish rocks including one named Khuren Taiga near Minge Buleg, are sacred in both the shamanist and Buddhist traditions active in the Darkhad Valley. Ovoos are often set up to view these mountains, as we observed three ovoos overlooking the crumbling Yolt ridgeline (Figure 8; N50°40.320′ E 098°51.447′). The Tsaatan guides pointed out two of the three ovoos as fi rst built by the Jögds, one of the Uighur tribes who lived in this area perhaps during the Chinggis Figure 7. Guides Khangaa and Enkhbat with fi sh caught near Khuren Taiga. (Photograph by Paula T. DePriest) Figure 5. Guide Sanjim, and his sons Khalzan, Bay- amonkh, and Batmonkh, with their horses in front of Khuren Taiga and Ganzaga nuur. (Photograph by Paula T. DePriest) Figure 5. Guide Sanjim, and his sons Khalzan, Bayamonkh, and Batmonkh, with their horses in front of Khuren Taiga and Ganzaga nuur. (Photograph by Paula T. DePriest) Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 162 Khan era. As Purev (2003, pp. 78 and 278) mentions a Jögd chieftain from the 18th Century, and Jögd ongons (shaman burials) in Ulaan Uul sum, there is some support for Jögd origin of the ovoos. Unlike the ovoo at Salaig Davaa that we studied in 2007 (DePriest, 2008), the two original ovoos, and others in the area, were pulled down during the com- munist times, 1920 - 1990. Only a few ovoos, including one at the Yolt, have been rebuilt in the past 15 years since the change in governments. Beyond the Yolt, we descended through the winter camps of Darkhad and Uranghai cattle and yak herders just to the west of Ulaan Uul sum center and detoured back into the mountains to Temee “Camel” Rocks. This ridgeline has extensive stacked limestone formations (Figure 9) includ- ing one that is thought to look like a reclining camel. In the past this area was used by Buddhists as a worship site and is the legendary spot where lamas threw a woman off the rocks because of her resistance to the Buddhist faith. Camel Rocks was used by Tsaatan, including Gomb and Dejid, as fall or spring reindeer pastures. Descending further we passed beneath the ridges where Gomb and Dejid had winter camps and arrived back to our starting point at Soyo. At Soyo we participated in an important Dark- had Valley festival that is celebrated every three years. The festival included the usual activities – horse rac- ing and wrestling – but also included a parade of the white horses favored by the Darkhad and Tsaatan ethnic groups, as they are also by the nearby Buriats. Five members of the botany team, including the author, par- ticipated in the parade, “The Blessing of the Eighty-One White Horses.” The parade organized the participating white and gray horses into a processional led by a local leader carrying a ceremonial wild horse skull wrapped in blue hadags and riders carrying Mongolian, Hovsgol Aimag, and Darkhad Valley banners. The horses, in ranks of fi ve, entered the ceremonial circle and stayed in formation for speeches, poems, and songs, for rais- ing of the Mongolian and local banners, and for cer- emonial presentation of the horse head. At the end of the ceremony the horses circled with increasing speed until they swirled out of the ring as is the tradition in presentation of horses before Mongolian horse races. As part of the festival, members of the botany team Figure 8. New ovoo overlooking the crumbling reddish brown slope of the Yolt. (Photograph by Paula T. DePriest) Figure 9. Tsaatan guides Khalzan, Bayamonkh, Batzaya, and Khuuhoo (kneeling) in front of a stacked limestone formation. (Photograph by Paula T. DePriest) Arctic Studies Center 163 visited a Darkhad shaman’s ger and photographed his display of his sha- man drum and ongons, stacked strips of ribbon with animal-like fi gures of fur with coral eyes that hold spirits (Figure 10). This display was similar to Khalzan’s display of his shaman items in 2007 at the Reindeer Festival in Kharmai that we reported last year (DePriest, 2008). The area of Khuren Taiga, and the entirety of the summer pastures of the southern Ulaan Taiga, from the Mungarag gol through Lama Taiga, is an important lost homeland for the majority of Tsaatan in the Darkhad Valley. The Tsaatan were removed from this area in 1985-86 because of the camp’s proximity to the Tuvan border; the Tsaatan were accused, and some, including the elder shaman Gomb, jailed, in the early 1980s on charges of collusion with the Tuvans in stealing Darkhad horses and cattle. The image of reindeer herders along the Mongolian-Tuvan border stealing Darkhad horses and cattle is ingrained in the Darkhad’s culture. Purev (2003, p. 77) recounts a similar legend from the 18th Century of horse stealing in this area. The relocation north to a newly established Tsaagannur sum damaged the Tsaatan culture; in the fi rst three years as many as 75% of their estimated 1,000 reindeer died and the Tsaatan were impover- ished. Finally after three years, with a few reindeer remaining, they found the smaller, but adequate summer pastures at Minge Buleg and began rebuild- ing their herds. The Tsaatan now hope to reach 1000 reindeer again in the next fi ve years. Elders such as Dejid and Gomb died in Tsaagannur sum and were buried near their new winter camps in the Kharmai Valley. Gomb, as an important Soyon Shaman and clan leader, became a spirit, ongon, worshiped by his descendants as an ancestor deity. One of his worship sites is an ongon (Figure 11) that protects the all-im- portant spring at the current winter camp along the Moitsto gol in the Kharmai Valley. Family members add cloth strips to his ongon, the bundle of horse and wild deer skulls and ribbons that holds his spirit, when they arrive in the fall and depart in the spring to honor Gomb and to petition him to keep sending water to their camp. Figure 11. Gomb’s ongon, with skulls and ribbons, on a tree along Moitsto gol at the winter camp. (Photo- graph by Paula T. DePriest) Figure 10. Participant Danielle Soyo (left) with Darkhad Shaman, his wife, and guide Batmonkh in front of a shaman display including a shaman drum and ongons. (Photograph provided by Danielle Soyo) Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 164 Dejid’s sacred cloth is a reminder of the true homeland for the family; the sacred Khuren Taiga and Ganzaga nuur that overlooked their summer pastures and the large reindeer herds that provided their more prosperous former life. As this was the only landscape in Khalzan’s shaman display, and the only one that I have seen in Tsaatan or Darkhad shaman displays, the red cloth and the location it represents seem very signifi cant. The Tsaatan ortzs and wooden huts are often deco- rated with embroidered images, including reindeer and other animals and background landscapes. However, these images are typically sewn with dyed yarn on white cloth and are not treated as sacred, and are even sold as craft items. Khalzan has such a depiction of a reindeer displayed above his Emegelchin ongon (DePriest 2008). The sacred cloth is most similar to Buriat fi eld ongons that have similar white reindeer dewlap stitching on a dark background depicting mountains, animals, and sacred symbols (i.e. Ivanov, 1954, p. 716). The landscape, the deer, and the star not only represent the Khuren Taiga homeland, but also have sacred and symbolic meanings. The red color of the cloth itself indicates that its contents are sacred. In Siberian shamanism red is used to represent light, day, or spring, as opposed to dark, night, and winter, and therefore symbolizes the upper world (see Hoppal 2004). Khalzan’s shaman cap is red cloth with white dewlap stitches outlining a face, symbolically representing the shaman ancestor, and feathers representing soul fl ight to the upper world. Khuren Taiga represented in out- line on the cloth is an ongon mountain, crumbling red rocks that are home to land spirits that merge with ancestor spirits in the Tsaatan cosmology. The lake may offer a symbolic reference to Dejid’s Balyksh clan totem, the fi sh. The reindeer, both the image and the use of reindeer dewlap hair, rep- resent the ancient symbol of the “stage of the sky” that offers communication to the heavenly deities (see Hoppal, 2004, p. 185). Additionally, according to Humphreys and Onon (2003, p. 307), the reindeer is a fertility symbol for Daur Mongolians of Outer Mongolia where “female reindeers might be a spirit which could make infertile women pregnant.” A long star is thought to represent the plant Venus, either in it form of the “evening star” or the “morning star;” Mandolin (1996, p 177) notes that Buryiats associate Venus with fertility as well. Therefore, the sacred items embroidered on the cloth may have a symbolic meanings as a plea for fertility. Dejid and Gomb only had a single child, their daughter Chuuluu. Doubtless Dejid had spent years following her clan’s traditions to ask for more children; including the production and worship of sacred images. It is only when Chuuluu is grown and leaving home, that Dejid and Gomb adopt Mondokh to build the family that they needed for reindeer herding. Our 2008 trip through Ulaan Taiga’s unused camps highlights the changes in Tsaatan life and herding after the relocation and their longing for the better life they had in these abundant summer pasture. Moreover, Khuren Taiga and its representation on the sacred cloth are merged with the family’s memories of Gomb and Dejid as grandparents and their reverence for them as ancestors. Gomb was a powerful shaman and an exemplary reindeer herder in his life and is now an important deity for the family that has an on-going role in protecting and providing prosperity to the fam- ily. However, Dejid created the sacred cloth earlier, before the relocation and before the death of a generation of elders including Gomb. The cloth seems to be focused on the most important factor in family survival – fertility. Dejid and Gomb’s family was small, but they enlarged it through adop- tion of Mondokh. This tradition has been continued in the next generations; Chuuluu and Sanjim have seven surviving children and another seven foster children that have produced over 35 grand- children, to date. With Monhokh and his wife Oyunchemig’s fi ve children, Gomb and Dejid have almost fi fty family members; a large family to secure their legacy for a long time. Arctic Studies Center 165 Citations: DePriest, P. T., 2008. Worship of spirits in the Darkhat Valley, Northwest Mongolia. Part VII. In: Fitzhugh, William W. and Bayarsaikhan, J., American-Mongolian Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2007, pp. 104-111. Dioszegi, V. (1961), Problems of Mongolian Shamanism. Acta Etnographica, X, fasc. 1-2, Budapest: 195-206. Dioszegi, V. (1962). Tuvan Shamanism. Intraethinic Differences and Interethnic Analogies, Acta Ethnographica Ac. Sc. Hung. 11(1-2):143-190. Hoppal, M. 2004. Cosmic symbolism in Siberian shamanism. In: Leet, A. and R. P. Firnhaber (eds.). Shamanism in the Interdisciplinary Context. Brown Walker Press, Boca Raton, Florida, pp. 178 – 190. Humphrey, C., and U. Onon. 2003. Shamans and Elders: Experience, Knowledge, and Power among the Daur Mongols. Clarendon Press, Oxford. Ivanov, S. V. 1954. Materyaly po izobrazitel’nomu isskustvu Sibiri XIX - naczala XX vv. [Materials on the Visual Arts of the Siberian Peoples in the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries.] Trudy Instituta Etnografi i, n.s., t. XXII. Moskva-Leningrad. Mandolin, K, 1996. Two Asiatic sidereal names. IN Dioszegi, V, and M. Hoppal (eds. Folk Beliefs and Shamanistic Traditions in Siberia: Selected Reprints. Akademiai Kiado, Budapest, pp. 168-180. Purev, Otgony 2003. The Religion of Mongolian shamanism. Ulaanbaatar: Admon. Walker, M. 2008. More than one hundred fl owers: An interview with Anai, a Tsaatan shaman. The Journal of Shamanic Practice 1:26-32. (Footnotes) † Deceased Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 166 The main purpose of this trip was to carry out reconnaissance and make an initial surface survey of undocumented petroglyph sites and rock art complexes in the southern extremity of Bayan Ulgii aimag –– an area that heretofore appears to have remained unexplored by foreign researchers since the break-up of the Soviet Union, at least. Secondarily, I sought to fi nd and record previously un- documented deer stones and to make note of particularly interesting khirigsuurs and other surface monuments. My reconnaissance for deer stones stemmed from the previous week’s collaboration with Bill Fitzhugh and members of his team. Several of these were, indeed, located, although none exhibited the typical deer imagery found in abundance at, e.g., Tsagaan Asga southeast of Khurgan Lake. Several are quite small; one stone measuring a mere 15 cm in height was marked by three chevrons and a crescent. A few stones were shaped from lithologies I have not encountered before: a pebbly black conglomerate, in one instance, and a beautiful hard, blue-grey sedimentary type in another. In addition, I encountered en route a great number of khirigsuurs, some quite large (with fences in excess of 100m diameter), and a few with paths radiating out in spokes from a tall central mound. Hearths appear to be considerably fewer than those at Mogoit, Tsagaan Asga and the spoked khirisguur at Biluut (see Fitzhugh’s Field Journal entry, May 27, GPS 333); only one or two had what might be satellite horse mounds. A smaller number of Turkic stone men, burials and balbal were seen; but for the most part I do not report on those, focusing instead mainly on surface features of the Bronze and early Iron Ages. In a fairly systematic fashion, beginning at the southernmost extreme of the province, I investigated virtually every valley with a stream fl owing eastward off the Altai Mountains that separate Mongolia from China for petroglyphs and other stone features. Many of these visits were cursory and brief; telltale signs of the presence of rock art (such as suitable geological formations and varnished sur- faces) were missing. In several instances, this could be determined almost at a glance. Even so, I pursued a number of routes up into these valleys for several kilometers before turning back. I took every opportunity to interview local inhabitants for information, too. And so, in this very short time my driver-guide and I managed to record several small petroglyph sites (with the number of indi- vidual images ranging from between about 50 and more than 300) as well as three signifi cant rock art complexes at which a close association of petroglyphs, khirigsuurs, and deer stones is evident. At these rich complexes I conservatively estimated the number of petroglyphs to be between 1,500 and more than 2,500, varying at each respective location. None of these comes close to the number, den- sity, diversity, or quality of the petroglyphs at Biluut beside Khoton Lake. They nevertheless contain many beautiful images, and some highly unusual ones as well, and ought to be thoroughly explored in future. 2 June, Monday –– Snowman’s Valley PART VII An initial survey of southern Bayan Ulgii aimag, June 2-8, 2008 Richard Kortum, D.Phil. East Tennessee State University College of Arts and Sciences Arctic Studies Center 167 In the afternoon, my good friend Ch. Canat, owner-operator of Blue Wolf Travel in Ulgii, drove me to a remote north-south running valley that opens approximately 20-25 km to the east and south of Ulgii and extends southward for another 15-20 km. He calls it “Snowman’s Valley.” Apparently, a local legend persists of Yeti-like creatures inhabiting this barely accessible realm. Deep into this valley beneath high peaks on both sides the road is rough, even for Mongolia; one stream crossing in particular, at the bottom of a deep boulder-strewn gully, is diffi cult and dangerous. Fortunately, Canat’s rugged V-8 Toyota Land Cruiser is up to the task. So, too, is my experienced Kazakh-Mon- golian driver and guide. We could not have even contemplated journeying into this valley with the vans we took to Khoton Lake. If only we had had one of these Land Cruisers during the previous week! As it turns out, Canat has recently bought not one, but two, brand new Land Cruisers, which of course arrived in Ulgii the very day Bill & Co. departed for UB. Canat promises that we can have one or both of them next summer. In various places on one side or the other of the valley, Canat shows me some rock carvings. They’re rather scanty and spread out, mostly of uninteresting ibex from the Iron Age; but a few panels on outcrops contain as many as 15 or 25 individual fi gures in a single concentration. In under an hour I count more than 100 petroglyphs all together; this is surely but a small portion of images that can be found, especially further south in the upper valley. I suspect there are several hundreds. The most interesting are located a ways up the eastern escarpment, a group of 23 fi gures pecked into a darkly varnished outcrop. These include a panel with three nicely rendered snow leopards with typical long, thick curving tails held high and two “snowmen,” simple, fully pecked human forms with a frontal orientation, arms out to the sides and legs apart. On the basis of style, color, pecking technique and profi le, I would say that these fi gures prob- ably date from the late Bronze or early Iron Age. I see more antelope images than is usual, and a number of wolves. A cold, drizzly off-and-on rain causes us to huddle in the Land Cruiser; it also makes photography very diffi cult and at times impossible. Thus, I do not get a picture of an intriguing circular image lower down in the valley, which might be a tamga, or clan seal. But here I reproduce a computer-enhanced drawing of it. GPS 436 (Elev. 2324m, N 480 42.760’. E 900 12.065’) Drawing: Tamga? Date uncertain. Inside the valley’s mouth are many khirigsuurs, Pazyryk mounds, and Turkic standing stones in slab boxes. Although this hasty ini- tial survey does not turn up great numbers or high concentrations Snow leopards and “snowmen.” Probably Bronze Age. GPS 434 (Elev. 2429m, N 480 41.672’, E 900 14.264’) Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 168 of petroglyphs, I believe it would prove worthwhile to explore this valley more thoroughly in future and obtain some C-14 dates, if possible, from the khirigsuurs and mounds. Also, there is a cave situ- ated high on a vertical cliff on the upper valley’s western fl ank; it would be interesting to try to climb up there to see what it might contain. 3 June, Tuesday –– Ulgii to Gantsmodnii Gol south of Deluun Today I hire a local young man, Agii, to serve as driver, guide, translator, cook, and fi eld assistant for my trip to southern Bayan Ulgii. Agii teaches high school English in Ulgii. He proudly owns a nearly new Russian jeep, which appears to be in excellent condition. The tires look to be in out- standing shape. The only thing that doesn’t work is the gas gauge. I hope this won’t spell trouble later on, down the road. Agii spends the early part of the day shopping for food, drink, and supplies, while Canat goes off to obtain my border and park permits, and I confer with his junior associates at Sher Blue Wolf as they print some topographic maps for me off their computer. This is going to be a bare-bones operation: each of us has a tent and sleeping bag, and Agii and I will do our own cooking. We’ll have a packet of Ramen noodles or powdered soup with tinned fi sh or tinned meats for lunch and dinner, eggs and cereal with powdered milk for breakfast, some loaves of hard crusty bread and a tin of dubious cheese spread, and biscuits and chocolate bars for snacks. For desert, apples and oranges. Nothing like Irina’s wonderful gourmet cooking on this trip! Fortunately, Agii hails from Bulgan, southernmost outpost in the province, so he knows the route. Canat’s business manager, Jagaa, a bright and capable young man who got his fi rst chance at working for Canat when he served as driver and invaluable, all-round helper on my summer 2005 expedition, is also from Bulgan; he marks a few locations on my map where he had seen some petroglyphs the year before. I had re- ally hoped to have Jagaa as my companion on this trip; but, alas, he has more pressing business, and other international clients, to attend to this week. Agii is smart and eager; but I’m not sure about his driving experience, especially in extremely challenging off-road conditions such as we are likely to encounter. Before heading out of Ulgii, we pay a visit to my old friend at the small Museum of Natural History in the center of town. I’ve met briefl y with the friendly director in previous summers; at the end of my 2004 fi eld excursion I donated to him two or three small fi st-size stones engraved with a deer or horse or ibex that I collected from my initial reconnaissance trip to the far west. Not especially exciting perhaps, and not in my opinion worthy of the national museum in UB, but perhaps they’d be something he’d like to display (along with the brief descriptions I made of them for him) among the glass cases here in Ulgii. Since the outset, the director has been unequivocally eager to collabo- rate with me in some way on my work in Bayan Ulgii. Agii serves as translator, another of his many valuable skills. The director and I continue our earlier discussions, this time focusing especially on the exciting things I’ve found at Khoton Lake. I tell him that I’d like to involve him as a serious partner. My impression is that these small town institutions and personnel out in the countryside far from the capital are to a great extent overlooked by the government and leading offi cials in UB. I’d like to help change this in a small way, if possible. The director fi lls me in on the new nationwide administrative structure headed by the national museum under its new director, Saruulbuyan, with whom I hope to meet on my return to UB before I depart for the United States. Some minor fi nds I’d like to have housed here in Ulgii; I’d also like to produce large wall-mounted maps and profes- sional presentations highlighting the petroglyphs and other stone monuments at Biluut for one of this museum’s display rooms. To make this offi cial, I ask the director to write a brief letter to this effect. Delighted, he assures me he will have one signed, stamped, sealed and ready for me to collect when I get back to Canat’s in a week. Handshakes and big smiles all around. Arctic Studies Center 169 Agii and I hit the road in the early afternoon and make good time to Deluun, the sum center that lies in a broad, fl at, open dusty plain, about 125 km south of Ulgii. We pass by in the evening and go on another 20-25 km to our fi rst night’s encampment, bypassing the bridge over the Gants Mod River on the road to Bulgan. We erect our tents on the north side of the river that fl ows down from high snowcapped mountains to the west. While Agii busies himself with the gas cook stove, I explore the area around our campsite. I count at least 15 mounds, including one khirigsuur with a raised platform and a 2m-high central mound inside a ringed fence. The diameter of the fence is, by pac- ing, about 32m. In addition to several hearth rings, there are two unusual-looking features immedi- ately outside the fence to the east. One is a wide and roughly rectan- gular-oblong outline of stones; the other is a narrow oblong solid stone structure 5m in length. A prominent hearth ring lies just at the end of the fi rst feature. The narrow feature, with its double row of large stones packed side by side, looks as though it might mark a burial. 4 June –– Gantsmodnii Gol to Bulgan and south to Indertuyn Gol (Rentzen’s Spring House Canyon) Approximately 15 km after cross- ing the bridge over the Gantsmodnii Gol, we come to a fork in the road. The new road branches to the left; Agii says this is an improvement over the older track. We decide to go south that way and to return via the old track. My idea is to get to the southern border with Khovd aimag as quickly as possible, so as to leave the maximum time for exploring those river valleys that descend from the Chinese border west of the old road. According to my maps, these two routes separate and form a teardrop around high mountains (elev. 3,710m, or 12,172 ft,), then converge again 20 km north of the sum center, Bulgan, the very-out-of-the-way village where Agii was born and raised. No place south of Tolbo, a small village located below the southern tip of Tolbo Lake, approximately 50 km south of Ulgii, receives even a mention in the Lonely Planet guide to Mongolia. There are no ger camps for travelers; we will see no facilities whatsoever for tourists on this journey. Petrol is available in Deluun and, hopefully, in Bulgan. Agii’s jeep has two tanks, which we fi lled yesterday. But we will have to be careful. After 40 km we struggle up a series of newly bulldozed, banked switchbacks that defi antly challenge a high pass into Bulgan sum. Some of the monstrous earth-moving machines are parked halfway up the mountainside below the road. It appears that road construction is still in progress. We sum- mit under a crisp blue sky at 3060m (10,040 ft.). In a matter of minutes, on the downward route we come upon three fallen or leaning stones on our left, tall granites with some shaping, whose feet are planted in small slab boxes of granite. They are just 8m from the side of the road. The height of the fallen stone is 2.4m, (7 ft., 10 in.) These may be a kind of Altai deer stone; there are no dis- Looking east from the central mound over khirigsuur to satellites. GPS 443 (Elev. 2178m, N 470 40.104’, E 900 43.490’) Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 170 cernible markings, however, of any kind. They are strikingly similar to those that Bill & Co. and I found high on the eastern hills above Khoton Lake as we drove towards Mogoit last Thursday (see his Field Report entry for May 29). Askarov, Volkov, and Ser-Odjav (in Dani and Masson, His- tory of Civilizations of Central Asia, Volume 1: Earliest Times to 700 B.C., 1999) suggest that these undecorated stones may be older than those other two types that depict either stylized or naturalized animals: Bill suspects that these undecorated ones appeared later. I don’t know enough to hazard an opinion. Clearly, we need to obtain some reliable dates for these unmarked stones. Some prominent art historian might feel otherwise; but, as much as can be learned from surface studies alone, there’s just no substitute for scientifi c excavations. A little further south, an entrance to a minor side valley or trough appears on the eastern side of the road. Up the hillside a little ways leans another tall stone in a granite box. This stone is a pebbly black conglomerate, 1.57m (5 ft., 2 in.) in height. I have not encountered this kind of stone before, put to this use. Is this another unmarked type of Altai deer stone? It’s conspicuously unlike the fl at slates characteristic of Turkic burials. A slightly shorter, lichen-covered granite lies on its side just outside the box. If these features either mark or are closely associated with burials, then whoever constructed them certainly made an effort –– and a point –– of climbing so high to conduct their ceremonies. Just several paces below these tall stones are some smallish square-fenced khirigsuurs; one has a prominent corner stone of granite, 0.91m (3 ft.) tall. Actually, the fence is bowed on all sides and is almost circular. A circular pavement occupies the whole interior. Want- ing to move on southward, I don’t take any measurements, only three photographs. (See pg. 170.) Lower down, the route follows right above the river; the canyon is pinched narrow here, with high peaks rising starkly on both sides. The sun hardly reaches into this ravine. At one short stretch the river fl ows beneath a thick crust of snow and ice. It is piled surprisingly high still in this heat. In places, the lumi- nescent azure color is stunning, al- most otherworldly. In another 30-35 Three fallen Altai stones with “box.” GPS 444 (Elev. 2482m, N 470 18.802’, E 900 58.885’) Black Altai stone in “box.” GPS 445 (Elev. 2497, N 470 18.726’, E 900 59.241’ Arctic Studies Center 171 km we come to the spot where the two tracks converge. The rushing Bulgan River joins here on its way to the south. On the north side of the river is a large khirigsuur with a central mound approximately 2m in height; it appears to have been bro- ken into. A circular fence of about 52m diameter has six hearth rings to the north and north-northwest, and four (or possibly fi ve) prominent small mounds at E 900. These might be horse burials. In addition, at E 900, directly in line with, and just outside, the apparent horse mounds, lies a toppled worked stone, 1.02m (40 in.) long and 46cm (18 in.) wide. At the upper end is carved a circle with a diameter of 16.5 cm (6.5 in.). The original location and orientation of this stone cannot be determined. There also appears to be one faint tool or weapon of some kind, which looks like a sharply pointed awl, directly in line below the prominent circle, near the bottom of the stone. Finally, a decorated stone! A sizeable number of khirigsu- urs are located in this immedi- ate vicinity, in the spread of open land carved out of the mountains by this river confl uence, and for the next fi ve kilometers or so we easily spot many on both sides of the Bulgan River that has turned southward. High mountains of bare rock that make me think of images I have seen of Afghanistan crowd the narrow gorge on both sides. In another 10 km we reach Bulgan. I kneel alongside Agii as he pays his respects at his father’s grave in a whitewashed mud-walled enclosure on the east side of the village. These Muslim cemeteries are like something from a remote age; they carry echoes from a distant world. The aboveground burials con- vey a stark frankness about life, and death, but are at the same time mingled with smoky mystique. A single dusty unpaved main street runs straight through the village, and many listless fi gures stand idly about. The air is still and it has grown hot underneath the unrelenting afternoon sun. Several inhabitants greet Agii in a friendly fashion. He has many friends and acquaintances here. Agii soon tracks down a young bespectacled Muslim cleric who chants prayers at the gravesite. Afterwards, Khirigsuur with rounded square fence and (at left) prominent stone. Possible horse mounds outside the khirigsuur fence (near top). GPS 446 (Elev. 2068m, N 470 05.507’, E 910 02.290’) Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 172 we replenish our stock of bottled water and head south again. I’m hoping to make it to our fi rst poten- tial site of petroglyphs, somewhere inside the mouth of a small can- yon at the uttermost bottom of the aimag. This location is one of those referred to me by Jagaa. It still lies another 60 or more kilometers away; given the deteriorated state of the jeep track, it seems likely that we’ll have another two hours of hard driv- ing ahead of us. The slow, hot jolting travel has begun to weigh on both of us; I know it must be hard on Agii, since he’s doing all the driving. I make sure we take a short break every couple of hours, at least. This is not supposed to be a forced march or endurance test. As we near the southern extremity of the aimag, the track dips and winds right down to the river’s edge in an extremely tight squeeze between sheer cliffs; the going is slow –– and in a few places precarious. I can’t imagine what drivers have to do when another vehicle comes from the opposite direction. Finally, we cross the river and get directions from a local Kazakh about the way into the canyon, where Jagaa has told us that a Mongolian relative of his named Rentzen has a spring cabin. As the light begins to fail, our informant tells us that the cabin is located about seven kilometers inside the canyon. That doesn’t sound too far. But as we pass between the constricted canyon walls, it quickly dawns on me that this is the worst, most torturous track I’ve been on in my six visits to, and many dozens of trips within, this country. And that’s saying a lot. We negotiate this ravine at barely a walking pace for long stretches, crossing and re-crossing the rushing, boulder-fi lled Indertuyn Gol. It’s a wonder anybody can ride a horse, let alone maneuver a vehicle, through this rugged little canyon full of rocks and boulders. There’s nothing whatsoever to suggest a signifi cant concentration of petroglyphs, either. This is no river valley with room for grazing herds or fl ocks. After nearly an hour we’ve gone maybe two kilometers. It feels like twenty. I entertain thoughts of turning back. We come to another crossing, which is obviously too steep, too rocky, and too deep to risk. There’s no real space to set up camp, but we decide to stop for the night and take a fresh look at things in the morning light. Agii moves the jeep off the track and in among some boulders. He boils water for a hasty soup and we don’t bother with the tents. Among the rocks we each fi nd a tight place to sleep on the bare ground. Sometime after midnight, we are rudely awakened. The growling sound of a large truck passing by on the track gives us a start. Dim headlights dart erratically across the trunks of gnarled trees, huge boulders, and the canyon walls. It seems sheer madness. The truck fl ounders in the streambed and gets stuck. Voices bark in the pitch dark while the engine groans and the gears grind and gnash. It takes the men the better part of an hour to cross. I doubt that it will now be possible for us to reach the other side in the morning. They’ve probably made a real mess of things. The truck rumbles noisily on, leaving us with only the peaceful sound of the Indertuyn splashing among the boulders Fallen deer stone at GPS site 446. Arctic Studies Center 173 on its way out the canyon. This startling episode soon fades into the folds of consciousness like a dream. 5 June –– Rentzen’s Spring House and north to a burial plateau above Bulgan Gol I wake early, about 5:30, and while Agii slumbers deeply, for the next two hours I work up a sweat carrying and dumping hundreds of heavy stones into the stream, trying to create a crossing for our jeep. As I feared, the deep eroded sides of the Indertuyn are all torn up where the truck forced its way through in the darkness; luckily for us, they missed the more natural crossing place just 25m upstream where we intend to ford. My efforts prove successful; after breakfast, what was complete- ly impossible last night is relatively easy now. But who knows how far this will enable us to go? We certainly don’t have time to construct passageways like this again. Agii handles the extremely challenging driving well. We pass through one family compound with a small fenced enclosure for horses; everybody stops what they’re doing to watch the strangers try to negotiate a diffi cult uphill patch of rocks. Pointing and arm waving communicate to us that Rentzen’s place is still a good ways up ahead. After an hour or so of fi ts and starts, with some backtracking to locate passable routes, we eventually come upon the spring house. The canyon is more open here. Agii tells the old woman of our business, and we promptly go about searching the scattered boulders above the cabin on the hillside below a cliff. We fi nd six or seven boulders, granites and sandstones with a heavy black varnish, that contain 35-40 pecked images. All appear to be from the Iron Age. They’re faint and fairly crude. Nothing exciting. But it’s a good opportunity to begin to show Agii how to pick out especially faint images, by getting up close and changing one’s angle of view so as to catch the re- fl ected light in different ways. I do fi nd one image of interest here, of two concentric circles, on top of a large granite boulder right beside the track. The inner circle is offset slightly toward the top and right. This might be another kind of tamga; it might be a primitive boundary marker, I don’t know. With Rentzen perched beside for scale, this is the only petroglyph I photograph here. GPS 447 (Elev. 1771m, N 460 36.387’, E 910 19.311’ Old man Rentzen and his wife kindly invite us inside for milk tea. We offer a couple of our choco- late bars. Our host doesn’t have any information about petroglyphs in this area; but we enjoy a nice chat. I take a fancy to his leather moccasins that pull up to his knees. And I especially admire the hand-hewn logs overhead; this one-room frontier cabin with its dirt fl oor was built by him a decade ago. I love such dwellings; I’ve long wanted to build one myself. Rentzen invites me to come and stay anytime I like. He’s perfectly sincere. Before we depart, the missus puts on a clean deel and tidies her hair. I take several photos of them inside and outside their cabin. Hopefully Jagaa can deliver them when he returns to Bulgan sometime within the next year. The route back through the canyon, though just as rough and jarring, is easier to retrace. We do have to get out to toss some rocks into the stream at a couple of places; but in far less time than it took us coming in we emerge into the Bulgan River gorge. This fi rst exploratory foray, was necessary, I suppose, in the interests of a systematic survey; but in terms of the paltry collection of rock art it was hardly worth the effort. Unfortunately, we would only come to learn later, upon our return to Ulgii, that Jagaa’s petroglyphs are located on the cliff faces on the north side of the entrance to this canyon! Jagaa hadn’t intended us to drive all the way to Rentzen’s spring house. Aiy-ya! So, we might have missed something signifi cant, alas. I’ll have to ask Jagaa to come back here and make a survey for me, with descrip- tions and a rough count of the imagery along with some photographs. After a brief training with me, he proved to be one of the most keen-eyed spotters of petroglyphs on our 2005 expedition to Khoton Lake. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 174 We retrace our route north alongside the Bulgan River obstacle course and pass through Agii’s vil- lage, where we purchase the four small bottles of water that remain in one of the wayside shops. Our water supply is precariously low. We also top up a tank with petrol. About 17 or 18 km north, a new, well-constructed dirt road turns off west into a stream valley. Using a magnifying glass and a translation table for the Russian alphabet, the name of this stream as near as I can make out is Dzhar- galantyn Gol. This smooth, well-packed road seems out of place; indeed, the likes of it is hardly to be found anywhere in Mongolia. The reason soon becomes clear: down this road is a foreign gold mining operation. On the slope above our right, a clutch of new wooden cabins and other solid-look- ing structures of mud brick and stone have been built, presumably to house and service the work- ers. We follow the road high above the north side of the stream for fi ve kilometers. At a prominent outcrop of exposed bedrock down on the lower side we get out to scramble around on the hillside, but fi nd nothing. The crumbling sides of the canyon have shown no sign of a suitable lithology for petroglyph production. We ask at the lodgings of some locals; a woman offers to sell me some glit- tery metallic-looking crystalline rocks, but no one can make a positive report. We turn around and head back to the northern track. I’m not in the market for shiny stones today. Agii tells me that out west, “June brings the heat.” Yesterday and today the temperature has grown increasingly uncomfortable. This far south, I guess I should not be too surprised. Whenever we encounter water, Agii collects some in a liter bottle and pours it over the engine. Following his lead, I soak a towel and drape it over my head and shoulders in an effort to keep my own thermostat from boiling over. This land has a lonely, harsh, forbidding aspect. It radiates a raw power. It’s not to be messed with. We’ve rarely seen a ger. It’s not much wonder that even the adventurous author of Lonely Planet has never ventured into this realm. At the fork where the two main tracks diverge we bear left and head northwest. We’re going to pursue the old western track back to the north. My maps show several east-west valleys with streams leading into Bayan-Ulgii from its border with China; I intend to check out each of these in turn. Just northwest of a bridge that crosses to the north side of the Bulgan River (which here fl ows in an easterly direction) we spy a giant khirigsuur back on the far (southern) side, whose circular fence appears to be in excess of 100m. It’s an impres- sive sight. From a distance of perhaps half a mile I take two photographs. Near here we also pass a Turkic stone man carved from granite, 1.02m (40 in.) tall, beside a looted burial. I mark the coor- dinates and snap a couple of photos. We don’t see but a couple of these on the entire trip. Indeed, Turkic features as a whole are far less numerous down here than they are in the north, in the vicinity of Khoton Lake and Khurgan Lake. As evening grows, after another 15 km we spot some mounds up on a plateau to our right. It looks like it might be a decent place to camp for the night. One can see a fair distance from this elevated vantage point, to the southeast from where we’ve come and away to the north-northwest, in which direction we will be heading tomorrow. Directly across from us, our jeep faces into the broad entrance to another valley bisected by a stream that our map des- ignates as Targis Gol. Depending on what we fi nd here at the base of these red hills among these red mounds, that valley will be our next order of business in the morning. Again we decide not to bother with the tents; the sky is clear and the air is not too chilly. Agii will sleep in the jeep. While Agii busies himself about the stove, I venture off to explore the nearby mounds. There appear to be maybe half a dozen spreading up towards a crumbling escarpment to the north and northeast. At the second khirigsuur I discover a small deer stone; no deer, just a prominent circle in the upper left corner. Continuing northward, I fi nd three or four undecorated but shaped stones of our “Altai” type. Buoyed by these discoveries I return to hot Ramen noodles and tinned fi sh, and harbor great expecta- tions for the morning. An inquisitive Kazakh on his horse appears over the ridge and rides over to check us out. This grizzled man seems a bit suspicious; I feel a sullen edge in his glance and in his Arctic Studies Center 175 voice. We share with our guest our meager dinner; afterwards the apples that we give him to take home seem to satisfy him. I wonder whether he’d been drinking. Agii was thinking the same thing. We work in tandem to clean the table, and following a long custom I’ve established since childhood, I don’t close my eyes to sleep until I’ve seen a shooting star. A few wispy ones trail across the zenith and with contentment I close my lids and fall into slumber. Out here I don’t have to fret about keep- ing Agii awake with my snoring. 6 June –– Targis Gol Valley to Khuiten Gol I’m up before the sun at about fi ve a.m. The sky is cloudless. It turns out there are 18 khirigsuurs and several small mounds on this plateau overlooking the river. Just beside our campsite to the northwest a deep ravine runs down to the road below, and I can see more khirigsuurs and mounds on the rocky slope across the divide. The variety of mounds and fences on this plateau is exciting; they are of various sizes and shapes. Some have circular fences, some squarish; some of these have prominent corner stones. One mound is an elongated ovoid within an ovoid fence. Another central mound has an open center with long rectangular slabs positioned in a rectangle. Some have hearth rings, numbering from three to 32. Most of the piled stones are heavily covered by lichen, which gives them their distinctly ruddy cast. I don’t see any horse burials; but I move quickly across this plateau from one khirigsuur to another. I want to get going again as soon as possible to continue my search for petroglyphs. But this is clearly a site of great signifi cance. I jot down notes of the main highlights. I think Bill will have to spend some time at this place, hopefully next summer. Working northwards from the jeep, along the northwestern edge of the plateau, I photograph and number the mounds 1-7. I cross toward the base of the cliffs to the southeast, document a broad undecorated standing stone in a box, then continue southwards towards the road where I fi nd several more mounds, numbers 8-17. The hastily scribbled details are as follows: Mound 1. A solidly packed circular mound approximately 1.5m tall, and 25m in diameter. Mound 2. This khirigsuur has a squarish fence with corner stones at the S and N corners. The mound is about a meter high; the interior is completely paved with stones. To its east lies a fallen grey granite with a suggestive shape, 94cm (37 in.) long by 35.5cm (14 in.) wide. It has no apparent markings; but it might be a type of undecorated deer stone. Mound 3. Approximately 1.5m tall, in a circular fence with a diameter of about 25m. Mound 4. 2m in height, with a circular fence approximately 18m in diameter. This one has com- paratively large stones on its perimeter. Mound 5. A small circular, fl at pavement, approximately 8m in diameter. This one has an open cir- cular center with slabs laid on edge to form a rectangle, quite likely a burial chamber. Mound 6. A square khirigsuur with 13m sides and three hearth rings of 1m-1.5m diameter on its SW. Mound 7. Khirigsuur with a 1.5m tall mound and circular fence of 22m diameter. Eleven hearth rings 1.1m to 1.7m in diameter arc from N to W and also appear on the SSW. On the E side at 1250 lies a fallen deer stone, 1.02m (40 in.) long by 43.2cm (17 in.) wide. Its original placement is inde- Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 176 terminable. On one side near the top are carved three slanted grooves, or “slashes.” On the fl at top- side is an earring and immediately beneath it a form that looks like a quarter moon. Turning it over, the obverse side shows a similar earring immediately above some kind of pointed tool or weapon, or possibly an insignia: a T-shape with two small outwardly curving horns above and near both ends of the top of the ‘T’. One hundred meters to the SSE of Mound 7 stands a shaped pink granite in a slab box. This one is uncharacteristically broad. It measures 1.07m (42 in.) in height and 86.5cm (34 in.) in width. There are no visible markings, only a possible faint belt- groove on the SE side that my fi ngertips pick out. I think, however, that this rough depression has been caused by natural forces. GPS 451 (Elev. 2152m, N 470 08.818’, E 900 53.619’) Mound 8. Approximately 200m SE of this stand- ing stone is a peculiar, long ovoid mound inside an ovoid fence. It is encircled nearly all the way around, including on its eastern side, by at least 32 hearths of about 1.5m to 1.8m diameter constructed of large stones. Lying nearby are several slabs that have roughly a deer stone shape. Another pos- sible deer stone lies fallen 30m from the middle of the mound SE at 1400. It measures 1m (39 in.) in height and 56cm (22 in.) in width. Ten meters from the mound’s central core lies another fallen stone at E 1050. This one measures 1.3m (51 in.) long by 53cm (21 in.) wide. Neither of these stones shows any decorations. Mounds 9 and 10. 35m and 45m ESE of Mound 8, both squarish with prominent stones to the E. Each mound is about 6m across. Mound 11. Circular, almost pentagonal, with two fallen stones of granite. Both are buried deeply, lengthwise, so that only their fl at faces are visible. One, to the east, has two deep grooves all the way across its face; they are carved, apparently. The other stone has one deeply cut, thin groove across the face. These might be belts, though the two “stripes” on the fi rst stone occur fairly high on what looks to be the upper section of the stone. The horizontal groove on the second stone is deep. It looks as though it would lie at about, or just above, the ground line, if that end were buried. I don’t know what to make of these grooves. The fi rst stone measures 1.47m (58 in.) long by 35.5cm (14 in.) wide; the smaller one is 66cm (26 in.) tall and 28cm (11 in.) in width. Mound 12. This mound contains a tall shapely granite on its SE (a low corral wall of recent manu- facture is built against its western side). This standing stone is 1.8m (70 in.) tall and 48cm (19 in.) wide. It has no visible markings. Mound 7 deer stone drawing. GPS 449, center of mound (Elev. 2156m, N 470 08.900’, E 900 53.564’) Arctic Studies Center 177 GPS 452 (Elev. 2148m, N 470 08.694’, E0 90 53.663’) Mounds 13-17. There are fi ve more small mounds to the ESE and SSE. Mound 14, 15m south of Mound 12, has a half-buried stone lying on its southern border, a large tapered granite whose appar- ent bottom has been cut and shaped. This, too, is possibly an undecorated type of deer stone. This stone’s height cannot be determined, as its tapering end is buried. But the section above ground is 1.47m (58 in.) long and 45.7cm (18 in.) wide. Following this longer-than-expected survey, we cross the Bulgan River and enter the broad mouth of the valley through which the Targis Gol fl ows. There are some khirigsuurs here, too, but we don’t see any standing stones. We drive on towards a prominent rocky outcrop on the northern side, just beyond a low stone animal pen. In short order Agii and I count 52 pecked fi gures, mostly ibex, very faint. They look to be from the Iron Age. There is also one archer. I estimate that this outcrop con- tains between 60 and 80 individual images. I record the coordinates by GPS and take a photo of the archer. Further into the valley on our right are more small outcrops of exposed bedrock; on an upper hump of rock we count eight images including a stag with wolves or dogs, and on the lower hump we mark 35 images, mostly crude ibex. Again, all appear to be Iron Age creations. Another photo (of the stag) and GPS coordinates. The next outcrop contains only fi ve or six unremarkable ibex. We rise steadily in elevation as we penetrate the valley, approaching close to the peaks that form the border with China. Approximately fi ve kilometers into the valley a depressed fold, a shallow U- shaped trough, falls abruptly from high on our right; bedrock outcroppings bend away and upward along the eastern edge of this high side valley. The incline is steep and, shifting down and down again, Agii maneuvers the jeep in switchback fashion as high as he can go. Right up above us in the bright noon sun gleams the silent sentinel of Kherts Uul, peaked at 3,599m (11,807 ft.). Still high above us are several rocky outcrops of blue-grey-green shales, many surfaces of which are glazed by a beautiful dark purple varnish. I’ll be surprised if any petroglyphs will be found this high up, but I feel the need to check. The slopes are covered with the breakdown of slates that slide down from these outcroppings. We have to make like mountain goats. Unfortunately, we won’t have time to scour all these surfaces even half-thoroughly; we’ll have to make a sampling. One of the highest exposed bluffs reveals 50 or so images, mostly ibex, but with an occasional argali, horse, and stag. Probably Iron Age. GPS and several photos. Sheer elevation makes the rock art up here all the more impressive. It required an investment of muscle power, and will, to work this high. Down to the right a blue stone animal pen is tucked under a cliff; three small, chunky shale outcrops rise above it, and one larger one can be seen just below. The middle of the upper three reveals 75 images: I esti- mate that it contains another 10-25. At the corral beneath the sheer cliff we carefully count another 75. Again, ibex predominate; but there is also a faint horse and rider, a Mongolian deer 33cm (13 in.) long, and an unusual “wheeled” fi gure that might be a tamga. The Mongolian deer is depicted in a perfectly vertical orientation, snout pointing up, legs to the viewer’s left side, its long waves of antler extending down, well past its rump. It looks to be from the late Bronze or early Iron Age. The next outcrop just below the blue corral contains at least 150 images and quite probably in excess of 200. Two lovely stags display many-pointed antlers; these robust fi gures might date from the early Bronze Age, possibly earlier. There’s also an unusual horse rider of considerably more recent execution, which may be Turkic or even much more recent than that. The pecked grooves are still whitened. I record GPS coordinates and take many photos at each outcrop. Beside this grouping to the right is another bluff with at least 45 images that include an archer and a nicely rendered antelope in addition to ibex, argali, and dogs/wolves. Most of these, too, are Iron Age; but a small number Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 178 must be from the Bronze period. On the next outcrop, a vertical panel that we did not see from up higher, Agii and I tally at least 45 fi gures more. One is a Mongolian deer with its head turned back over its shoulder. This is the fi rst of its kind that I have seen in the Altai; it’s a bit indistinct, but both it and the Mongolian deer fi gure above it, with its highly arched spine, curvy body, and kneeling foreleg, resem- ble deer rendered in the Scythian “Animal Style.” There are no such images at Biluut. These are really exciting fi nds. We estimate that these outcrops near- est the blue corral alone contain at least 400-500 individual petro- glyphic fi gures. This entire river valley, then, upper and lower, can reliably be expected to contain a minimum of several hundred more. Considering its proximity to the many khirigsuurs down below near the mouth of the valley, despite its relatively small number of images as compared with Biluut, we should consider this location to comprise a rock art complex (as distinct from a petroglyph site). I’d really like to return here one summer to produce a full documentation and mapping. Just 10 km north of Targis Gol Valley we come to the mouth of Turgen Gol Valley, longer and nar- rower than the former. We pass into this valley a short ways on a little-used track. The geology does not give any hopeful indications, and though we stop and look at some samples at the base of the cliffs on our right, we don’t fi nd any peckings. Some locals stop by and in answer to our que- ries tell us that they have seen a small number of pecked fi gures scattered here and there further up the valley; but this intelligence does not prompt us to seek further along the Turgen Gol on this occa- sion. After another 10 km on our northern track we come alongside three mounds with circular fenced platforms, right beside the road. One of these has another of the undecorated Altai stones. The fence is approximately 22m in diameter with three hearths. The granite, 1.07m (42 in.) tall and 38cm (15 in.) wide, is located 3300 from the mound’s Horse and rider. Date uncertain. GPS 457 (Elev. 2427m, N 470 07.201’, E 900 49.888’) Tracing of Animal Style deer. Probably early Iron Age. GPS 461 (Elev. 2424m, N 470 07.177’, E 900 49.971’) Arctic Studies Center 179 center. Some white chalky markings appear on its northern face; but these look to be recent. Still, the top has a distinctive slanted shape. Also, a large slab of granite has fallen inside the fence on the east side of the mound. Perhaps this was the cover to a burial chamber. GPS 462 (Elev. 2364m, N 470 14.515’, E 900 47.464’) Beyond these khirigsuurs lies the opening to another stream canyon. A brief look at the slopes inside, however, convinces me that there is little or no chance of petroglyphs. I have to be back in Ulgii on the 8th, the day after tomorrow, so I’m going to have to be picky. I already know of two possibly signifi cant concentrations of petroglyphs further to the north near Deluun, which I visited briefl y with Canat three years ago. I will need time to explore those more thoroughly this time around. So, we move on. In another three kilometers the Bulgan River turns sharply left (it’s fl ow- ing down from that direction). It is broad and the current is swift, swollen with snowmelt. Soft marshes of emerald green grasses appear on this side, and the faint track becomes lost. We both sense the danger of getting bogged down in a mire. It seems that few vehicles have come through this place. I wonder if we’ve missed a turn somewhere. After some diffi culty, looping back a couple of times, we fi nd a way onto ruts left by a previous truck and come to a crossing where the main channel branches into smaller rivulets off the main fl ow. Unfortunately, the water is not only swift, it looks far too deep. We get out and separate, searching the banks on foot in both directions for pos- sibilities; but as much as I want to, I simply can’t see how we will manage to cross anywhere near here. I fear we will have to turn around and go all the way back to the major junction where the new road heads north around the eastern horn of the mountains, and drive back up to Deluun the same way we came down. This is utterly dismaying, of course; it means we will have to forego the ex- ploration of the several remaining river valleys on this side. It also means we’ll lose a great deal of time. And waste precious petrol. At other crossings on previous days, I was the optimistic one, convincing Agii that we could ford a river when he was clearly reluctant. Now the roles are reversed. Agii is confi dent that we can make it across. We debate this several times, for long minutes. We go off and scour the area again. Dubi- ously, I toss rocks into the river near where the truck tracks drop down into the water. Not very far out, I can’t see the bottom. My rocks splash with a sound that does not assuage my worries. All I can see is the two of us being swept away down this icy river, . . . to what unfortunate end? It strikes me as beyond risky. The situation seems hopeless. Nevertheless, somehow or other I yield to Agii’s gentle but persistent prodding. He’ll do whatever I decide, I know. Against my better judgment, I put my life in his hands and agree to let him take the plunge. The water is immediately deep; we’re in up over the axels and the pressure of the surging tide is felt instantly against the driver’s side. Agii fi ghts to maintain control of the steering wheel and, going with the fl ow, swings out in an arc downstream, along the route we mapped out together. I can’t tell whether we’re driving or fl oating. But now the bottom feels solid enough and the tires maintain trac- tion. I’ve made sure in advance that he’s understood not to stall the engine in midstream by trying to shift to low gear. That would spell disaster. I don’t know how many times I’ve had an otherwise ex- cellent driver do this in Bayan-Ulgii and elsewhere in this country, in far less perilous circumstances. So, Agii put us in the lowest gear of his 4-wheel drive before we plunged into the river. Our tires are soon completely submerged, as is the tailpipe; but the rushing water levels off in midstream, and lo and behold, we swing back toward the muddy cutting in the bank opposite. I’m nervously urging us on all the way, and as Agii angles the jeep up the rutted bank and onto fi rm level ground again we both erupt in hoots and hollers. Agii beams as I thump him repeatedly on the back and shoulders. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 180 This mild-mannered young schoolteacher has proven to be much more of a driver than anyone ex- pected! I’d like to see Dale Earnhardt or Tom Petty try that. It’s time for a chocolate bar. And more cold water to soak our headdresses. In a mere three-quarters of a kilometer we drive right beside a mound with some small upright stones. A tall khirigsuur lies another 50m beyond it to the west where the hot sun is lowering over high snow-covered ridge tops. The nearer feature is highly unusual. Its stones are mounded in a curve like a crescent moon, a sort-of fat, fl attened letter ‘C’. The western end is a bit thicker than the eastern; west to east I pace off 17m in a straight line, while the distance around the outside arc is 39m. I’ve never seen or heard of anything even remotely like this. The stones are heaped higher at the western, or upper, end. Here there is an open pit inside an oval depres- sion. This place has been broken into; I can’t tell to what species they belong (human or otherwise), but bones are scattered in the bottom of the rectangular pit. I let them lie where they are. Agii returns from the tall khirigsuur mound and reports that he can see all the way to its bottom, where there is also a pile of bones. Along the inside arc of this crescent mound, beginning just below the top of the ‘C’, stand sev- eral small, marked stones. I desig- nate these #s 1-7, going from top to bottom (west to east). None contain animal imagery; but all have large circles, extensive necklaces, and chevrons. Stone #1. The tallest of these stones; because of the plundering on its southern side, its entire length can be seen. This stone measures 1.1m (43 in.) in total height, 68.6cm (27 in.) of which stands above ground. It is 28cm (11 in.) wide and 23.5cm (9.25 in.) thick. Some unscrupulous individual may have tried to make off with the decorated top section: a large wedge has been knocked off and is found lying near the base. A thin graphite line is marked across the north face near the bottom; someone used a pencil and straight edge to make it. Has an archaeologist visited here recently? This is disturbing. The slanted top of the stone has been sculpted in a unique fashion, with a kind of nar- row hump or rounded ridge running along half of the higher, western edge. All four faces are deco- rated with a necklace that runs continuously around the stone. Large circles are carved near the top of the east and west faces. The northern face has fi ve circular gouges for the necklace; the middle one is considerably larger than the other four. The south side likewise has fi ve necklace holes, the middle one of which is a slightly larger fl attened oval. Above this are three slanted slashes; below the necklace a dagger points downward and to the right. I shoot photos of three sides: N, E, and S; the bright westering sun makes photographing the western side impossible without special fi lters. Sketches, however, are made of each side. Crescent mound. GPS 463 (Elev. 2423m, N 470 16.798’, E 900 46.550’) Arctic Studies Center 181 Stone #2. Just a couple of paces E of Stone #1, this one’s height is 50.8cm (20 in.). It is 33cm (13 in.) wide and 16.5cm (6.5 in.) deep. A necklace runs continuously around all four sides: the north has six gouges, the east three, the south six, and the western side four. Above the necklace on the north face are carved three broad slashes (slanting downward to the left); the eastern face contains a large circle above the necklace; and the western face has a large earring –– a circle with short pen- dant at its bottom right. Lying half-buried just beneath this stone’s eastern side is a small decorated stone, a mere 15cm (6in.) in height. Three short slashes are carved on its lower left and a semi-circu- lar arc, its ends “pointing” upwards, marks the upper right. This might be part of a full circle, the top of which is missing. I am quite surprised –– and pleased –– to have found such a tiny “deer stone!” Stone #3. Another couple of paces E of Stone #2, this decorated stubby stone is just 38cm (15 in.) tall, 30.5cm (12 in.) wide, and 15cm (6 in.) deep. Three slashes are carved on the upper north face, a large circle marks the upper east face, a slanting (belt) groove cuts halfway across the southern side, and the west has three or four irregular gouges and a vague oval shape just above its middle. Stone #4. This chunky stone is located just a couple of meters E of Stone #3. It is 53.5cm (21 in.) tall, 43cm (17 in.) at its greatest width, and 30.5cm (12 in.) deep. Three fl at horizontal slashes with two round gouges on each side of the bottom stripe, marks the upper half of the north face; three gouges in a line mark the middle of the east face; a necklace of fi ve slightly upward bending gouges with a single slash above (slanting downward to the left), decorate the southern face; and four promi- nent circular gouges bending upward with a circle above are carved on the west face. Stones #5, 6, and 7: Each just a couple of paces to the E of the others. Small uprights, but none has carvings. This has been a feverishly busy day, full of exciting discoveries. It turned out to be a tremendous stroke of good fortune that we were able to cross the river back there! With anticipation, late in the afternoon we pack our gear in the jeep and head north. The 8x11 black & white topographic map Deer Stone #1. GPS 463 (Elev. 2423m, N 470 16.798’, E 900 46.550’) Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 182 of the area between Deluun and Bulgan that Canat’s offi ce assistant printed out for me before we left Sher Blue Wolf shows a dotted-line branching off northwestward above the course of the Bul- gan River. It appears to crest a moderately high pass then descend into a narrow north-south valley, parallel to but separated from the old northern track by a long line of low mountains. This smaller track is not shown on the large colored topographic map of southern Bayan-Ulgii that I purchased in UB, even though the scale (1:500,000) appears to be virtually identical. The 8x11 printout shows dotted lines crossing between the tracks at two intervals; but it looks as though it would be much easier to fi nd and enter the next fi ve river valleys if we could take the westernmost northern route, if it’s passable. Agii thinks it is; so we branch off to the left. In fi ve or six kilometers the track makes a hard right and heads abruptly uphill, over high shoulders of the barren, rocky ridge. We rumble up and down, with twists and loops, over these empty hills. There’s nothing to suggest a human presence other than our own in any direction. It’s about fi ve kilometers going up, fi ve kilometers winding across the hilltops, and another fi ve going down. Steady but slow going, probably about an hour. There’s a near-continuous shifting of gears; we stall once, but Agii has no real trouble get- ting through. Near the bottom of our descent into the narrow north-south valley, the large colored topographic map represents a stream coming down from the left at an acute angle; the small black & white page shows nothing here. What we cross further down is, instead, a dry watercourse. It must be a seasonal fl ow, I reckon. In any case, there’s no real valley up there, just a small, shallow, fairly steep ravine. I cross it off the list of potential petroglyph sites and we wind our way on down to the valley fl oor. As evening comes on and the stillness deepens, we can see across this silent valley to the barren feet of a mountain opposite. In the slanting light the steep hillsides do not look particu- larly conducive to petroglyph production. In another three kilometers or so, a larger stream runs down from beneath the 3,878m (12,723 ft.) peak of Dushiin Uul on our left. We are 15 km from the Chinese border. We veer left to go up and over a saddle in the lower arm of a ridge that ends just ahead, to make a short cut into the Usugen River Valley. As we mount this ridge, a conspicuous hump of exposed dark outcrop rises up im- mediately on our right. The rocks are varnished, so we stop to take a look. Agii and I clamber all over this hill with its jutting shelves of chunky rock panels. Together we count 15-20 petroglyphs. Mostly faint Iron Age ibex. I record the GPS and snap a couple of photographs. There are no doubt a handful more images at this site, but nothing to write home about. The next valley, of the Khuiten Gol, lies another 10 km ahead. We turn left on a faint dirt track and head west. The light is low; even so, some of the weathered bluffs on the opposite side of the stream to our right look promising. A heavy truck rumbles along for a while beneath those hills in the same direction we’re going, but we can’t see a place to cross. Up ahead a motorcyclist descends the slopes from our left, crosses a low-lying grassy area, passes out of site, then reappears on the other side of the stream, in a plume of dust motoring eastward. It’s clear he’s crossed a ford that can’t be too diffi cult to negotiate. Rather than try to follow his route from the road father up ahead, we decide to angle directly down to the waterside to where we guess he crossed. But suddenly we’re cut off by a wire fence. We swerve right, into soft marshy ground. Agii hits the brakes, but, ka-plonch!, just like that, our front tires have sunk into mud. Try as he will, we can’t back out. The spinning tires dig deeper into the mire. Evening is falling as we get out to try our hand at shoveling our way out. The back tires are mired down, too. We sweat for an hour, jacking the rear end, digging and scraping out the mud around all four tires, refi lling the holes with handfuls of gravel and small stones. Once or twice we think we’ve got it. But, alas, nothing works. We’re good and stuck. Agii is profusely apologetic; but it’s not his fault. It looks like we’re going to have to spend the night out here; in the Arctic Studies Center 183 morning perhaps we can fl ag down a truck for assistance. A couple of gers are erected farther down the trail, maybe a mile away, high on the north-facing slopes to our left. Unwilling to concede defeat, Agii asks my permission for him to venture forth to see whether someone up there has a truck and can come down to pull us out. I watch his diminish- ing form make the long trek along the road and up the slope until he disappears inside the door. The sweat grows chill beneath my thin silk Tee, so I climb inside the jeep to wait. A long time ticks by. I check and recheck the slope, expecting, and hoping, to see a vehicle descending. I stamp around outside to warm my muscles. As the light grows dim, I spy three horse-mounted fi gures disappear- ing at a canter over a ridge beyond that nearest ger. Still no sign of Agii. I wonder, what can be keeping him? Something feels amiss. At long last, after more than an hour, dim headlights appear on the dirt road away to the west. A big lumbering truck approaches; I rush out to fl ag it, but to my delight it is already turning down the hillside toward our jeep. Out jumps Agii with two other men. It was the three of them, he explains, who had gone off on horseback from the ger. They went in search of a relative who owns a truck. The headman of the ger owns a truck, Agii tells me; but as luck would have it, his wife and son said that he was away for the day. Hence the horses. Agii’s full of remorse for having left me on my own for so long. I’m sorry that he’s had to go to such trouble. But all’s well now. The men make quick work of it. Hooking Agii’s short cable to their own longer one, they easily jerk us out of the muck. I hand Agii ten thousand tugriks to give them for petrol, and a handful of oranges and apples. The men would also like Agii to siphon off some of our petrol. Although we haven’t much to spare, he kindly obliges with three or four liters in a battered can. The men leave us with directions to the stream crossing. It’s too late, too dark, and we’re too exhausted to attempt to drive further this night, so we park just below the road. Agii opts to sleep in the jeep again. I scour around for a more-or-less level and rock-free place to spread my down bag. Ever con- siderate, Agii boils water for a late bowl of powdered soup. After the day’s toil and trouble, it tastes especially good. It warms the heart as well as the tummy. Another day, another adventure. After all, one shouldn’t come to Mongolia without being ready for the unexpected. As Heraclitus in his char- acteristically paradoxical way remarked, “Expect the unexpected. For it is diffi cult and hard to fi nd.” Yes, sir. Tomorrow will be another good day. Our karma must surely be running in the black. 7 June –– Khuiten Gol and Gantsmod Valley to Chigertei Gol After breakfast, our early morning crossing of the Khuiten Gol is short and sweet. This stream is shallow and not wide at all. At this particular place, one could pretty much jump from one bank to the other. So much for short cuts at the end of a long grueling day! We turn left when we hit the dirt track above the bank and eyeball the steep, rock-strewn hills tumbled below an escarpment of bed- rock. Pockets of snow shine brightly in the morning sun, directly above us on the summit of Khuiten Salaa Uul, at 3,576m (11,732 ft.) marking the border with China. There’s no way through to Mongo- lia’s neighbor from this valley; the road dead-ends up ahead in another 10 km. But here on our right fl ank we fi nd a varnished rock with a nice stag. GPS and a photo. We explore a few bluffs along this track; one contains 32 fi gures, the next, lower down, has 10. I’d say 90 percent are ibex and Iron Age. There’s another nice stag, and a ‘boxy’ deer that deserves a photo. We also see a small undis- tinguished rock mound nearby. All together Agii and I count more than 50 images hereabout. Look- ing up and down the track at what promising rock faces remain, I estimate that this valley contains upwards of two hundred petroglyphs. It’s interesting to note just how common and widespread this phenomenon is, even where it’s small scale. Here we have a small, scattered site, perhaps. But little or nothing more, I warrant. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 184 We still have two major valleys to explore, and only today and tomorrow morning are left to com- plete my survey. I fi gure we’ll have to be headed out of Chigertei Valley, our fi nal survey site, west of Deluun, by one in the afternoon tomorrow, at the latest, if we are to get back to Ulgii before dark. Rather than re-cross the Khuiten Gol, we follow the track on this side of the stream eastward to the mouth of the valley and soon hit our northern road again. Across the junction looms a sheer dark cliff hundreds of feet high that looks to be smooth and heavily varnished. Chunks, large and small, of broken down shales lie all about its base. There could be petroglyphs here. We stop and pick our way through the rubble; indeed, many of these surfaces are outstanding. But to my sad surprise, we don’t fi nd a single pecked image. It’s hard to fathom; it’s like leaving a beautifully primed canvas completely untouched. Tall Turkic stones and slab box structures are situated close by, on a slope across the road to the southwest; some are quite elaborate. You’d think that maybe their artists would have been glad to make use of such surfaces, readymade and so easily accessible. Then again, perhaps this varnish was not at that time so well developed. Or maybe they found this rock just too hard, too dense and refractory, that is, to work. Or something. At Khoton Lake, too, I’ve come upon beautiful panels empty of imagery. It’s a bit of an enigma. So, anyway, on we go once more. The entrance to Gantsmodnii Gol Valley lies above a deep river gorge just seven or eight kilometers ahead. A small army post sits on a bluff a little ways to the east of the southern rim and we stop at the gated checkpoint to show our papers. There’s a short wait while the right offi cial can be found; but everything is in order and we pass under the lifted barrier heading west again toward the border. Things can get pretty touchy out here on the borderlands. To hear some Mongolians tell it, an inva- sion from their powerful, hungry neighbor is imminent. It’s a gross understatement to say that these two peoples have a lengthy history of uneasy relations. After about fi ve kilometers, something does not feel right to me. This landscape does not look familiar. It doesn’t match what I mentally play back of my fi rst trip here three years earlier, crammed into a jeep with some friends of Canat’s, and friends of friends picked up along the way. As the feeling grows, we stop so that I can walk about and have a look up and down the hills, and down into the gorge below. It just doesn’t feel right. Trusting to instinct, I ask Agii to drive us back past the army post. We descend the steep gully below the post and cross a wooden bridge. I want to lay out both maps on the hood, and compare them with my 2005 fi eld notes from Gants Mod that contain GPS entries. Just ahead across the fl at plain a tiny collection of buildings marks the local sum’s administrative center. Immediately beyond, the Gantsmodnii Gol is joined by a tributary that runs roughly parallel from the west. This stream is not named on my large topo map; but on the small black & white one, it looks like it’s called Ttsgreg Gol. I imagine that this must be the river we’re looking for. I record our location on my GPS, so that if necessary I can take another somewhere up ahead and then tri- angulate to our intended destination. Agii, of course, hasn’t a clue as to where my 2005 site is to be found. We pass by the cluster of Russian-built offi ces, cross the Gants Mod, and make for the next stream valley. It should lie no more than three kilometers ahead. Sure enough, we make another crossing, fi nd the track, and head west into the Ttsgreg Valley. At fi rst, I feel as though my hunch is right. And yet, the further we go along this lonely winding trail, the less sanguine I become. After a long 12 kilometers we come beside a small lake; the track passes right along the northern shore- line. Large water birds spread their wings and alight from rocks a short ways out in the water. It is a beautiful sight. But I know it’s not right. Agii seems to have some familiarity with this body of silver-blue water. He knows its name. But I am dead certain I have never seen it before. It’s time to turn around again and go back. Arctic Studies Center 185 Criminy, we’ve lost at least two hours already, and used up more of our depleted petrol reserve. I take another GPS, and another when we reach the outlet of the valley. Now I can not only gener- ate a direction, I can fi nally accurately mark a distance on the map and pinpoint where we should be headed. It turns out that we were right the fi rst time. The location of the petroglyphs I visited briefl y in 2005 lie somewhere along the western arm of the Gantsmodnii Gol, at a fork (which I can still picture fairly well) deep inside, near the Chinese border. Back we go, past the open, dusty adminis- trative yard, across the wooden bridge, up the hill to the army post. This time, driver and passenger both get out and with embarrassed grins explain our predicament to the ranking offi cer. Thankfully, there’s no problem in letting us through once more. As we wind our way down and down into the gorge and begin to make our way westward along the stream, I fi nally start to recognize things. This is defi nitely the way. Still, it’s a good 18-20 kilometers from the army post to our intended destina- tion, a stretch of broken, scattered bedrock outcroppings on the northern side of the Gantsmodnii Gol. I remember the fi rst time I came in here, I had to sacrifi ce my passport to the attending army man and collect it on my way out. I wonder why I didn’t have to do the same thing this time. May- be Canat has something to do with it. It seems that everybody out here knows Canat Cheriyasdaa; my friend has his fi ngers in lots of pies, to be sure. In the middle of the opened valley bottom the track grows faint in grassy turf; it meanders and breaks up uncertainly. But that’s okay now. We simply continue to head in the direction dictated by my GPS. We pause a couple of times to check the distance. We’re getting close. It’s less than two kilometers now. In the mid-distance ahead I spot some smallish mounds, and, unexpectedly, what looks to be a standing stone. We ignore the GPS arrow and distance indicator for the moment and, taking care to avoid the many small rivulets that crisscross this bottom land, make for the shape. Lady Luck smiles upon us: it turns out to be two standing stones, not one. An even taller one has fallen on its side beside the visible upright. Both have carved decorations. Another exciting discov- ery! The upright is 1.2m (46 in.) in height, 38cm (15 in.) wide, and 38.7cm (15.25 in.) deep. The fallen stone is 1.4m (55.5 in.) long, 33cm (13 in.) wide, and 17.8 (7 in.) deep. Both are made from a hard sedimentary stone with a rich deep-grey hue. The fallen stone is covered on its three exposed surfaces by ugly graffi ti. The upright has a steeply inclined smoothed top; it bears a continuous necklace on all four faces. Its north face has a carved circle, possibly a sun or full moon emblem, near its upper left corner above the fi ve necklace gouges; the east face has three deep slashes near its top; the south face has a large earring, and the west face has only three downward arcing necklace gouges. On its upper face, the fallen stone has a wide, double-lined belt running across its very top, above a necklace of four arced gouges. The belt contains no interior articulation; but its placement strikes me as unusual. This cannot be the stone’s bottom, surely, for it would have been out of sight, buried underground. But I’ve never heard of a belt running across the top of a deer stone before. I’ll have to ask Bill. The thin eastern side has a three slashes at the same end; the belt grooves are con- tinued on this side, too. The opposite western side is rough; it is naturally scarred and cracked, and covered with graffi ti. Other than a possible continuation of the lower line of the belt from above, there appear to be no other decorations. Agii and I fl ip this stone over to look at the underside. This face, too, is covered with graffi ti. But the belt is clearly visible; on this side it is pecked solid. There is a necklace, too, a slanted line of four large gouges. Other gouges and scratchings, sadly, are from recent hands. GPS 472 (Elev. 2429m, N 470 35.706’, E 900 32.751’) We drive towards some gers set up at the place where the valley splits into two smaller ones, at the Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 186 fork in the stream. All along the far, northern, side the lower slope of the mountain is peppered with a line of intermittent, shaley outcroppings and low cliffs; it stretches for about 1.5 km west to east. One of these cliff faces near a stone corral was where I came in 2005. Now there’s a man-made channel of running water all along the base of the hillside. There aren’t many people about, but this place has a more domesticated feel than I remember. Agii and I spend the greater part of the rest of this day climbing these slopes and counting, recording, tracing, and photographing petroglyphs. There are far more than I had imagined, based on the maybe 20 or 30 minutes I stopped here three years ago. At the westernmost point of our explorations, we count eight Iron Age ibex and estimate another 20-25 in the broken shales roundabout. GPS 474 (Elev. 2463m, N 470 36.028’, E 900 30.634’) Over the next section of varnished tumbledown rocks to the east we count 110 images; clearly there are many more along this section of slope. I fi nd a broken shard of iron, a piece from the rim of what must have been a large shallow bowl. I have no way of telling how old it might be; it’s slightly corroded and has evidently been lying exposed from some time. I mark the location on my GPS and seal it in a plastic bag, in the hopes that later I can fi nd someone suffi ciently expert to make an identifi cation. Ultimately, I’ll give this to the national museum in UB, if it turns out to be old. We continue to work our way eastward along the lower slopes. But there are also lots of promising boulders higher up. We don’t have nearly enough time to investigate thoroughly or to be rigorously systematic. So we mark off a rough length of hillside, make a count, and then generalize inductively. This method should give us a reasonable estimate, suffi cient for my present purposes. Near the mid-point, both east-west and in terms of elevation, I fi nd an interesting image: it’s a nicely outlined Mongolian deer 20cm long, but, curiously, it has no antlers. I have not encountered one like this before. I take a photo and make a graphite tracing. GPS 477 (Elev. 2466m, N 470 36.084’, E 900 31.215’) Further along, Agii and I count another 50-some images in the next section of rock-strewn slope. Of note are a multi-pointed stag and a running antelope pursued by a wolf, probably from the late Bronze Age. A small section of a large, broken panel of the next outcropping contains many fi g- ures. Of real interest are two archers hunting a Mongolian deer. Probably dating from the Iron Age, it is uncertain whether these later artists imagined a real creature unfamiliar to them being hunted by earlier bowmen, or whether this image with its legendary bird-like deer is to be interpreted symbolically –– a magical or spiritual “hunt” of some kind. A nice puzzle for art and cultural historians. Abutting the base of a cliff further to the east is another stone animal pen. Up on the cliff’s multiple verti- cal faces we fi nd in excess of 250 images; down low, immediately east of the pen we count off another 50-plus. This has turned out to be Mongolian Deer Hunt. Early Iron age? GPS 479 (Elev. 2468m, N 470 36.094’, E 900 31.296’) Arctic Studies Center 187 a major site. Again, because of the proximity to mounds, and to the deer stones, I have to designate this a far richer petroglyph complex. Discovering the possible relations and orientations among the various surface features will require a careful mapping. There’s a good bit of work to be done here in the future. Among many interesting images on this low cliff, I fi nd one of three horned heads, probably masks. My fi eld partner Tserendagva from the Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Archaeol- ogy in UB and his Director, Tseveendorj, published many similar images in their study of Javkhlant Khairkhan in the Gobi Altai to the far south, and Esther Jacobson of the University of Oregon has likewise documented masked fi gures at Tsagaan-Salaa in the far north; but I have never come across such imagery myself, at Biluut or elsewhere. My excitement continues to grow, Another 60m east of this pen we fi nd a large stone with many fi ne bulls, a stag, and a yak, probably Bronze Age. We have seen precious few of these signs of domestication on this trip. Finally, at the eastern- most stone pen, for which many pieces of the fl aking cliff have been used in its construction, we count another 50-some images. These vertical panels are marred by a great deal of graffi ti, scratched into the surface and painted here and there by locals. We explore one last loca- tion, in the middle of a tall outcrop- ping. On this group of panels we count more than 140 images, an especially dense concentration that reveals many Bronze Age fi gures: stags, wolves, argali, bulls, an- telopes, deer, dogs, and humans. Here as at the previous spots we take many photographs and record one last set of coordinates. All told, in this short time we count nearly 700 distinct images; it is rea- sonable to infer that this location is bound to contain at least that many more. This valley certainly needs further exploration –– and a full summer season of fi eldwork, at least. I’d especially like to be able to investigate both of the upper forks to our west. No doubt, that would require special permis- sion, probably from the Chinese as well. I still have years of work yet to complete at Khoton Lake; but I nevertheless hope that I can return to this special place in the not-too-distant future. GPS 484 (Elev. 2447m, N 47 36.098’, E 90 31.770’) Somewhat reluctantly, though quite satisfi ed, Agii and I wave good-bye to Gantsmodnii Gol. We cross the stream and make our way across the grassy valley fl oor. We haven’t gone far when we are dealt another surprise. There’s another standing stone up ahead, which we hadn’t spotted on our way in earlier today –– a lone deer stone, with no other features nearby. It’s a lovely blue-grey in hue, modest in height, and very slim. Like the Tower of Pisa, it leans precipitously, towards the southeast. It’s 0.99m (39 in.) tall, 21.6cm (8.5 in.) wide, and 19cm (7.5 in.) deep. Each side is richly decorated with belts, necklaces, circles and swirls, and below the belt on three sides are images of tools and weapons. I believe this is the most excellent stone we’ve found on this trip. I take eleven photos, from each side, with close-ups, and fi nally we’re on our way. Three horned fi gures, probably masks. Date uncertain. GPS 480 (Elev. 2453m, N 47 36.084’, E 90 31.326’) Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 188 We drive through the early evening out past the army post and north through Deluun. Agii stops to fi ll the tanks one last time with petrol; but, to his dismay, one of the jeep’s gas caps won’t come off. The threads are evidently crossed. Agii tries a vari- ety of tools: pliers, hammer and screwdriver, a crowbar, a large pointed rock. I try my hand at it, too. Nothing works. We have no choice but to refi ll just the one tank and hope for the best. Agii doesn’t know how much petrol is left in the other. Now my original worry about the non-functioning gas gauge comes back to nag. We roll out of town into a gorgeous sunset. About 20 minutes later we fi nd a suitable spot to camp for the night, down along the stream just inside the mouth of Chigertei Valley, the fi nal target of my reconnaissance mission. Since this will be our last dinner on the road, we splurge on what remains of our meager rations –– leaving enough, of course, for tomorrow’s breakfast and lunch. We help ourselves to an extra chocolate bar as reward for a successful day’s work. In the failing light a lone dark fi gure strides purposely down the slope straight towards us from the road above. He’s cradling a little girl in his arms. Evidently, his jeep has had a fl at; so off goes Agii with his jack and tire arm. After half an hour my Good Sa- maritan returns with a newspaper wrapped around two small fi sh. We re-ignite the stove and pour in cooking oil. They’re bony, but the fl avor is delicate. I go to sleep in my bag beneath blazing stars hoping that Chigertei will reveal even half the bounty of treasure that we found deep inside Gants Mod Valley. 8 June –– Chigertei Gol Valley back to Ulgii It’s barely six kilometers to the big lake, Chigertei Nuur, which is three kilometers long, then just another one and-a-half kilometers to our fi rst stop, a large many-spoked khirigsuur north of the river. This mound is marked on my large colored topographic map; so, presumably, Russian surveyors have been here before. GPS 487 (Elev. 2312m, N 470 52.561’, E 900 25.270’) Blue deer stone details. GPS 486 (Elev. 2413m, N 470 35.829’, E 900 34.012’) Blue deer stone. GPS 486 (Elev. 2413m, N 470 35.829’, E 900 34.012’) Arctic Studies Center 189 Ten spokes radiate from the central mound to the fence, whose diameter by pacing is about 108 meters. This khirigsuur, despite being on the map, looks undisturbed. The height of the mound is about two meters. There’s a large 2m hearth outside the circle to the WNW. What looks to me like a possible horse burial lies six meters outside the fence at 3480. But this doesn’t fi t with horse burial locations anywhere else in Mongolia, as far as I know from the work of Americans Francis Allard, Jean-Luc Houle, Bruno Frolich and of course, Bill. Moreover, there’s only the one mound, not four. I take several photos to show Bill later. It’s barely another fi ve kilometers to our destination, a series of bedrock bluffs on the north side of the stream, above a family spring or summer house and animal pens. Some of these outcrops rise high up on the craggy mountainside; others sprawl off in long intermittent lines. Lower down, to the northeast of the compound, a number of broken shelves of dark bedrock trail off down to the bottom of the slopes below. Agii with his younger legs sets off upwards; I shuffl e off along the lower slopes to examine the many varnished shelves north of the compound. My fi eld assistant returns with a count of 194 images from high upon the mountain’s shoulder; my tally is 249. Agii had also ven- tured over the crest of the shoulder to the west and from there reported 175 more, for a total of 618. We’ve been here maybe an hour. We’ve only just begun. It’s clear that we are going to fi nd a lot of petroglyphs here today! I record coordinates at the northernmost low outcrop near a stone corral, just three meters below (SE) a small weathered mound fi ve meters in diameter. It’s interesting to note that a few small old mounds are interspersed right among the rocks bearing petroglyphs. Beside this mound lies a half-buried long pink granite, covered in lichen. The top edge looks slightly angled; it might be smoothed and crisply edged. Though no markings can be detected, I nevertheless suspect it’s a fallen standing stone. I snap another photo. Right beside, on a large cracked but highly polished rock face are another 40-plus fi gures, including a mas- sive stag with impressive antlers, 61cm (24 in.) hind leg to tip of antler. Some shallow fragments of rock are missing, a few containing parts of images, unfortunate- ly. These images, such as they are, are all fairly faint. I judge by subject, style, technique, coloring, and weath- ering that they date from the Bronze Age –– quite pos- sibly earlier, in the case of the stag. Atop the southern shoulder of the same rock two lively archers are shown in hot pursuit of game; the one on the right is especially dynamic. He appears to be running while shooting. Both have what look to be exaggerated sexual organs dangling between their legs. Again, there are plenty of bowmen and hunting scenes at Biluut and Boregtiin Gol (another rock art complex I’ve documented west of Tolbo Lake (INORA 2007), and at several other sites I’ve investigated and recorded up north (Snowmen’s Valley, for instance), but none look like this. Placing a notebook page directly on the surface and following the pecked grooves with the soft point of a pencil, I make a graphite tracing of each fi gure. Tracing of archer. Bronze age. GPS 488 (Elev. 2372m, N 470 51.941’, E 900 21.591’) Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 190 Thirty-fi ve meters WSW of the old defl ated mound my foot strikes something that produces a me- tallic clank. I stoop to fi nd another iron shard lying half-buried in the dirt, a pointed, gently curved piece with a small notch-hole at the rim. Judging by the sweep of the outer curve, this, like the fi rst one from Gants Mod, must have been a shallow bowl with a very large circumference. I’ll make a precise calculation later; but for now I guess its diameter must have been in excess of 75cm (30 in.). I wonder whether it functioned like a huge wok. Its graceful curve is evenly thin throughout; the workmanship strikes me as excellent. I have no way of knowing whether it’s associated with this or another nearby mound, or whether it might have come from a household rubbish pile in the recent past. Into another sealed plastic bag it goes. All about the main lower shoulder and vertical ‘corner’ of the mountainside west of the compound are numerous panels of fl at, varnished bedrock. Several of these contain dense concentrations of fi gures, (late) Bronze and Iron Age. One fi gure, a great outlined stag with a peppering of pecks in its breast, neck, and head, measures nearly 50 cm (nearly 20 in.) in length. A powerful fi gure, it looks to be Archaic, i.e., pre-Bronze. On the middle of a great sloping panel on the lower southern shoulder, further around the ‘corner’ to the west, I count off 350 individual pecked fi gures. I don’t believe that any among even the most densely covered panels at Biluut contains more than 150 or 160. Agii reports another 142 from the rocks higher up. Adding these 492 to our previ- ous 618, we have 1,110. This is un- questionably a substantial number. There’s a great variety of animals and a few more humans, includ- ing another archer or two. Another fi gure of a deer with its head turned back over its shoulder resembles the Animal Style of the Scythians. Lower down on the big panel I fi nd a train of distinctive camels with tall rounded humps. I’ve docu- mented many camels before, but not like these. The round humps are a delight –– almost humorous. The most surprising fi nd, the most captivating fi gure, is a two-humped camel with long, wave-like antlers that resemble those found on Mongolian deer. A camel with antlers! So, the fable comes to life! On our long journey south, Agii recounted to me the mythi- cal legend, of how the deer originally got its beautiful antlers, and how the camel, most generous of creatures, lost his. Mongolians delight in these stories, which remind me of the Kipling Just-So stories I read as a boy. It seems that for a formal function of some kind, a gala party, the bare-headed Deer asked to borrow Camel’s crowning glory. Camel graciously acquiesced. But Deer’s promise to return those handsome antlers was never fulfi lled. To this day Camel continues to eye the horizon, longing to see the fi gure of Deer returning over the hills with his prized antlers. And, now, here, right before my eyes, right beneath my feet, is Mr. Camel with his fi ne long rack. Chicken or egg, Camel with antlers. Late Bronze age-early Iron Age. GPS 491 (Elev. 2384m, N 470 51.535’, E 900 21.183’) Arctic Studies Center 191 which came fi rst? Did this charming legend spring up as a result of an early encounter with this or a similar petroglyph image? Or is the myth older still? Did this rock artist seek to pass on a story that he had learned around the fi re? Of the ten thousands of Mongolian petroglyphs I have viewed, this one is truly unique. And so, yet another mouthwatering mystery confronts us. It’s about one-thirty in the afternoon. Time to pack up and hit the road. We haven’t even paused for lunch. But now we’ve got a long slog ahead of us to Ulgii. From Deluun to Ulgii is close to fi ve hours, according to Agii; add another hour from here. The sun likely will have set, but I’m hopeful that we’ll arrive at Canat’s while there is still light in the sky. I don’t feel safe driving in the dark on the Mongolian highways. In fact, we arrive ahead of time. Despite the intense heat, with single- minded resolve Agii keeps his foot to the fl oor; through the barren, almost desert landscape we stop just once. The only hot shade to be found is cast by the jeep; so our late, cold luncheon is brief. We pass the silent eerily blue Tolbo Lake on our left. We’re in the home stretch, only 90 minutes to go. Our water bottles are empty, but we arrive on the streets of Ulgii well before six o’clock. After freshening up, we devour a wonderful hot meal of soup, rice & potatoes, shredded carrots, Russian salad, tea & cookies lovingly prepared by Canat’s handsome wife Ika. After our week on the hard trail down in the far south, this delicious fare (and the second helping) goes down the gullet like a royal feast fi t for a chieftain. . . . Back in UB two days later, I enjoy a terrifi c extended meeting with the new director of the na- tional museum, Saruulbuyan, and his English-speaking international secretary, Dembereldorj. Our discussion ranges over many things, from changes in the museum and the countrywide museum network to my recent work with Bill Fitzhugh and my new discoveries in the far south of Bayan Ulgii, from my taste for airag to Saruulbayan’s writing and painting, to sharing impressions of Ox- ford and London with Dembereldorj. Saruulbuyan pays a nice tribute to my wife, Theresa Markiw, whom he remembers warmly from her two years working in UB as Public Affairs Offi cer at the U.S. Embassy (2000-2002). Saruulbuyan shares with me, a fellow artist, a stack of 5x7 glossy cards with reproductions of his most recent pastels. He’s a multi-talented Renaissance man; his palette is subtle and his colors are exceptionally vivid. The style is impressionistic. This collection of work is really excellent. I’m truly delighted that someone with his background in the arts and humanities has been awarded this important museum appointment. My earlier three-year partnership with the museum under its former director Ochir has expired. Expressing a great deal of enthusiasm, the new director agrees to renew our collaboration and asks me to formulate a new fi ve-year agreement and work plan for Khoton Lake. I deliver the letter from the director of the little Museum of Natural History in Ulgii. Saruulbuyan accepts without reservation my request to include him and the museum in Ulgii as a partner, too. I leave it to him to decide how best to do this. And so, fi nishing my tea I prepare to leave Mongolia on a high note, following an intensive two-week excursion in the fi eld that despite its brevity was immensely productive and personally rewarding. Major results of this reconnaissance expedition 1. Deer stones: On this trip my fi eld assistant Agii and I recorded nearly 30 previously undocument- ed stones. Sixteen stones bore no visible decorative markings. Among these, six stones were situ- ated in small slab boxes; at least 10 were not. Almost all of these stones are formed of feldspathic granite, like the majority of those located elsewhere in north-central Mongolia, near Muren, for instance, where Bill Fitzhugh and his team have accomplished a lot of work. One stone, however, Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 192 was a pebbly black conglomer- ate, and one was a dense black sedimentary, I believe. We also recorded eleven new decorated stones, fi ve of which are located on the inner arc of a peculiar crescent-shaped stone mound. These fi ve are small, one of the marked stones being only 15 cm (6 in.) high. In Gantsmod we found three more, composed of a dense sedimentary rock, deep grey or pale blue-grey in color. No doubt this region contains many more. Importantly, none of the stones we discovered display any ani- mal fi gures, whether of stylized Mongolian deer or of natural- istic animals. This makes me wonder whether another type of deer stone ought to be distin- guished from the three currently named in the literature. Those referred to as ‘Mongolian’ or ‘Transbaikal’ are generally characterized by the presence of sun or moon circles, necklaces and/or earrings, belts, and tools and/or weapons; but most espe- cially by the depiction of para- digmatic stylized deer. ‘Sayan- Altai’ designates shaped stones that are most commonly decorated with deer or other animals represented in a naturalistic fashion; and ‘Eurasian’ is widely applied to large shaped stones that are devoid of decorations, usually associ- ated with fi rst and second millennium BC cultures whose realms are centered further to the west. In this brief foray into southern Bayan Ulgii aimag, we’ve encountered representatives, it would seem, of each of these recognized types. But what about the several tall shaped stones in boxes? Are these Eurasian, or are they some other variation entirely? And the many smaller stones decorated with just a circle, or with slashes only, or with both of these plus other ornaments such as tool belts and weap- ons –– that is, with no deer of any kind or animals whatsoever –– to which category do they belong? Only closer inspection, I think, can resolve this issue. That, and excavations for datable material that can reliably be linked to all these stones. 2. Khirigsuurs and other stone features: As is the case in the northern part of this province, south- ern Bayan Ulgii contains a vast number and large variety of ancient stone mounds. On this trip we Map of southern Bayan Ulgii sites. Arctic Studies Center 193 counted more than 150; we must have seen well over 200. This is just a tiny fraction of the total, I’m certain. There must be thousands. A few of the ones we examined are broken into, but the over- whelming majority appear not to be –– yet. At least three major river valleys contain khirigsuurs in association with petroglyphs. At Chigertei, a few old mounds are interspersed among rocks decorat- ed with pecked imagery. With one or two possible exceptions, horse mounds associated with fenced khirigsuurs are almost entirely absent. Shape and size, in terms of both diameter and mound height, vary a great deal; we encountered squares (several with prominent corner stones), circles, ovoids, a crescent-shaped mound, as well as spoked designs, but far fewer Pazyryk graves, and still fewer Tur- kic slab boxes, balbal, and slate standing stones. This marks a distinct difference from what we’ve discovered so far in the area surrounding lakes Khoton and Khurgan to the northwest. On this trip, we came across only two Turkic stone men. We observed only a few spoked khirigsuurs; typically these seem to have four radial paths leading from the central mound to a circular perimeter fence. On the plain just south of the three Biluut hills are several such features. But two of those we dis- covered in the far south had at least twice as many spoked paths: one in particular had ten spokes in a squarish fence of gigantic proportions (over 100m sides); four of these paths connected to the cor- ners. This one closely resembles another that Bill and I recorded at Tsagaan Asga, although the one in the south possesses two more paths and is considerably larger (see Fitzhugh’s Field Report entry for May 30). I don’t believe we came across any khirigsuurs with east plaza pavements, though one of the mounds in the group I explored just below Deluun (at our fi rst campsite) had a kind of trape- zoidal ramp leading up to the circular pavement. That one put me in mind of Hunnu graves that I’ve seen pictured. 3. Petroglyphs: Beginning at Bayan Ulgii’s southwestern border with Khovd aimag, we documented four or fi ve modest petroglyph sites. The overwhelming majority of images can be credited to early Iron Age artists, with a small proportion attributable to the late Bronze. A very few appear to be older, either Neolithic or possibly even Archaic. My assistant and I also discovered three signifi cant rock art complexes; two of these reveal a larger presence of Bronze Age pastoralists. Worthy of spe- cial note, I found three fi gures rendered in a manner resembling the ‘Animal Style,’ which suggests therefore either the presence or the infl uence of Scythian artists. Also intriguing are images of bow- men hunting a Mongolian-style deer, another of a man riding a Mongolian deer (with reins), and the one of the camel with (Mongolian deer-style) antlers. Strangely, I found not one single image of a wheeled vehicle. At Biluut there are many, on the order of two dozen, at least. Far fewer depictions of horses and of deer were found, as well, in the far south, especially as compared with Biluut (and Boroogt). Only a few moose, no bears, and no bird imagery. Nothing that looked explicitly “sha- manistic” or ceremonial. Also a surprise, we hardly saw an image of a yak, and very few of bulls. These two creatures are dominant in the work of the Bronze Age artists at Biluut. Still, at least in terms of sheer numbers pecked on a single rock face, at Chigertei there are rich panels that surpass anything located on the three Biluut hills. So far, only Chigertei and Gantsmod show signifi cant abuse by vandals; in one or two places in Chigertei the damage is particularly bad. It’s just a matter of time, I fear. Sadly, this situation is sure to get worse in the weeks, months, and years to come. Mongolia Deer Stone Project: Field Report 2008 194 List of Deer Stone Sites  Site name Province name GPS position 1 Khushuutiin am Galt sum of Khuvsgul province 48°42,288’ N 99°53,669’E Elev 1553m 2 Nuhtiin am DS site 3 DS 1 Galt sum of Khuvsgul province 48°49,155’ N 99°47,554’E Elev 1452m 3 Ulaan tolgoi DS site DS 2 Alag-Erdene sum of Khuvsgul province 49°55,907’ N 99°48,250’E Elev 1607m 4 Shuvuutiin am DS site DS 1 Alag-Erdene sum of Khuvsgul province 49°58,373’ N 99°56,521’E Elev 1582m 5 Khushuugiin devseg DS site DS 1 Alag-Erdene sum of Khuvsgul province 49°55,031’ N 100°3,164’E Elev 1711 m 6 Tumst DS site DS 1 Alag-Erdene sum of Khuvsgul province 49°53,482’ N 100°3,862’E Elev 1793 m 7 Zuun Shuuregtei DS site DS 1 Ulaan -Uul sum of Khuvsgul province 50°58,617’ N 99°22,441’E Elev 1564 m 8 Evdei Turkish standing stone DS 2 Renchinlkhumbe sum of Khuvsgul province 51°7,310’ N 99°13,300’E Elev 1618 m 9 Evdein amnii DS site DS 1 Renchinlkhumbe sum of Khuvsgul province 51°7,402’ N 99°14,827’E Elev 1568 m 10 Tsatstain Khoshuu DS site DS 1 Renchinlkhumbe sum of Khuvsgul province 51°10,142’ N 99°22,554’E Elev 1550 m 11 Avt mod DS site DS 1 Renchinlkhumbe sum of Khuvsgul province 51°28,010’ N 99°21,910’E Elev 1673 m 12 Tsagaan usnii davaa DS Renchinlkhumbe sum of Khuvsgul province 51°27,402’ N 99°22,107’E Elev 1687 m 13 Khyadag West DS site Tallest DS Burentogtokh sum of Khuvsgul province 49°48,876’ N 99°53,946’E Elev 1587m 14 Khyadag East DS site DS 2 Burentogtokh sum of Khuvsgul province 49°48,900’ N 99°53,042’E Elev 1589m 15 Uushigiin uvur Burentogtokh sum of Khuvsgul 49°39,925’ N Appendix 1. J. Bayarsaikhan GPS data for Deer Stone sites Arctic Studies Center 195 DS site province 99°56,206’Ez Elev 1338 m 16 Hort uzuur DS site, DS 1 Renchinlkhumbe sum of Khuvsgul province 51°25,850’ N 99°35,550’E Elev 1571 m 17 Sakhalt khairkhan DS site Saikhan sum of Bulgan province 48°20,786’ N 102°22,578’E Elev 1375 m 18 Khairhan DS site Khairkhan sum of Arkhangai province 48°23,70’ N 102°11,871’E Elev 1592 m 19 Ulziit DS site Ulziit sum of Arkhangai province 48°5,772’ N 102°33,335’E Elev 1302 m 20 Khanui DS site Undur-Ulaan sum of Khuvsgul provinse 48°10,343’ N 101°5,606’E Elev 1636 m List of Rock art sites Name of sites Province name GPS position 1 Toljigiin boom rock art Ulaan uul sum of Khuvsgul province 51°0,856’ N 99°12,245’E Elev 1605 m 2 Angirtag rock art -1 Renchinlkhumbe sum of Khuvsgul province 51°26,609’ N 99°24,278’E Elev 1793 m 3 Angirtag rock art -2 Renchinlkhumbe sum of Khuvsgul province 51°27,234’ N 99°23,785’E Elev 1584 m 4 Elst khoshuu rock art Renchinlkhumbe sum of Khuvsgul province 51°29,115’ N 99°29,708’E Elev 1554 m 5 Khogorgo rock art-1 Renchinlkhumbe sum of Khuvsgul province 51°24,846’ N 99°19,104’E Elev 1575 m 6 Khogorgo rock art-2 Renchinlkhumbe sum of Khuvsgul province 51°24,820’ N 99°19,148’E Elev 1564 m 7 Khogorgo rock art-3 (Bill olson) Renchinlkhumbe sum of Khuvsgul province 51°24,841’ N 99°17,015’E Elev 1603 m 8 Khogorgo rock art-4 (Bill olson) Renchinlkhumbe sum of Khuvsgul province 51°24,836’ N 99°17,078’E Elev 1604 m