A.S.
Chief specialist in historical and cultural heritage of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Sochi National Park" Markov D.N.
Abridged version.
The research and study of megaliths of the Caucasus has a long history. The type of megaliths most described by scientific works are those of the Western Caucasus. Of course, the presence of burial chambers and the grave goods found in them simplifies the dating process of many dolmen monuments of the Bronze Age. The situation is much more complicated with other types of megalithic structures - menhirs, cromlechs and similar structures. Nevertheless, the fact of their presence is obvious and, based on the totality of the material, allows us to determine the approximate time frame of their occurrence. A common feature of megalithic structures is their undeniable connection with places of sacred worship. However, we know of other types of megaliths in Europe. These are seids. Among the prehistoric monuments of northern Europe (menhirs, petroglyphs and labyrinths), seids remain the least known and studied.
Over the past few years, workers at the Sochi National Park have discovered megaliths similar to the megaliths of northern Europe. If one of the hypotheses of the origin of seids as a consequence of glacier melting could somehow explain their occurrence in the northern regions, then on the southern slopes of the Caucasus it is inappropriate. In the Volchie Vorota tract and on the ridge of the mountain in the Lazarevsky district of the city of Sochi, two types of seids were discovered. I would immediately like to point out that the stones from which the seids are formed consist of local sandstone, but have different geological morphologies and the factor of their random natural formation is extremely doubtful.
On the ridge of Mount Vinogradnaya there is a seid, which is a block weighing more than ten tons and located on a flat multi-ton stone (Fig. 1.1). Seid is located on the watershed of the ridge and is the highest point in this section of the mountain. What is important is that near it there are large stones with holes of artificial origin (hole stones). Below it, a hundred meters and further, there are groups of famous dolmens of the Grape Gorge adjacent to the valley of the Tsuskvadzh River - one of the most dolmen-rich areas of Greater Sochi. Many seids of this kind have been recorded and described in Karelia (Fig. 1.2).
Fig.1.1 Seid on Mount Vinogradnaya
Fig. 1.2 Karelian seid
Interesting are the seids from the Volch'i Vorota tract, which is also an area with a large concentration of dolmens. Seid No. 1 in the Wolf Gate tract (Fig. 2.1) is an ellipsoidal boulder weighing about three tons, which is located on four small support stones. The entire structure, in turn, rests on a protruding rectangular block, rising more than one meter above the ground. Similar structures were noted in Karelia on the Kuzova archipelago (Fig. 2.2).
Fig. 2.1 Seid No. 1 in the Wolf Gate tract
Fig.2.2 Stone additions on the Bodies
Seid No. 2 in the Wolf Gate tract (Fig. 3.1) is a pyramidal block weighing also more than three tons, which is supported by large stones of a different geological morphology. The base is a sandstone rock outcrop. The back of the seid also rests against a rocky ledge, which ensured its safety and stability. In appearance it is similar to the cult stone on Mount Vottovaara in Karelia (Fig. 3.2), where a large boulder rests on three small stones, the same, in turn, lie on another large boulder.
Fig. 3.1 Seid No. 2 in the Wolf Gate tract
Fig. 3.2 Seid on Mount Vottovaara
Thus, comparing the characteristics of the seids of Sochi and Karelia, one can note their obvious similarity. However, when mentioning the Karelian seids, it is necessary to note the following: “despite the fact that their ethnographic research began in the 19th century, the number of scientific works devoted to the topic of seids can be listed on the fingers of one hand. A seid is a large (sometimes very large) boulder placed on small stone stands; sometimes one or several smaller stones stacked in a pyramid are placed on top of the large boulder. In the European part of the Russian North, there are thousands of seids - their distribution area is from the northern shores of Lakes Ladoga and Onega to the Barents Sea and corresponds to the area of residence of the Sami in historically foreseeable times. There are hundreds of seids in central and northern Norway, as well as in the mountains of Sweden and the taiga of Finland.”
The Republican Center for State Protection of Cultural Heritage Objects of the Republic of Karelia, based on the opinion of the majority of experts, concludes “that medieval stone structures in the White Sea region are the work of a sedentary population engaged in marine fishing, i.e. Pomors It is not excluded that the Pomors borrowed the traditions of building stone structures from the earlier hunting and fishing population of this territory of Karelia.” According to the republican center, three main places of accumulation of seids are known and “all of them are included in the lists of cultural heritage sites of Karelia as complexes of ancient Sami sanctuaries, for which these monuments were previously examined by archaeological specialists and appropriate conclusions were prepared.”
Seids, as a material expression of the ancient beliefs of the Sami, were equally widespread among the Sami in Russia and abroad. Seid was usually the object of veneration for the entire village and, apparently, was associated with the veneration of the ancestors.
Thus, research by ethnographers and archaeologists confirms that seids in northern latitudes are places of worship – places of worship of ancestors and spirits.
By comparing the northern and Sochi seids, one can draw clear conclusions that both are located in places of worship, but unlike Karelia, no archaeological excavations have been carried out near the Sochi megaliths, which could confirm their undeniable man-made origin. The paucity of structures of this kind in the Caucasus is easily explained by the high seismicity of our region, in contrast to the Kola Peninsula.
It should be noted that some of the seids are structurally similar to the simplest dolmens in Europe. And it is possible that seids, in their essence, may be the predecessors of the idea of dolmens.
Of course, the time period for the creation of the seids of Karelia differs from the period of creation of the dolmens of the Caucasus, but the social organization of the tribes that built the dolmens and the medieval Sami is not much different.
An obvious fact of the man-made nature of Sochi seids is a seid with a processed base, discovered by Sochi local historian Vladimir Vladimirovich Snytko (Fig. 4)
In the North Caucasus, artifacts have been found, one might say “world-class” - older than Greek, Egyptian, Chinese... Alexey Rezepkin, an archaeologist from the Institute of the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg), stated this in an exclusive interview with the MK newspaper. Among the finds at the “Treasures” monument: the oldest stringed instrument in the world (protoharp), the oldest sword in the world, the world’s oldest colored tomb painting (painting) and the oldest column in the entire European space. In connection with so many sensations, a joke comes to mind: Russia is the birthplace of “Treasures” (by analogy with the ironic phrase “Russia is the birthplace of elephants”). Indeed, these are truly “national treasures”.
It is very important to protect the archaeological treasury of Russia - the Treasures monument - from treasure diggers. The photo shows the result of excavations by scientists N. Veselovsky (1838-1906) and V. Trifonov (IHMC RAS).
The MK reporter had the opportunity to take part in archaeological excavations where, for a reason unknown to science, in ancient stone buildings, as if by some strange agreement, finds had accumulated, the likes of which could not be found in Europe, China, or the Middle East.
In Adygea, a few kilometers from the village of Novosvobodnaya (formerly Tsarskaya), there is a mound-megalithic burial ground with the just name “Treasures”.
Alexei Dmitrievich Rezepkin, a St. Petersburg archaeologist from the Institute of the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences, was lucky enough to study it, and MK became the only newspaper to whom this scientist entrusted the secret of “Treasuries.”
Finds from “Treasures”:
The world's oldest wooden string instrument.
The most ancient sword in the world.
The oldest color painting on tombs in the world.
The oldest column in the entire European space.
Almost the first after Russia consolidated its position in the North Caucasus was an outstanding scientist who came to “Treasures,” who is considered a symbol of archeology in our country. A member of the Imperial Archaeological Commission, Nikolai Ivanovich Veselovsky, excavated two mounds here in 1898, inside of which there were finds that today are more interesting to specialists and sensitive lovers of ancient history. The main merit in truly penetrating the secrets of the burial complex near the village of Novosvobodnaya belongs to our contemporary Alexei Rezepkin.
In a mountain forest in the valley of a river with the strange name Fars, which wanders with its serpentine meanders between the Caucasus Mountains, more than five thousand years ago ancient people first built stone buildings with gable and flat roofs, reminiscent of houses, and then they were covered with a mountain of earth or pebble (Some scientists believe that such stone structures symbolized a cave for the ancients.)
Finally, inside each megalith or dolmen, departed men, women or wooden symbols of a person settled for another life (the latter were placed in cenotaphs - in empty tombs in memory of someone). They used to believe in the magical power of things almost unconditionally and accompanied those who had gone to another world with all kinds of vessels, weapons, jewelry and much more.
Inside the megalith, a microclimate was naturally created that was sufficient to preserve vessels made of animal skin and wooden handles of bronze axes 5.5 thousand years old for several thousand years.
Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Head. laboratory of natural scientific methods of the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow), Evgeniy Chernykh explained to MK that “the preservation of pieces of ancient organic matter most likely depends on the microflora and anaerobic atmosphere in individual well-preserved and isolated from external oxygen influences” “recesses” of burials or cultural layers of settlements." According to Professor Chernykh, the fantastic preservation of ancient organic objects is quite common in the burials of Xinjiang and Dzungaria in China.
But who would have thought that the Caucasian megaliths would bring to us in almost perfect, according to Rezepkin, preservation the world’s oldest wooden stringed instrument (protoharp) and the world’s oldest color plot painting inside the tombs.
A fragment of the world's oldest color painting on tombs. Photo: A.D. Rezepkin.
But to this day, in numerous textbooks and historical works one can find outdated information that the most ancient musical instrument was found on the territory of present-day Iraq in the graves of the civilization of Ur. A unique harp-like instrument was found in the first half of the 20th century by British archaeologist L. Woolley. It was dated to the 27th–26th centuries BC.
However, the Russian archaeologist Alexei Rezepkin managed to find a more ancient artifact in 1980 near the village of Novosvobodnaya:
When the members of my expedition opened one of the stone tombs in the “Treasures”, then, to our surprise, among other artifacts we saw a stringed instrument made of wood (soundboard and pegs) lying in perfect condition. The instrument, consisting of a resonator and strings, immediately reminded us of the ancient Russian harp. Musicologists called it a protoharp. Today, its surviving fragments lie in the repository of the State Hermitage in St. Petersburg. Experts carbon dated the tomb and, accordingly, this stringed instrument to 3500–3342 BC. BC.
The only not very high-quality photograph of fragments of the world's oldest wooden instrument (protoharp) in an excavation. B&W photo on film: A.D. Rezepkin (1980s).
The fate of the reconstruction of the most ancient stringed instrument in the world is indicative for the work of Russian museums. First transferred to one St. Petersburg museum, the unique reconstruction, made by the Honored Cultural Worker of Adygea Yuri Stash, was later transferred to another - to the Museum of Theater and Musical Art (St. Petersburg). But how? The next museum did not even know what kind of object they had on their hands, since the exhibit was transferred even without attribution (without description). It would have been gathering dust, nameless, in the collections, if not for the visit of archaeologist Alexei Rezepkin, who visited the museum to photograph the artifact specifically for this article in MK. Only after this did the museum find out what kind of “thing” they had.
The oldest stringed instrument in the world (protoharp). Author of the reconstruction: Yuri Stash (Honored Cultural Worker of Adygea). Photo: S.M. Ostashinsky (Hermitage, St. Petersburg).
Drawing of parts of a wooden string instrument (protoharp). From the book by A.D. Rezepkin.
An archaeologist without luck is a bad archaeologist!
After some time, in a nearby mound, the scientist finds the world’s oldest color painting with a mythological plot, perfectly preserved:
There is, of course, magnificent cave art in France or Spain. However, in our case we are talking about painting on the walls of a man-made stone tomb. Thirty years ago I found a tomb on the walls of which, by some miracle, color painting had survived thousands of years - images of a quiver and other things of a certain warrior, inscribed in a certain mythological situation. Alas, this wall painting is now slowly fading in one of the halls of the National Museum of the Republic of Adygea in the city of Maykop. When I asked the former director of the Hermitage, Piotrovsky Sr., to save this painting, he showed no interest in the find. But this is the world’s oldest example of polychrome (color) painting inside tombs with a total area of 5 square meters - it is even more ancient than can be found in Egypt. I believe that such passivity is difficult to forgive those who are responsible for the preservation of cultural monuments in our time!
The oldest color plot triptych on a megalith. Stored: National Museum of the Republic of Adygea.
After the St. Petersburg Hermitage refused to accept the most ancient narrative painting into its collections, it completely irresponsibly lain in the courtyard of the museum in Maykop for 25 years! But this is exactly what is worst for her, because in the open air she easily fades. Today this completely unique monument is located in the Maykop museum, which does not have the money or capabilities to fully preserve it for us and future generations. In Italy or Germany, they would have blown the dust off it. And with us - as always.
It turns out that finding it in Russia is not enough, but preserving it is no less important.
Sketch of one of the parts of the triptych (color plot painting). From the book by A.D. Rezepkin.
Sketch of one of the parts of the triptych (color plot painting). From the book by A.D. Rezepkin.
But the story with the treasures from “Treasures” does not end there.
Another surprise awaited Alexei Rezepkin, a specialist in the Early Bronze Age, in “Treasures”. In the next stone tomb, the scientist managed to find the dream of lovers of edged weapons and all kinds of historical reconstructions - the most ancient sword in the world!
And again: until now, historians believed that the discovery of the most ancient sword should belong to the Italian archaeologist A. Palmieri. In the 70s of the 20th century, in the upper reaches of the Tigris (Turkey), he excavated a hill, inside of which in the palace lay a whole cache of bladed weapons, consisting of several swords 50 cm long, as well as spears. These finds were dated to the end of the 4th - beginning of the 3rd millennium BC. Experts dated the sword from the same inexhaustible “Treasures” burial ground to the second third of the 4th millennium BC. (that is, it is several centuries older).
The most ancient sword in the world. Photo: A.D. Rezepkin.
The Novosvobodnensky sword turned out to be even longer than the “Turkish” one, says Alexey Rezepkin, a senior researcher at the IHMC RAS. - The length of the sword made of bronze is 63 centimeters, and the length of its hilt is 11 cm. Dating experts have established that the oldest Caucasian sword is older than the swords from the palace in the upper reaches of the Tigris.
The most ancient sword in the world. Drawing (straightening): A.D. Rezepkin.
A Russian researcher associated this sword with representatives of the so-called Novosvobodnaya archaeological culture. Many scientists are still convinced that this culture is only a stage of the famous Maikop culture of the Early Bronze Age. Alexey Rezepkin was the first to convincingly prove that Novosvobodnaya culture is different. And the difference is more than simple. For example, the Maikopians did not have megaliths. And if the Maikop culture (according to artifacts) takes its origin in the Near East (Near Eastern Late Chalcolithic), then the hybrid Novosvobodnaya culture owes its appearance to Central Europe (megalithic culture of funnel-shaped beakers) and the Near Eastern civilization of Uruk.
But, since proving something new in defiance of established things is not an easy task, Alexey Rezepkin has more than enough critics and even ill-wishers today. Meanwhile, recent genetic studies at the Kurchatov Institute (about which MK previously wrote) confirm that Rezepkin is right, and not his opponents.
Scientific correspondent of "MK" initiated the first study of the ancient human genome in Russia
And be that as it may, the most interesting thing is not all this fuss, but where did the New Freedom people get such a number of phenomenal material manifestations of life in that era so far from us? The question still remains open and, apparently, awaits its future researcher. And is there at least one other archaeological site similar to the “Treasures”?
Historian A.D. Rezepkin is convinced of the uniqueness of the Novosvobodnaya archaeological culture, which revealed all these unprecedented finds.
But “Treasures” are treasures for that!
MK Help
QUOTE
“Wherever you dig, there are the only finds in the world,” says researcher Alexey Rezepkin.
Surprises from the mysterious New Freedom people gave way to another unexpected discovery. In a half-broken mound inside the dolmen there once stood a column to strengthen the ceiling slab of a huge stone tomb. And it turned out that archaeologist Rezepkin arrived in time, since a unique column was pulled out of the floor of the largest dolmen in the entire Caucasus and thrown nearby. According to the scientist, back in the 1960s, geologists had to do this during the discovery of an oil well in these places (as evidenced by a special plug).
Later it turned out that this most important element of architecture also turned out to be the oldest artifact in the entire European space. The 2.98-meter-high column turned out to be the work of representatives of a different culture: it was carved out of sandstone by skilled people of the dolmen builders civilization in the 3rd millennium BC.
The oldest column in Europe was placed in the center of the largest dolmen in the entire Caucasus. From the book by A.D. Rezepkin.
Meanwhile, in school and university textbooks it is said in black and white that in Europe there are no more ancient columns than those from the Knossos palaces in Crete, says Alexey Rezepkin, senior researcher at the Department of Archeology of Central Asia and the Caucasus at the Institute of Humanities and Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. “However, inside the largest dolmen in the Caucasus, we found a column at least 500 years older. Moreover, this three-meter column in its harmony is unlikely to be inferior to the same Doric style of the ancient Greeks. Today, this architectural miracle of ancient times is exhibited in the halls of the National Museum of Maykop (Republic of Adygea).
The oldest column in the entire European space. Stored: National Museum of the Republic of Adygea.
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THE ARTICLE HAS HIGH SCIENTIFIC ACCURACY.
All data in this article has been verified and approved by the Russian scientist A.D. Rezepkin from the IHMC RAS (St. Petersburg).
The accuracy of all dates is confirmed by research from laboratories in different countries: carbon dating was carried out by specialists from Oxford (UK), Groningen (Netherlands), Kyiv (Ukraine) and St. Petersburg (Russian Federation).
By a strange irony of fate, the name of this archaeological site did not come from the historical or material treasures buried there, but from the name of a man who, a hundred years ago, had a share in the land here. It turned out that the surname of the Cossack Kladov became a real sign of the place where ancient artifacts, worthy of more careful storage and better display, awaited the arrival of their discoverer in stone tombs.
Scientists’ reactions to A.D. Rezepkin’s findings:
E.M. Kolpakov (IHMC RAS): "It can not be!" (in personal conversation);
One of the students of the famous culturologist L.S. Klein: “You might think that Rezepkin is our everything” (on the Wikipedia forum);
A.M. Leskov (scientific consultant of the Museum of Archeology and Anthropology of the University of Pennsylvania)– personally to A.D. Rezepkin: “Your find (wall painting) is better than mine (the famous Ulyap rhyton)”;
V.A. Trifonov (IHMC RAS): “Rezepkin was born with a silver spoon in his mouth” (it was said in English);
S.M. Ostashinsky (Hermitage, St. Petersburg)– “MK”: “A.D. Rezepkin’s study of the burial mound “Treasures” near the village of Novosvobodnaya provided world science with a most valuable source of information about the culture of the North Caucasus in the 4th millennium BC. The enormous size of the mounds, the richest and unique funerary goods, and the complex burial structures discovered during excavations indicate that this is an elite necropolis of the Early Bronze Age. The extracted materials have been at the center of discussions among Caucasian archaeologists for more than a quarter of a century. The results of future research will help to better understand the bright and unique phenomenon of the Novosvobodnaya culture and illuminate the most ancient stage of the complex and variegated ethnic history of the North Caucasus.”
From “Treasures”. Fars Valley. Near the village of Novosvobodnaya. Adygea (Russia).
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The cycle of tales about the people who once lived in the Northern and Northwestern Caucasus constitutes the epic about the Narts. The plot lines of individual tales are often intertwined and sometimes even broken off. The Narts believed that all sorts of fairy-tale creatures lived around them: giants, gnomes, inhabitants of the underwater kingdom and dragons.
The main characters in all legends are heroic and brave people, the Narts. The Nart epic can also be considered from the point of view of understanding the culture of the megaliths, as well as their estimated time of origin. Undoubtedly, there once was a people who developed a wonderful technology for processing stone. And of course, he could not disappear without a trace; something had to remain in the memory of descendants in the form of myths, fairy tales or just mentions.
It is impossible to answer with complete confidence the question of who the Narts were. In the storylines of the legends, it is easy to draw parallels with both Russian and Georgian fairy tales, and with Greek mythology.
There are entire scientific works on the analysis of deities and celestial beings proving some connection between the Nart epic and the Scythians, as well as with Indo-Aryan and ancient Iranian mythology.
What is the reason for these differences of opinion? Probably the whole point is that the population living in the Northern and Northwestern Caucasus has different origins. For example, the Abkhaz and Adyghe languages are related to the ancient Hutt language, and the Ossetians trace their origins to the Alans. This means that the fact is confirmed that the bearers and keepers of the Nart epic were peoples different both in historical and geographical paths and in linguistic development.
Proof is also the fact that the tales, covering a wide spectrum of human life and having many intersecting and completely separate plots, have common features, for example, the word “nart” (nyart) appears everywhere, as well as the name of one of the main or even central female figures Satanai (Satan, Sataney, Shatana), etc. This suggests that most of the plots are of North Caucasian origin.
Of course, there were some borrowings, copying of plots and plot reflections here. But not a single epic source can exist without this. Changes of religions are reflected here, which naturally bring their own plots and heroes.
How are megaliths connected with the Nart Epic? Everything is very simple: the Adyghe peoples believed that the construction of dolmens was the merit of certain dwarfs - isp (spoo).
Legend says that the Caucasus was once inhabited by a tribe of short people - dwarfs. They lived on the inaccessible peaks of mountains and ridges and were engaged in cattle breeding. Their favorite means of transportation was hares, which the Ispas rode on horseback. Since then, there has been a belief that the legs of these long-eared animals are still tangled with little men, so they cannot run like other animals.
The Isps were distinguished by their sharp minds and incredible strength, they developed crafts and skillfully worked with metals. The main qualities of the representatives of this people were their independence and love of freedom.
Next to them, but in the valleys and gorges, lived evil giants - inyzhi, who were not particularly intelligent and occupied a lower level of development. Their body was covered with long and thick hair. Giants lived in caves.
These evil monsters were enslaved by the brave and strong isps and forced to work for themselves. Inyzhi were engaged in the construction of houses in which dwarfs lived and which we now call dolmens.
Perhaps the Isps would have existed to this day, but some kind of catastrophe of universal significance occurred, and both peoples disappeared from the face of the earth. The few surviving humans moved deep underground and rarely came to the surface. Only sometimes at night the sledges could meet their leader - a little old man with a long gray beard, proudly riding along the ridges on a rooster.
If in Adygea, according to the local population, the Isps were exclusively engaged in the construction of dolmens, then in Abkhazia they believe that small houses, which have long since disappeared, and atsanguars are also the work of their hands.
Atsanguars are hedges made of stones on the tops of ridges that have survived to this day. Fences were built in a variety of shapes and were sometimes divided into several parts adjacent to each other.
Most often, atsanguars are found in the territory from the level of Tuapse to Abkhazia.
Of course, there is also a legend telling about the joys and sorrows of the Atsans, or Tsaniys - the same dwarfs, but mentioned in the Abkhazian Nart epic. According to it, the Atsanguars are not only the remaining sections of the fences behind which the Atsans kept their cattle, but also the remains of their dwellings and fortresses. Researchers claim that their construction was completed approximately one and a half thousand years BC, however, there is some disagreement regarding the exact dating, since the remains of ancient fences, as a rule, were constantly joined by new ones, and it is also difficult to separate the ruins of old fences and modern ones extensions to them, which were repeatedly used and reconstructed over many centuries.
Amazing and labor-intensive work on collecting scraps, parts and legends of the Nart epic was done by the Abkhaz researcher and local historian Sh. D. Inal-Apoi, he also compiled a coherent myth about the dwarfs - the Atsans.
Once upon a time, there was a dwarf people. This happened either simultaneously with the sledges, or a little earlier. The Atsans lived in houses and fenced their territories with stone walls. They were distinguished by their freedom-loving character and strength and did not recognize anyone above them, including God. The Atsans were at a fairly high level of development - they learned everything themselves and helped the Narts in some ways. Then the little men became proud and began to scold and tease God in every possible way. And he didn’t know what to do with them. And so God sent his son (nephew) to the Atsans so that he would find out the weak points of the rebellious people. The dwarfs raised and educated the boy, and God learned the secret of their invulnerability.
As a result, a universal catastrophe occurred and all the Atsans died either from a great fire, or from a flood, or from a sudden cold snap. A few people escaped and settled somewhere underground. They are still trying to get out, but all their attempts end in failure.
As a result of research, it turned out that the Narts had their own folk hero, whose mother belonged to the Atsan people.
It should also be noted that there is a legend in the Nart epic that is very reminiscent of the Greek myth about the Titan Prometheus and Hercules, his liberator. However, this is not surprising, since all sorts of variants of this legend are present among almost all Caucasian peoples.
In the Nart epic, instead of Prometheus, the elder of the Narts Nasren-Zhache appears (among the Abkhazians - Abrskil), who enters into a fight with the celestials. For his insolence, God chained him to the mountain. And another hero, Peterez (Batraz), saved him and brought fire to the Narts. According to some versions of this legend, the liberator is the son of dwarfs and Narts.
The Georgian folk hero-god-fighter Amirani successfully plays the role of Prometheus, chained to a rock, in the Georgian epic. And this is an excellent clue for determining the exact dating, since traces of the image of the hero can be seen in archaeological finds (Trialeti Cup, Kazbek treasure, belt from Mtskheta) dating back to the 3rd millennium BC. This means that the Caucasian megaliths were created no earlier than this millennium, since, according to legends, a small people lived before and, partially, simultaneously with the Narts.
Where did the sledges disappear to and how did this happen? There are two opinions on this matter. Some believe that the Narts left voluntarily, others that their disappearance occurred as a result of a grandiose catastrophe and is nothing more than God’s punishment.
In one of the Adyghe legends, the reason for the disappearance of the Narts is a small, inconspicuous man (petsy). Because of him, the Narts decided to leave their land, and the land went to the Adygs. But before leaving, the Narts asked the god Tha to do something that would remind people of them. God fulfilled their request by creating a crop like corn.
Who was this inconspicuous little man? His role was played by a modern man. He was very different from the Narts and was not a superhero. This indicates that if the Isp-Atsans existed, they were practically no different from modern people.
It becomes clear that epic works in which dwarfs (the creators of megaliths) are mentioned are common in the areas where megaliths are located - in Adygea (Cherkessia) and Abkhazia. Another interesting fact is that in the Nart epic there is no mention of dolmens at all, with the exception of the Adyghe legend about the ispas, which, by the way, stands out a little in some aspects.
The construction of dolmens is in no way connected with the burial methods mentioned in the epic. The literature that has survived to this day does not say anything about the fact that the art of stone processing and the choice of rock were used for any specific needs. It cannot be said that a structure such as Psynako-1 is intended for religious rituals and places for games.
However, the study showed that at one time the dolmens were quite visited. This is also proven by the fact that their stone plugs, ground very precisely to the hole, were greatly worn out, as if they had been used frequently. The plug of the dolmen under the mound with a gallery (Psynako-1) was supported by a stone; without it, it would simply fall out of the hole. The underground passage to the dolmen has a constant cross-section, which is approximately 0.5 m in diameter. In order to penetrate the underground dolmen, it was necessary to crawl about 10 m along the gallery (dromos). The latter fact suggests that dolmens were used as structures for various rituals.
One thing can be said with absolute confidence: the ancient civilization, which served as the basis for the beginning of the accumulation of a series of legends about the Narts, is in no way connected with dolmens. The study of individual events and famous names proves that Caucasian culture was of no small importance in the formation of the epic. It existed before the final delimitation of languages and had a significant influence on the development of the Caucasian peoples. Archaeological finds associated with the plot of Amirani (Georgia), Abrskhil (Abkhazia), Amir (Dagestan) or Nasren (Adygea) indicate that dolmens were built already in the 3rd millennium BC. Later dates for their construction do not have sufficient justification and can be refuted.
We suggest you dream up a little. If you look carefully, with the exception of information from the Abkhaz legend about the origin of Tsvitsva, the Narts are in no way connected with the dwarves throughout all their many adventures. Some individual tales about encounters with underground gnomes somehow do not fit in with dwarfs - inhabitants of peaks and ridges. Even in the legend of Tsvitsva itself, the Atsans are not characterized in any way: they are neither good nor bad, neither helpers nor enemies, neither masters nor subordinates. That is, they do not carry a cosmic-natural load like fairy-tale creatures, which necessarily contain a certain moral idea. It is clear that this point greatly distinguishes the characters of the legend both from other creatures of the Caucasian epic - inyzhas (ainizhas), devas, underwater donbettirs, celestial beings and dragons, and from the dwarf gnomes of the northern epic that exist underground.
This legend could not have come from the peoples of another area, since it tells about a specific type of buildings - dolmens and atsanguars. It turns out that here we can say about elements of information about the once really existing people of megalith builders.
It would be useful to once again recall the main points of the myth, while somewhat distracting from the details.
Once upon a time, short people lived, including on the tops of the ridges. They had more opportunities or were able to develop new technology, which was inaccessible to the Nart storytellers. These people did not wage wars with anyone, they created megalithic structures. Dramatic climate change led to their extinction. The legend also contains the motif of independence from God, which is generally inherent in the Abkhaz-Adyghe-Abaza version of the Nart epic. In many episodes there is virtually no mention of God.
Independence from God is especially characteristic of versions of the Nart epic in the areas where dolmen buildings are located. To make it more clear, we can recall that, unlike, for example, Greek mythology, the heroes of the Narts of the megalithic region do not expect help and support from the gods. They treat them as equals. This suggests that either this option was quite ancient, or it was influenced by another nation, a culture with a slightly different way of seeing and thinking.
At one time, there were enough colonies on the Black Sea coast for the epic to come under the influence of the Hellenes, and Christianity and Islam also took place. Undoubtedly, this was reflected in the epic, but to a lesser extent than in other places.
We can also recall that there is a certain peculiarity in the construction technique of some dolmens, which allows us to talk about a different logic of megalith builders in general.
How would they now build a modular house, for example, from stone bricks or blocks? They must have first tried to level all the surfaces of the block modules, and only then began to assemble the structure.
But among the dolmens there are stone blocks that are ground along a curved surface along several edges at once. That is, the blocks were adjusted during assembly and in several places at once. And the objections that it is inconvenient to do work this way will be unconvincing. Megalith builders thought otherwise, despite the fact that the level of technology allowed them to make straight surfaces.
It is worth saying that the fitting of huge stone blocks along a curved surface in several planes at once is found in all megalithic regions of the world, including Mexico and South America.
Echoes of another culture with different thinking, which most likely affected not only construction techniques, naturally caused some contradictions in the attitude of the Narts to the gods or among those who retold these stories. Over time, some details were erased, events were forgotten, and only the logic of actions remained. That is why the narrator ranked such people among the God-fighters. However, no one can vouch for the authenticity of this, since it is possible that all these are echoes of distant and formidable events.
So, what are these people of megalith builders themselves? The sizes of dolmens are very small, then for what purpose were they built? It remains a mystery. Most likely, this is how stories about small, unsightly people appeared.
There remains one more unclear point, namely the disappearance of the megalith builders. Several natural disasters occurred at that time.
The first of these disasters is the eruption of the Santorini volcano on Crete. As a result, the highly developed culture of the island was wiped off the face of the earth in the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. Then we can assume that the main role was played by secondary effects, for example, heavy smoke in the atmosphere, which could cause a temporary cooling in almost all corners of the globe.
The second disaster is the breakthrough of the Sea of Marmara. A long time ago, the Black Sea was a fresh lake, the level of which was 150-200 meters lower than now. The Sea of Azov did not exist, and the Kuban and Don flowed into the lake, apparently, by one river. Various studies carried out by scientists have shown the date of the time when the disaster occurred. This is 5600 BC.
Most likely, the current bottom of the Black Sea was once the cradle of modern civilization. This is also confirmed by the fact that there are no complete dolmens near the seashore, and if such are found, they are, as a rule, either very large (Dzhugba, Volkonka), or under burial mounds or enclosed in a tholos (Arkhipo-Osipovka, Novorossiysk).
It is quite possible that the destructive effect of water, as well as weather disasters caused by a relatively rapid increase in the area of the sea (lake) surface, affected this. The Dardanelles could not have collapsed on their own; most likely there was something else here, probably an earthquake.
It is impossible to say with complete certainty which disaster—the first or the second—had an impact on the course of events. In any case, you can be sure that the disaster occurred and was reflected in the epic. Over the course of centuries, some details may have been forgotten, but human imagination helpfully drew new ones. Thus, over the rather long period of existence of the myth, the information most likely underwent some changes.
According to Abkhazian legend, the sea level was higher than now. Then, if we take the myth literally, the lifetime of the megalith builders must be pushed back even further, to the Ice Age - the 7th millennium BC. Then the effect of natural disasters is understandable: new rivers and lakes were formed, the deflection of the earth’s crust changed. Some doubts may arise, because practically no myth has existed for several millennia. The longest existence of oral history does not exceed 2000 years.
Why do legends exist so little? There are some factors at play here, namely:
- movement of people to other territories;
- people become dependent on a stronger culture and, as a consequence, assimilation;
- complete destruction of the nation.
As centuries passed, it became clear that it was simply impossible to completely oust, much less subjugate, any Caucasian people. Every valley is a natural fortress, and the Caucasian peoples are born warriors.
And since the entire Caucasian coast (from Gelendzhik to Abkhazia) consists of deep valleys, the ridges of which go into the sea, we can say that here there are all the prerequisites for the epic to last for a very long time and reflect all the information about the events taking place for many centuries.
There is no single point of view regarding dolmens in the Caucasus - some archaeologists believe that the age of these megalithic structures is actually from 4000 to 6000 years. Thousands of prehistoric megalithic monuments are known throughout the world, but those located on the territory of the former Soviet Union (including the Caucasus) are little known in the West.
Megaliths of the Caucasus.
Dolmens are mainly located in the Western Caucasus (Russia and Abkhazia) on both sides of the mountain range, covering an area of approximately 12,000 square kilometers. Caucasian dolmens are a unique type of prehistoric architecture - structures created from perfectly fitted cyclopean stone blocks. For example, there are stones in the shape of a bull “G”, which were used on the corners of dolmens, or stones in the shape of a perfect circle.
Although such “shards of an ancient era” are generally unknown in Western Europe, these Russian megaliths are no less significant for science than the megaliths discovered in Europe - both in terms of age and in terms of the quality of architecture. And the most amazing thing is that their origin is still unknown. Scientists note that despite the diversity of Caucasian stone structures, they show striking similarities with megaliths from different parts of Europe and Asia (Iberian Peninsula, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Israel and India).
A number of hypotheses have been put forward to explain such similarities, as well as guesses about the purpose of the construction of megaliths, but for now all this remains a mystery. At the moment, approximately 3,000 such megalithic monuments are known in the Western Caucasus, but new megaliths continue to be found constantly. At the same time, unfortunately, many of the Caucasian monoliths are in an extremely neglected state and will be completely lost if they are not protected from vandals and natural destruction.
Most of the megaliths, dolmens and stone labyrinths that are found in the Caucasus Mountains (but they are little studied) look like rectangular structures made of stone slabs or carved into the rocks with round holes as an entrance inside. However, not all dolmens look like this. In fact, you can find very diverse examples of architecture here: multi-story stone buildings, square, trapezoidal, rectangular and round.
What is noteworthy is that in all such buildings there is a hole on the façade leading inside. Most often it is round, but occasionally square ones are found. Also often stone “plugs” are found in dolmens, which were used to close the entrance hole. Sometimes such stone plugs have a phallic shape. Inside the dolmen there is most often a round platform onto which light falls through a round hole. Scientists believe that some kind of rituals may have been carried out at such sites. Such a site was surrounded by large stone walls, sometimes more than a meter high.
It was in this area that archaeologists found Bronze and Iron Age pottery that helped date these burials, as well as human remains, bronze tools and jewelry made from silver, gold and semi-precious stones. Typically, the repertoire of decorations for such graves is not particularly diverse. The most common types of carvings found on stone blocks are vertical and horizontal zigzags, triangles and concentric circles.
One of the most interesting megalithic complexes is a group of three dolmens, which is located on a hill above the Zhane River on the Black Sea coast in the Krasnodar region near Gelendzhik, Russia. This area has perhaps the largest concentration of all types of megalithic objects, including settlements and dolmens.
In the Caucasus Mountains, somewhere between the cities of Gelendzhik, Tuapse, Novorossiysk and Sochi, there are hundreds of megalithic monuments, which are called dolmens. The age of all these megalithic dolmens dates back to approximately 10,000 - 25,000 years, and what they were intended for is currently debated by both Russian and Western archaeologists.
There is no single point of view regarding dolmens in the Caucasus - some archaeologists believe that the age of these megalithic structures is actually from 4000 to 6000 years. Thousands of prehistoric megalithic monuments are known throughout the world, but those located on the territory of the former Soviet Union (including the Caucasus) are little known in the West.
Dolmens are mainly located in the Western Caucasus (Russia and Abkhazia) on both sides of the mountain range, covering an area of approximately 12,000 square kilometers. Caucasian dolmens are a unique type of prehistoric architecture - structures created from perfectly fitted cyclopean stone blocks. For example, there are stones in the shape of a bull “G”, which were used on the corners of dolmens, or stones in the shape of a perfect circle.
Although such “shards of an ancient era” are generally unknown in Western Europe, these Russian megaliths are no less significant for science than the megaliths discovered in Europe - both in terms of age and in terms of the quality of architecture. And the most amazing thing is that their origin is still unknown. Scientists note that despite the diversity of Caucasian stone structures, they show striking similarities with megaliths from different parts of Europe and Asia (Iberian Peninsula, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Israel and India).
A number of hypotheses have been put forward to explain such similarities, as well as guesses about the purpose of the construction of megaliths, but for now all this remains a mystery. At the moment, approximately 3,000 such megalithic monuments are known in the Western Caucasus, but new megaliths continue to be found constantly. At the same time, unfortunately, many of the Caucasian monoliths are in an extremely neglected state and will be completely lost if they are not protected from vandals and natural destruction.
Most of the megaliths, dolmens and stone labyrinths that are found in the Caucasus Mountains (but they are little studied) look like rectangular structures made of stone slabs or carved into the rocks with round holes as an entrance inside. However, not all dolmens look like this. In fact, you can find very diverse examples of architecture here: multi-story stone buildings, square, trapezoidal, rectangular and round.
What is noteworthy is that in all such buildings there is a hole on the façade leading inside. Most often it is round, but occasionally square ones are found. Also often stone “plugs” are found in dolmens, which were used to close the entrance hole. Sometimes such stone plugs have a phallic shape. Inside the dolmen there is most often a round platform onto which light falls through a round hole. Scientists believe that some kind of rituals may have been carried out at such sites. Such a site was surrounded by large stone walls, sometimes more than a meter high.
It was in this area that archaeologists found Bronze and Iron Age pottery that helped date these burials, as well as human remains, bronze tools and jewelry made from silver, gold and semi-precious stones. Typically, the repertoire of decorations for such graves is not particularly diverse. The most common types of carvings found on stone blocks are vertical and horizontal zigzags, triangles and concentric circles.
One of the most interesting megalithic complexes is a group of three dolmens, which is located on a hill above the Zhane River on the Black Sea coast in the Krasnodar region near Gelendzhik, Russia. This area has perhaps the largest concentration of all types of megalithic objects, including settlements and dolmens.
Photo: thelivingmoon.com
Based on materials from ewao.com