Vaygach Island, Russia | A Team of Scientists Discovered Ancient Petroglyphs in the Arctic

A team od Scientists conducting an expedition on the remote Vaygach Island located in the Arctic Sea 15 kilometres off the north coast of the Yugorskiy Peninsula at the border of Barents, Pechora and Kara Seas, part of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug district, discovered ancient petroglyphs confirming a long - held hypothesis about about the presence of prehistoric rock art on this sacred Arctic island.  

The discovery of these ancient drawings engraved in stone was reported by the governor of the Nenetsia Autonomus District (DAN), Irina Guejt, who explained that the the petroglyphs found are the northernmost in the Russian Federation. Prior to this discovery in the Nenets Autonomous Area, that title corresponded to the petroglyphs found at Chukotka, an autonomous district located in the extreme northeastern portion in Siberia and part of the Far Eastern Federal District. 

The archaeological rarity on the island of Vaygach was discovered by researcher Igor Bondar, who was studying the local rocks as part of a scientific expedition of the “Floating University of the Arctic” organized with the support of the Russian Geographical Society. 

On the rocks of Cape Razdelni, figures similar to reindeer and boats are represented. According to a preliminary assessment by the researchers, characteristic features of Bronze Age Scandinavian rock art are observed, and this particularity allows to suppose that Vaygach island was a relevant crossroads point of ancient cultures of northern Eurasia. 

Key Details of the Discovery: 

•    Location: The petroglyphs were found on two stone surfaces in the southern part of Vaygach Island, an area traditionally considered sacred by the Nenets, a local indigenous nomadic people of the Russian Arctic (Siberia). 
•    Significance: These are considered the northermost petroglyphs discovered in Russia to date, superseding previous discoveries in Chukotka. 
•    Depictions: The carvings include several figures that appear to symbolically describe a deer or a reindeer hunting scene on one rock surface, while another fragment displays abstract signs. The presence and sacralization of the animal image suggest a potential connection to earlier historical periods beyond the Middle Ages, when deer and reindeer were already a significant cultural symbol. 
•    Archaeological Context: The discovery supports the idea that rocks are sites on Vaygach Island are located in close proximity to existing Nenets sanctuaries and temples, where ritual sacrifices, (historically including anumal, and rumored human, but currently reindeer) systematically occurred. 
•    Potential Connections: The researchers, including Yuri Svovsky from the HSE Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies, believe the petroglyphs are an “isolate” with possible connection to ancient in Fennoscandia (Northern Europe) , highlighting the island’s role as a sacred crossroads of civilizations.

The findings introduce a new monument into the scientific record and underscore the need for further expeditions to systematically search for, study and preserve the ancient historical and cultural heritage of this unique Arctic area. Vaygach Island itself has a long history as an uninhabited transit point and major sanctuary, with travellers in the 17th century discovering hundreds of stone and wooden idols there.

Link 

https://tvbrics.com/es/news/antiguos-petroglifos-hallados-en-el-norte-de-rusia/