In September 2005, a joint expedition of Karelian and British archaeologists (Institute of Language, Literature and History of KarSC RAS and Cambridge University), who studied the White Sea petroglyphs (Fig. 1) and their connection with the microlandscape, made a very unexpected discovery: on Staraya Zalavruga, one of the most famous and well-documented groups of rock monuments in Karelia, many new shapes were discovered. New materials not only more than double the number of engravings on this rock, but also significantly change the generally accepted ideas of researchers about the genesis of the ancient rock art of the White Sea region. We have identified some scenes, one of which was previously unknown among the petroglyphs of Karelia.

The discovery took place as a result of applying a new method of searching for petroglyphs, which we borrowed from our Norwegian colleagues. It is very simple: a large sheet of black light-proof polyethylene (at least 4*5 m in size) covers a section of the rock surface. The researcher, being under the film, slightly lifts one of its edges (preferably the one that is located above the upper part of the rock). The amount and direction of light entering the resulting opening is adjusted depending on the degree of slope of the rock and the height of the film rise, while the ancient knockouts become relief and clearly visible. The best option is to direct the light beam from top to bottom, if the rock has at least a slight slope. This method is widely practiced in Scandinavia. Good results are obtained when photographing petroglyphs under a plastic wrap. With its help, we have so far explored the rocks of Staraya Zalavruga, separate sections of Novaya Zalavruga and three small nameless islands, where we also managed to notice new figures. Most likely, they can also be found on heavily eroded rock surfaces of Novaya Zalavruga (groups I, VIII, XI, XV, and XVII).

Petroglyphs of Staraya Zalavruga were discovered by the expedition of V. I. Ravdonikas on September 5, 1936, 1.5 km from the village. Vygostrov (Belomorsky district of the Republic of Karelia), on the right bank of an almost dried-up channel in the western part of Bolshoy Malinin Island, 300 m above its confluence with the main Vyga riverbed with the local name Zalavruda* (Figs. 2-4). At this point, the channel narrows strongly, and the coastal slope (with an inclination of 10 - 15°), composed of strong crystalline shales, is quite wide. Petroglyphs cover an area of just over 200 m2. Here, 216 separate images were recorded by the discoverers, occupying three sections, each of which is located on a special rock or its ledge. The method of fixing V. I. Ravdonikas was reduced to the following: engravings, carefully painted with chalk solution, were copied onto tracing paper, then the tracing paper sheets were photographed. Only 16 very poorly discernible figures and their fragments were found in the first (northern) section**, while the third (so - called southern rock) is now part of the XV group of the Novaya Zalavruga (Savvateev, 1970, pp. 61-63). Most of the engravings (190) were found on Central-

* However, the monument became known as Zalavruga (Ravdonikas, 1938).

** Checking this cluster under the black film allowed us to clarify the number and configuration of engravings.

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1. Location of petroglyphs in the Belomorsky and Pudozhsky (Besova Nosa district) districts.

2. Location of the Zalavruga monument.

3. View of the Staraya Zalavruga petroglyph group from the north.

4. Layout of the Zalavruga petroglyph groups. 1-Old Zalavruga, group 1; 2-Old Zalavruga, central group; 3-New Zalavruga, XV group; 4-New Zalavruga, XVI group.

the upper and side slopes of the mountain stand out. Visually, they are perceived as two groups of petroglyphs, if they are taken as a cluster of drawings visible from one point. The line of separation of the slopes runs in the NW-SE direction approximately along the heads of the giant deer figures (second and third) and then to the last image of the animal of the southern chain (Fig. 5).

The drawings of the upper and lateral slopes of the Staraya Zalavruga recorded in the 1930s are characterized by a certain variety of styles and plots, which allowed researchers to talk about their different times. The publication of V. I. Ravdonikas presents a general summary table of petroglyphs of the central rock [1938, Table 2], where significant gaps are visible - areas without images, especially characteristic of the southern and south-eastern parts of the rock mural.

The discovery of petroglyphs on Staraya Zalavruga was regarded from the very beginning as an outstanding event, exceptional in its scientific significance. This rock features recognized masterpieces

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5. Drawing of the petroglyphs of the central panel (according to [Ravdonikas, 1938]).

Neolithic rock art of Northern Europe - realistic images of skiers, graceful deer with branching horns, unique giant figures of deer, etc. At the same time, they are among the most poorly preserved groups of petroglyphs in Karelia. Here you can clearly see the consequences of destructive natural and anthropogenic processes: glacial "scars", numerous potholes and cracks from the effects of water and ice, lichens and traces of modern bonfires. All this greatly complicates the field study of petroglyphs. V. I. Ravdonikas believed that their research should be done quickly, because some of the drawings are almost not recorded and the process of destruction goes on. However, no further field work was carried out here until the 1960s. Graphite copies of petroglyphs of Staraya Zalavruga were made by Yu. A. Savvateev in connection with field documentation of newly discovered groups of rock images of Novaya Zalavruga. In his opinion, many of the figures recorded by the discoverers have already become almost invisible, some of them (especially on the upper platform) have already disappeared or are on the verge of extinction [1970, p.63]. As our fieldwork has shown, the condition of the petroglyphs of Staraya Zalavruga is not so deplorable, in any case, since the 1930s, their further destruction almost did not occur.* This is evidenced by a comparison of field materials obtained at different times, primarily graphite copies and photographs.

Using the new search method, we found all the petroglyphs published by V. I. Ravdonikas (some of them were copied) and about 300 new images on the central panel (see the table). The figures identified under the film were outlined with chalk and then photographed. In addition, several graphite wipes were made, including previously unknown compositions. Most of the new drawings were found on the south-eastern and north-eastern edges of the rock mural (Fig. 6).It was possible to distinguish the knockouts located inside the contour of three-meter figures of deer (a business card of Staraya Zalavruga). The fact is that these images were beaten out with larger and coarser stone tools. The outline of the figures is slightly deeper, and the drawings in the interior space are not so deep and less carefully worked out. This has been noted by researchers before [Ravdonikas, 1938, p. 22]. The difference in the technique of execution allowed us to reveal what was here before the appearance of large figures of deer. These are images of boats, deer, harpoon belts, and many obscure fragments. It will probably be possible to extract more information about them in the future. This work requires a lot of time and effort, using various methods, including copying preserved petroglyphs. Palimpsests have also been identified in the northern part of the rock mural.

* Only an increase in the area of the destroyed surface at the site of the fire pit under the image of a snake was recorded.

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Fig. 6. Drawing of petroglyphs of the central panel (new reading).

Petroglyphs of Staraya Zalavruga (central rock)

Name of the image

1936

2005

Total

Forest animal

29

9

38

An anthropomorphic figure

43

15

58

A boat

30

43

73

Large animal footprint

17

10

27

Small footprint of a human or animal

38

152

190

Flying Arrow

6

-

6

Line

10

14

24

"Contour fish"

1

-

1

"Boat skeleton"

1

-

1

Shape fragment

12

40

52

Snake

1

-

1

"Solar" sign

1

-

1

Spiral

-

1

1

Sea animal

-

6

6

"Turtle "

1

-

1

"Anchor"

-

2

2

Total

190

292

482

Until now, among the petroglyphs of Karelia, some knockouts overlapped with others were extremely rare (Poikalainen, 1989); here, for the first time, we encounter the re-use of the occupied space.

Almost the entire central panel of Staraya Zalavruga turned out to be densely filled with ancient engravings, the total number of which reached almost 500, which makes it the largest collection of petroglyphs in Karelia. Note that the full survey has not been completed; undoubtedly, this group will still be supplemented with new drawings. The southern part of the cliff is ruined by modern bonfires. It was also filled with petroglyphs, judging by the preserved fragments. In addition, you can expect to be able to see under the film images above the head of the average figure of a giant deer. They were perceived by researchers as unusually lush horns. In our opinion, anthropomorphic figures and possibly boats could have been carved here. The drawings are largely damaged by erosion and therefore difficult to distinguish.

Among the new finds, most of them are images of footprints of people and animals, as well as boats and fragments of figures (see the table).

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Previous researchers did not pay attention to the abundance of images of small footprints in the northern and north-eastern parts of the rock, although they are not only there. Among them, you can distinguish round with indentations, resembling hooves (deer) with a diameter of less than 1 cm, and elongated, sometimes with fingers, most likely human footprints (Fig. 7). Many, apparently, were made with a special, very pointed quartz tool. Images of large footprints, 15-20 cm long, most likely of a bear, were also found (Fig. 8). This animal is depicted just below the extreme figures of the deer of the southern chain. This image of a bear (length approx. 1 m) - the largest of all known in the White Sea. It is distinguished from deer figures by such features as a wider body and short legs, a small round ear and a large blunt muzzle (Fig. 9). Until now, bear images were unknown on Staraya Zalavruga, although researchers noted bear tracks carved on rocks (Ravdonikas, 1938, pp. 48-49).

In our opinion, boats of an unusual type, without crews, captured on the rocks are very interesting. Inside their contour, stripes are knocked out, forming "windows", and the nose is shown as an elongated protrusion. It is possible that in this way frame boats are transferred, in contrast to conventional dugouts. Similar drawings are occasionally found on Novaya Zalavruga (Group XI) and among the Onega petroglyphs (Kochkovnavolok Peninsula and Karetsky Nos m.) (Fig.10), but so far they have not attracted the attention of researchers. Two such boats, knocked out not far from each other, "float" in different directions. A curved line with a ring at the end departs from one of them-this is probably how the anchor is shown (Fig. 11, N 29, 30). A similar figure was recorded by V. I. Ravdonikas (though not quite accurately) almost 2 m south-east of the contour image of a boat without an anchor. The researchers called it the skeleton of a boat (Fig. 11, N 3). According to A. M. Linevsky's interpretation of the plot, the boat belonged to newcomers from the sea, but during a military battle it was burned by aborigines [1939, p. 186].

The drawing located nearby, which was previously interpreted as a "contour fish" with a tail and fins, turned out to be a scene of sea hunting for belugas (Fig. 11, N 18-20).

Figure 7. Images of human footprints on the northeastern slope.

Figure 8. Images of bear tracks (from Ravdonikas, 1938).

Figure 9. Figures in the south-eastern part of the rock mural discovered in 2005.

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Figure 10. Contour boats.

1, 2-Novaya Zalavruga, Group XI; 3 - 6-Staraya Zalavruga (White Sea); 7, 8-Kochkovnavolok Peninsula; 9-Karetsky Nose (Lake Onega).

11. Petroglyphs in the northern part of the rock panel, a-according to [Ravdonikas, 1938]; b - new reading.

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In place of the "tail", a boat is depicted, and the outer contour of the "fish" is a harpoon belt. The image of a crewed boat recorded in the 1930s is part of this hunting scene. There seem to be six boats and four belugas in total. Previously, stories related to sea hunting on Staraya Zalavruga were unknown. Now at least three of them have been identified - all in the north-eastern part of the rock mural. The engravings found here were very poorly preserved, as they were overlaid with later anthropomorphic figures - heroes of battle scenes.

An unusual motif is the spiral found in the south-eastern part of the rock above the back of the first (right) large deer figure (Fig. 12). It seems to be connected to the hind leg of the deer depicted next to it, i.e. it is part of the composition. This 5 * 3 m site contains the largest number of newly discovered images (at least 50), mainly boats of various sizes and shapes typical of the White Sea rock art, and obscure fragments of knockouts.

Three large figures of deer are depicted on top of scenes involving boats and various characters - no less than 15 separate drawings in total (see Figure 6). Almost in the center of the torso of the first of these figures, images of a narrow long boat (probably part of the well-known composition of the central panel) and a small deer moving in the same direction are traced, as well as the figures of the western reindeer chain, and stylistically close to them. A strange rectangular embossment with rows of "windows" inside, from which two lines depart in different directions, draws attention to itself (Fig. 13). V. I. Ravdonikas recorded only a small fragment of it. In the future, it will be necessary to identify this earlier layer of drawings as accurately as possible.

We also note some changes in the previous reading of petroglyphs. One of the unusual images was interpreted as a four-legged animal, shown in a projection from above and most resembling a turtle [Ravdonikas, 1938, p. 35].A. M. Linevsky saw in it the skin of an animal [1939, p. 186]. A boat was knocked out next to the turtle . The use of a black plastic film allowed us to see a fairly clear connecting line between these two figures (Fig. 14). It is possible that there is also a scene of hunting for some marine animal, possibly a walrus.

Many previously known figures, even the largest ones, have been adjusted. So, in the left (third) image of a deer, both legs were enlarged, and what was previously taken for a hoof turned out to be a natural pothole in the rock. New drawings were found in the southwestern part of the rock below the images of long narrow boats (Fig. And here we see palimpsests.

Figure 12. Image of a deer and a spiral.

13. An obscure figure located above the left (third) image of a giant deer (above the back).

Fig. 14. Sea hunting scene.

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15. Figures in the south-western part of the rock panel, a -according to [Ravdonikas, 1938]; b - new reading.

Despite a significant increase in the number of images, the main subjects of Staraya Zalavruga remained the same-these are tracks, boats and people. However, new materials provide an opportunity to look at the pictorial stratigraphy of this monument in a different way than before. The different principled approaches of leading researchers in interpreting these rock carvings did not affect their ideas about the sequence of appearance of figures and scenes. All [Linevsky, 1939, p. 170-189; Savvateev, 1970, p. 63-64; Stolyar, 2000, p. 157-163; Stolyar, 2001, p. 153-154] agreed that giant animal figures (they are located in the center of the rock and are dominant) were the first to be knocked out. long boats and two converging chains of deer. The northeast (side) cluster of small images, in their unanimous opinion, appeared after the central part was mastered. A particularly detailed reconstruction of the process of filling the rock surface with drawings was demonstrated by A.D. Stolyar [1977, pp. 30-37].

New evidence suggests that the earliest images were probably of small boats participating in sea-hunting scenes. They are located inside the contour of the middle and left figures of deer, as well as north-east of them-where the discoverers recorded a large "contour fish". These are the northern and north-eastern flanks of the rock mural. A little later, drawings appeared on other parts of the south-western and north-eastern slopes - deer, long boats. Interestingly, the image of a deer with horns, located above the head of a large animal figure in the center of the composition and made earlier, was embossed on top of some small drawing.

The next stage of active development of the rock is associated with numerous scenes in which people take part. In several cases, they are stamped on top of compositions with boats, harpoons and belugas. It can be assumed that the images of small footprints densely covering the lower part of the north-eastern slope belong to the same time.

Finally, and most recently, three giant deer figures were knocked out, moving in the same direction; they have the same size and shape. These figures not only completely fall out of the context of Staraya Zalavruga, but also have no analogues among the petroglyphs of the White Sea region. The famous triad on the Devil's Nose ("bes", burbot and otter), which is close to them in size, also contradicts all other images and is considered by many researchers to be the earliest composition that laid the foundation for rock art on the eastern coast of Lake Onega (Stolyar, 2001, pp. 121-122). However, given the new data, we can assume that they are more recent. This makes us consider the stadium patterns and peculiarities of the development of ancient monumental art in Karelia from a different perspective.

As it was shown above, it is possible to identify at least three different layers of patterns on the Staraya Zalavruga beforehand. It is currently impossible to say how long the rock sanctuary functioned as a whole, or how much time elapsed between the creation of early and late compositional structures. Undoubtedly, this place served the cult purposes of several generations of people who lived in the lower reaches of the Vyg River at the end of the Atlantic time. Fragments of rhombojamochnoj ceramics found on the site can be associated with this time.

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the most elevated areas of the Zalavruga I settlement (Savvateev, 1977; Tarasov and Murashkin, 2002). The general chronological framework of the White Sea petroglyphs fits in the interval of 6-5 thousand years ago. This is evidenced by a series of radiocarbon dates and paleogeographic data. Based on stylistic analysis and the height of the petroglyphs of Staraya Zalavruga (14.0-15.5 m above sea level), many researchers believe that the monument reflects one of the latest stages in the development of rock art in the White Sea region (Savvateev, 1977, pp. 149-160). In our opinion, there are also quite early periods, which can include scenes of marine fishing and, possibly, other subjects. However, for more reasonable conclusions, further research is needed: a detailed fixation of all images, their careful plot and stylistic analysis.

At present, more than 70 ancient settlements have been discovered in the area of the Belomorian rock art monuments, among which, of course, there are also similar rock paintings (Savvateev, 1977; Zhulnikov, 2005). Their research can provide important additional materials for clarifying and specifying the issues of chronology and periodization of petroglyphs. In the cultural layers of many settlements near rock carvings, in soil deposits, as well as on rocks, traces of a powerful early Subboreal transgression are recorded, dating back to 4 800 - 4 700 l. n. They are especially pronounced in areas closer to the coastline. At this time, Zalavruga was under water and then was washed away by river sediments, in which various cultural remains were found with porous and asbestos ceramics of the early metal era (mid-III-first half of the II millennium BC) [Devyatova, 1976, p. 76-84; Savvateev, 1977, p. 140-141; Zhulnikov, 2005, pp. 27-28].

Thus, as a result of applying the "Norwegian" search method on Staraya Zalavruga, new data were obtained that allow us to trace the sequence of filling the rock surface with drawings. It was possible to identify early layers of petroglyphs, which were later completely or partially overlaid by other images; interpretations of both individual rock images and multi-figure compositions were significantly refined or revised. In addition, new drawings were discovered, including previously unknown subjects and motifs. Old Zalavruga now appeared in almost all its fullness and diversity. In any case, the researchers ' assumption about the irretrievable loss of many images in this group of petroglyphs was not confirmed. In our opinion, the losses are not very large.

We should also mention other discoveries in the White Sea region made in recent years. Field studies of the White Sea rock carvings were resumed in 2001-2002 after a break of almost 30 years in connection with the implementation of the Karelian-Norwegian project "Preservation of Petroglyphs of Karelia". During this time, the state of these and other archaeological sites, as well as their natural surroundings, was assessed, detailed topographic surveys were carried out, and a number of objects were documented. An important result was the discovery of about 40 new rock carvings at four locations on the nameless Vyga Islands located north of the Besovyskiye Sledki group on Shoirukshin Island (Lobanova, 2005). The survey of these sites has not yet been completed. Other promising sites for searching for petroglyphs and ancient settlements are also planned.

List of literature

Devyatova E. I. Geology and palynology of the Holocene and chronology of primitive monuments in the Southwestern White Sea region. - L.: Science; 1976. - 122 p.

Zhulnikov A.M. Settlements of the Early Metal Epoch in the Southwestern White Sea region. Petrozavodsk: Paritet Publ., 2005, 310 p. (in Russian)

Linevsky A.M. Petroglyphs of Karelia. Petrozavodsk: Kargosizdat Publ., 1939, part 1, 193 p.

Lobanova N. V. Belomorskiye petroglyphs: otkrytiya XXI veka [White Sea petroglyphs: discoveries of the XXI century]. International Conference / Ed. by E. Devlet, Moscow: PA RAS, 2005, pp. 163-164.

Poikalainen V. K. Palimpsests in rock images of Lake Onega / / XI Vsesoyuz. conf. on the study of the history, economy, literature and language of the Scandinavian countries and Finland: Tez. dokl. - M., 1989. - p. 184.

Ravdonikas V. I. Rock images of Lake Onega and the White Sea, Moscow, Leningrad: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1938. 2: Rock art of the White Sea. - 162 p.

Savvateev Yu. A. Zalavruga, Moscow: Nauka Publ., 1970. 1: Petroglyphs. - 442 p.

Savvateev Yu. A. Zalavruga, Moscow: Nauka Publ., 1977. 2: 2. - 324 p.

Stolyar A.D. Opyt analiza kompozitsionnykh struktury Belomorya [Experience in analyzing composite structures in the White Sea region].
Stolyar A.D. Archeology on the road or the path of an archaeologist. - St. Petersburg: Publishing House of St. Petersburg, filosof, ob-va, 2001. - Part 1. - 201 p.

Murashkin A. N. Tarasov A. Yu., New materials from the settlement of Zalavruga I and the problem of dating petroglyphs of Novaya Zalavruga //Archaeological news. St. Petersburg, 2002, No. 9, pp. 41-44.

Stolyar A. Spiritual treasures of ancient Karelia // Myandash: Rock Art in the ancient Arctic. - Rovaniemi: Arcticum, 2000. - P. 128 - 173.

The article was submitted to the Editorial Board on 06.04.06.

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