Tamgaly II Central Gorge Petroglyphs
Тамғалы II — Орталық шатқал · Tamgaly Second Gorge Central · Tanbaly II Gorge
Late Bronze Age to Early Medieval·Andronovo, Saka, Wusun, Turkic·🇰🇿 Zhambyl Region, Chu-Ili Mountains, Anrakay, Kazakhstan
About
About Tamgaly II Central Gorge Petroglyphs
Central tributary gorge of the Tamgaly (Tanbaly) UNESCO landscape 170 km NW Almaty, comprising 4.5 km of northwest-facing Chu-Ili schist panels with ~800 engravings. Distinct from Main Group IV, Central Gorge groups IIA–IIC show Late Bronze Andronovo solar-headed anthropomorphs, Iron Age Saka animal-style deer, and Turkic tamga-inscribed slabs. Famous Panel II-14 bears the three sun-god frieze mirroring the Main Sun-Head but with added chariot teams. Excavated 1946 Bernshtam, UNESCO inscribed 2004.
Why it mattersCentral gorge bridges Main Group solar iconography to Saka animal style, key for Bronze Age pastoral ideology in Semirechye.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Interpretation of sun-headed deities
- 02Chronological overlap of Andronovo and Saka phases
Theories
- 01Solar shamanic ritual gorge
- 02Clan territory and burial processional way
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.1400 BCE–800 CE (Late Bronze to Turkic)
- Period
- Late Bronze Age to Early Medieval
- Culture
- Andronovo, Saka, Wusun, Turkic
- Builders
- Semirechye pastoralists
- Purpose
- Solar cult gorge and clan burial marking in Chu-Ili piedmont
- Abandoned
- c.800 CE with Karluk migration
- Rediscovered
- 1946 Bernshtam; 1958 Maksimova mapping; 2004 UNESCO
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.1400 BCE
Andronovo sun-head peckings
c.600 BCE
Saka animal-style recarving
1946
Bernshtam discovery
2004
UNESCO inscription
On the ground
Structures & features
43.8055° N · 75.5390° E · 1180 m · 2 mapped features
Gallery