Authors Mariyashev A. N.
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Nomadic subjects dominate the Petroglyphs of Saak and Ancient Turkic times. These scenes include predators tormenting herbivores (photo 26, 27, 28), cattle drives, single combats between warriors for the livestock, and social scenes (fig 15, 16).
Many of the images are not easily seen as they are located in places that are difficult to reach and in unexpected places: It is worth mentioning that the ancient local artists possessed an originality of methods of drawing on the cliffs, as well as an undeniable artistic distinctiveness. Miniature images not exceeding 1-2 cm. are distinguished by their peculiar elegance (photo 30, 31). The Petroglyphs of Eshkiolmes distinctly show the traditions ofpetroglyphic art of the whole Jungar region of Semirechie.
The Terekty canyon is located at the western termination of the Jungar Alatau range, 4 km. to northwest of the village Begash in Taldykourgan region, Almaty oblast. Petroglyphs are located in the upper part of the right northwest slope of the canyon. They are on a nomadic path, connecting the valley of the Koksu river with a high-mountain pasture.
The majority of the images consist of animals: goats, bulls, horses, argali, birds, deer, horses, and predators. The scenes of hunting, single combat of warriors, cattle drives, and fights for the livestock are predominate subjects. There are also some images of chariots, one of which does not have any analogies: a scene of one chariot chasing another (fig 17). The majority of subjects belong to the Bronze Age.
The natural boundary Small Koitas of the Usek river valley is located on the southern slope of the Toksanbai range in the ofPanfilov region, Almaty oblast, in 40-45 km. to the north of the city Zharkent.
In total there were discovered 8 Petroglyphs locations, and only one of them is significant. The central sanctuary is located in 42 km. to the north of Zharkent at the point where the Small and Middle Usek rivers merge with each other. Petroglyphs are located in the hills, as well as at its foot on a terrace above the flood plain. The peculiarity of this monument is in the fact that the majority of the Petroglyphs are from the early Iron Age. On the cliffs were hammered the images of wild boar, deer, horses, and goats that are executed in the characteristic "animal" style . The collection of subjects is quite homogeneous. The central part of this group of Petrogliphs consists of a large stone, 8 m in diameter with the figures of wild boar. Four figures are executed in the silhouette method, and the fifth is executed in the contour method. This method is characteristic for the petroglyphic art of the renaissance period (fig 18, 19).
The Sholak mountains are the southwestern spurs of the Jungar Alatau. The Ili river, on which the reservoir Kapchagai was built in the second part of the XX century, runs to the south of them. Economically, the Sholak mountains are more favorable for the nomadic form of cattle raising.
Petroglyphic art of the Sholak mountains are not by itself a unique major collection of Petroglyphs. They are dispersed among several canyons, mainly on the southern slopes of mountains. The most interesting accumulation of petroglyphic art has was discovered in the Karaispe, Aiyr-Kezen, Taigak, Terekty, Kyzyl-Auyz and other canyons. The major portion of the images were made from the ancient Saaks period up to the later middle Ages (fig 20, 21).
While characterizing the monuments of petroglyphic art on the territory of Semirechie in general, it is worth mentioning that every region has its peculiar centers of petroglyphic art. The most significant monuments are those sites the monuments, then they differ by the number of which have a large number or richness of subjects as well as those whose Petrogliphs are distinguished by their styleor their method of application on the rock. In the western Semirechie is the the most significant monuments are in the Tamgaly sanctuary and for northeastern Eshkiolmes. Smaller collection of petroglyphic art containing more characteristic subject matters are located around these sanctuaries.
