During the current excavation season, Russian scientists have discovered up to 31 previously unknown petroglyphs in the Pegtemel region of the Chukotka Peninsula, in the far northeast of Russia.
Hot Topics
About half of Libyans drink contaminated water What is the scientific reason?
Mauritania's blue treasure is in danger Will the map of fish in the Atlantic be redrawn?
The Citrus Secret Everyone's Talking About: Burn More, Crave Less & Feel Great Naturally
This brings the total number of petroglyphs discovered in the region in recent years to approximately 100 new cultural monuments. This discovery underscores the need to re-evaluate the mechanisms for protecting this area in Chukotka, according to Yuri Svoisky, deputy head of the petroglyphic expedition of the Institute of Archaeology at the Russian Academy of Sciences, speaking at a press conference in Moscow.
The scientist said: “The total number of petroglyphs in the Bigtemels area has increased from 213 in 1986 to 691 in 2026. In other words, during the last four field seasons, we discovered about 100 new petroglyphs. Studying these petroglyphs allows us to say that all the petroglyphs in the studied area contain at least one drawing, which indicates the need to reconsider our approach to protecting them.”
Svoisky pointed out that while some rock art sites in Chukotka are protected, the surrounding areas, which may also conceal undiscovered or unstudied cultural monuments, remain unprotected. He believes the scientific community and relevant government agencies should explore the possibility of expanding protected areas to encompass a much larger area than just Pegtemel, transforming it into a vast open-air museum.
According to Yelena Livanova, head of the Institute of Archaeology's petroglyph study mission, what is of particular interest is that the petroglyphs discovered this year differ fundamentally in style and detail from those previously discovered and studied in other areas of the Pegtemel Valley.
Scientists hypothesize that the rougher, simplified images may be copies of more detailed rock carvings found in parts of the site discovered during the Soviet era, which ancient Chukotka residents may have tried to redraw several generations later.
The rock art area of Pygtymel was discovered in 1965 by Soviet geologist Nikolai Samorukov on the banks of the Pygtymel River in the Chukotka Peninsula. Over the following decades, Soviet archaeologists discovered three groups of petroglyphs along the riverbanks, comprising approximately 200 drawings.
what is your opinion on this news ?do let us know in the comments on tha comment box
if you liked this news article please share on friends & family & don't forget to follow on website & social media