Thousands of rock carvings spanning 4,000 years on mountain outcrops. Shamanic imagery, hunting scenes, and astronomical markers suggest the site was sacred for millennia, each culture adding meaning to the stone.
Alexey Khlystov, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
An astronomical complex in stone
In the Bely Iyus river valley of southern Siberia is a series of five sandstone outcrops known as the Sunduki, or "Chests". For decades, these mountains were known primarily for their dense concentration of petroglyphs. Research by archaeologist Vitaly Larichev proposed that the site is one of Asia's oldest and largest astronomical observatories. The entire complex of mountains, natural rock formations, and man-made structures is a precise instrument for tracking celestial events.
The system uses specific locations, stone apertures, and carved markers to pinpoint solar and lunar cycles. From one observation point, the sunrise on the summer solstice occurs directly over a specific peak. On the first and most prominent "chest," a narrow, artificially modified gap between two rocks creates a corridor of light. On the spring and autumn equinoxes, the rising sun appears exactly in this gap. A similar effect occurs at the winter solstice, where a beam of light illuminates a specific dragon petroglyph inside a grotto.
The first people to modify the site for astronomical purposes belonged to the Okunev culture during the early Bronze Age, around the middle of the 2nd millennium BCE. Their characteristic petroglyphs, including solar-headed anthropomorphic figures, are often integrated with these astronomical alignments. These carvings are not randomly placed; their positions are often dictated by the movement of light and shadow on important dates.
A multi-millennial sacred site
The Sunduk range was a sacred place for thousands of years, with subsequent cultures adding their own layers of art and meaning. After the Okunev period, people of the Tagar culture (roughly 8th to 2nd centuries BCE) carved their own images onto the red Devonian sandstone. Tagar petroglyphs depict different subjects, including battle scenes, chariots, and animals, showing a change in the local culture.
The site also features structures beyond the petroglyphs. On the first chest, a stone wall encircles the mountain base, forming a fortified area, or Sve. Archaeological evidence, including ceramics, shows these structures also date back to the Okunev era around 4,000 years ago. Certain locations on the mountains possess unusual acoustic properties. A spot known as the "Shaman's Chair" allows a person's whisper to be heard clearly several hundred meters away, suggesting a role in ceremonies or rituals.
This continuous use over millennia shows the location's importance. Each group, from the Okunev to the Tagar and beyond, recognized the unique features of the landscape and adapted it for their own astronomical and spiritual needs, creating a complex archaeological record on the surface of the stone chests.
💡Fun Facts
The name "Sunduki" is Russian for "chests," referring to the cube-like rock formation on top of the northernmost mountain.
A specific rock carving of a dragon and a snake was used as a sundial, telling the time of day as a shadow moved along the animals' bodies.
Some walls and rock formations have special acoustic properties, allowing a whisper to be heard from over a hundred meters away.
In addition to solar alignments, researchers have identified petroglyphs and sighting stones that align with the rising of bright stars like Arcturus and Betelgeuse.
The site is an open-air museum-reserve and is generally accessible 24/7, though visitation is practical only during daylight hours.
Admission
Access to the general area is free, but guided tours are available for a fee.
Accessibility
The site is a natural mountain range requiring hiking. The terrain is uneven and steep in places, and climbing is necessary to reach the tops of the outcrops. It is not accessible for wheelchairs.
