Ancient site of Adar-Kaya in Altay

The ancient site of Adar-Kaya (Adar-Kan) is located on the 728 kilometer of the Chuya Highway near the village of Iodro. On the surface of the rock here, you can see hundreds of Neolithic petroglyphs and in front of the rock is the main artifact - the Chuya Deer Stone. 

The word Adar-Kaya in translation from local dialects means "Ragged, steep rock". Some translate this name as "Shooting Rock". Petroglyphs on the rock mainly depict animals and hunting scenes, however, there is also an image of a snake. Similar images can be seen in the Kolban-Tash archaeological complex, which is located 20 kilometers north of Adar-Kaya. 

Chuya Deer Stone is made of slate stone slab. It does not exceed 2 meters in height. On the side of the Deer Stone, you can see the image of a Scythian warrior. This image has become a symbol of the prehistoric era of Altay. It is mentioned in almost all scientific works of scientists about the Iron Age and the power of the Scythians over the Altay. 

The most famous legend associated with the Chuya Deer Stone says that once a Scythian warrior with his detachment passed through here. He took out a bow, shot far into the rock and said that the arrow hit someone. His warriors climbed on a rock and saw that the arrow hit a large snake. Perhaps this legend is connected with the fact that there is an image of a snake on the rock behind the Chuya Deer Stone, which is atypical for the plots of rock petroglyphs of the Bronze Age. 

The images of the Scythian dagger akinak, a quiver of arrows, as well as a horse are carved in thin lines on the Chuya Deer Stone under the image of a warrior. The lines are very thin, because they were cut with iron tools. Scientists date this stone to about the 1st millennium BC.  

There are many images of earlier periods, the Neolithic Era and the Iron Age on the surface of the rock behind the Chuya Deer Stone. Scientists date these images by the type of stuffing. The most ancient images (6-4 millennium BC) were beaten out with stone tools, so they are made very roughly. With the advent of iron tools, images were stuffed with contours. The lines have become thinner and clearer.