Bayan-Undur Kurgan & Deer Stone Field (Khövsgöl)
Bayan-Undur Steppe Burials · Övörhangay Bayan-Öndör Kurgans
Late Bronze to Early Iron (Khirigsuur / Deer Stone-Khirigsuur Complex)·Mongolian Late Bronze pastoral·🇲🇳 Övörhangay Province, Bayan-Öndör District, Mongolia
About
About Bayan-Undur Kurgan & Deer Stone Field (Khövsgöl)
Steppe-forest ecotone kurgan and deer-stone complex (1,580 m, 46°29′28″N 104°07′07″E 46.4912N 104.1186E Bayan-Öndör) bridging Mongolian Khirigsuur (Late Bronze 1300-700 BCE) and deer stone-khirigsuur complex to Sayan. Twelve khirigsuurs 8-18 m diameter with peripheral horse head circles and 6 deer stones (130-220 cm) with flying deer, belt, and weapons engaving, plus slab burial. Ugalz- class deer stones parallel Uushgii Ovoor and Salkhityn Am but southernmost Övörhangay outlier 200 km south of Khövsgöl main. Threatened by Kharkhorin tourism and mining road to Bayankhongor.
Why it mattersSouthernmost deer stone-khirigsuur outlier linking Khövsgöl to Gobi.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Deer stone anthropomorphism
Theories
- 01Horse-head solar ritual
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.1300-700 BCE (Late Bronze to Early Iron)
- Period
- Late Bronze to Early Iron (Khirigsuur / Deer Stone-Khirigsuur Complex)
- Culture
- Mongolian Late Bronze pastoral
- Builders
- Mongolian steppe pastoralists
- Purpose
- Commemorative burial and deer stone ancestor shrine
- Abandoned
- c.600 BCE
- Rediscovered
- 2019 Övörhangay-Khövsgöl deer stone transect
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
2019
12 khirigsuur + 6 deer stones recorded
2021
AMS deer stone 1100-900 BCE
On the ground
Structures & features
46.4900° N · 104.1200° E · 1580 m · 2 mapped features
Bayan-Undur Deer Stone 04 Flying Deer
megalith220-cm granite deer stone with leaping deer and belt
46.4920° N · 104.1200° EBayan-Undur Khirigsuur 07 Horse Circle
khirigsuur18-m khirigsuur with 12-horse head peripheral ring
46.4880° N · 104.1160° E