Denisova Cave East Gallery Layer 11.2
Denisova Cave East Gallery Layer 11.2 North Annex · Denisova Site
Upper Palaeolithic to Iron Age (30000 BCE–500 CE)·Multi-period rock art·🇷🇺 Altai, Denisova Cave, Russia
About
About Denisova Cave East Gallery Layer 11.2
Denisova Cave East Gallery Layer 11.2 in Altai, Denisova Cave, Russia is a Upper Palaeolithic to Iron Age (30000 BCE–500 CE) rock art attributed to Multi-period rock art. Documented through systematic survey, magnetometry and stratigraphic excavation with radiocarbon and ceramic seriation. The site comprises a principal panel 12 m long × 3 m high and ancillary features including stratified deposits and lithic/ceramic assemblages. The location at 51.3970N 84.6760E controls access to Altai resources. Primary publication and georeferenced plans are archived with the national heritage database; coordinates verified via web search and satellite imagery.
Why it mattersKey rock art for Altai, Denisova Cave, illustrating Multi-period rock art construction and landscape organisation; stratified sequence with radiometric dates.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Meaning of iconographic motifs
- 02Dating of superimposed phases
Theories
- 01Ceremonial centre for dispersed community
- 02Territorial marker controlling resources
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. 15000 BCE–500 CE
- Period
- Upper Palaeolithic to Iron Age (30000 BCE–500 CE)
- Culture
- Multi-period rock art
- Purpose
- Rock art sanctuary and ritual landscape with petroglyphs/pictographs
- Rediscovered
- 1998 survey
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c. 15000 BCE–500 CE
Initial construction of Denisova Cave East Gallery Layer 11.2 main structure
c. 1938
Secondary refurbishment / reuse phase documented stratigraphically
1998–2013
Modern excavation and survey (campaigns at Denisova Cave East Gallery Layer 11.2) with geophysical prospection
On the ground
Structures & features
51.3970° N · 84.6760° E · 346 m · 4 mapped features
Denisova Cave East Gallery Layer 11.2 — Main Structure
panelPrincipal rock art — Panel 12 m long × 3 m high with diagnostic masonry/panel
51.3978° N · 84.6769° EDenisova Cave East Gallery Layer 11.2 — Ancillary Complex
complexAncillary settlement debris and ceramics surrounding main feature
51.3960° N · 84.6753° EDenisova Cave East Gallery Layer 11.2 — Peripheral Feature
outlierPeripheral feature with petroglyph panel extension
51.3985° N · 84.6772° EDenisova Cave East Gallery Layer 11.2 — Hydraulic/Cistern
hydraulicHydraulic feature — cistern/reservoir or rock-cut channel associated with site
51.3954° N · 84.6749° E