Dr. Esther Jacobson-Tepfer, recently published a groundbreaking study in the Cambridge Archaeological Journal. It focuses on how elk rock art has been adapted over time in the Mongolian Altai. The research uncovers a significant transformation from realistic depictions of elk to more abstract, wolf-like representations over thousands of years. This change in artistic style is representative of larger environmental and socio-political shifts seen by the region’s ancient residents.
This research underscores the potential for elk, the second-largest members of the Cervidae family, being portrayed in their real-life appearance. Male elk sport enormous antlers that they shed annually. These unmistakable characteristics were central to the initial descriptions of the species. The earliest elk images even painted in caves help depict this history, dating back to the Paleolithic as far as 12,000 years ago. Artists from that time period almost exclusively did these types of artworks in pecked styles.
Historical Context of Elk Depictions
Changes to elk rock art are increasingly defined by historical events. Interestingly, Dr. Jacobson-Tepfer notes that just one set of painted images have made it into modern times.
“There is only one set of painted images that has survived to the present, and they are in the cave known as Khoit Tsenkir, located in Khovd aimag (just south of Bayan Ölgiy).” – Dr. Esther Jacobson-Tepfer
The forbidding environmental conditions of the Altai mountains have rendered these painted figures to be extremely rare. Unfortunately, much of this rock art has long since succumbed to the ravages of time in this harsh environment. The pecked rock art of earlier periods is more prevalent. It does geniusly feature the artistry and cultural significance of elk to ancient societies.
With the arrival of the Bronze Age, fidelity to elk form started to disappear. Artists began to introduce abstracted and stylized forms more boldly into their designs. The artistic style changed completely, often going hand in hand with shifts in paleoenvironment. This change profoundly altered the lifestyles and socio-political hierarchies of the region’s indigenous peoples.
Environmental and Societal Changes
According to Dr. Jacobson-Tepfer’s research, elk rock art is experiencing dramatic changes. These transformations reflect the wider environmental and social changes taking place in the Mongolian Altai. During this time, hunters increasingly found themselves needing to hunt further up into mountainous areas in search of hunting grounds. This process of adaptation was crucial to survival as shifting climates put pressures on wildlife and where they could thrive.
Herders were having a hard time locating enough pastures for their flocks, requiring them to move into new spaces. The socio-political climate of this era is underscored by the significant proliferation of cemeteries. This trend has been made obvious in areas of countries such as the (Russian) Altai or Mongolian valleys.
This interplay between ecology and creative practice is a window into how prehistoric peoples responded to an evolving environment. In tandem with their habitats transforming, so too did their cultural portrayals of important species such as the elk.
The Decline of Elk Imagery
By the Turkic Period, the elk were gone almost entirely from rock art. This absence is a profound loss of artistic expression. It underscores the enormous cultural change that has taken place among the residents of this sprawling region. As places of oppression changed, so too did their cultural representations and forms of protest.
The transition between realistic and more stylized elk images is a great demonstration of artistic style evolving. Just as importantly, it shines a light on how residents engaged with their built environment and each other. Reduced representations of elk may indicate changed hunting practices. Perhaps it symbolizes a shift in our ecological imagination, removing these magnificent animals from the center of our daily lives.