Study of petroglyphs at the Russian Altai in 2015

The article is devoted to publish of field research results, obtained in the course of on-going international project. The research objects were the rock carvings in the southern Russian Altai - the sites of Kalguty mine and Dzhuramal. Petroglyphs of these sites were pictured on the different rock substance: rhyolite of rock upland in the upper valley of Kalguty River at the Ukok Plateau, and patinated slaty rock outcrops on the right bank of Karagem River. Comparison study of topographic, technological, stylistic, chronological aspects of two complexes allows for the conclusions that regional rock art traditions were original and had the common traits in their distribution. Geomorphological study, aimed to age determination of archaic petroglyphs from the site of Kalguty mine was carried out at the Ukok Plateau for the first time. We conclude that the ice sheet went down quite early (14-10 kya) and rock surface were opened during the Final Pleistocene. Obtained samples of rock surfaces were dated in the laboratories of France, and these results have to objectify these ideas in a future. The continue use wear research of archaic images from Ukok, allows for the conclusion of the preliminary preparation of rock surfaces before the carving of petroglyphs. We made an inventory of all the figures of the complex, including images that were not previously fixed. Also we carried out GIS mapping, description, photo- capturing of images. The complex of modern methods of petroglyphic documentation and study was applied at the Dzhuramal site, investigated around 20 years ago. We put into practice macrophotography and photogrammetry, use wear analysis, fixing the images by digital-skill camera and concluded that bearers of traditional culture had preserved the veneration of sacred rocks with petroglyphs.