Images depicting archers on Cholpon-Ata petroglyphs in Kyrgyzstan

The article is intended to study several images depicting archers embossed on stone boulders, located near the present settlement Cholpon-Ata, which is situated at the northern coast of Issyk-Kul Lake in the Kyrgyz Republic. These anthropomorphous characters are made on the surface of large boulders as a part of hunting scenes, or in a single fashion. The archers are displayed ready for shooting at disproportionally large figures of wild ungulate animals, mountain goats, and argali. They are performed in the animal style traditional for the Saki period Tian Shan petroglyphs supplemented with ornament elements, put on croup or on the largest part of the torso of these wild ungulate animals. Figures of hunters are depicted bearing bows in their hands. The images show compound bows and arrows with tips of different shapes. A single figure of a horseman is displayed riding a horse and holding bow with taken off bowstring, placed in the bow quiver. Weapons, bows, arrows of the ancient archers are shown in a position ready for shooting at various targets or in a stowed position. Bows are shown with concave shoulders in the firing direction and placed bowstrings. Separate bows are shown with shoulders tops oriented towards the firing direction. The tops of several arrows are highlighted. One of such tops is issued in a semicircular ending. Based on these images of bows and arrows, ancient nomads of the Scythian and Saki times in Tian Shan regarded bows and arrows as the main type of hunting weapon, and possibly used them for hunting widely.