Cultic objects of Northern Asia: towards the problem of definitions

The article discusses the systematization of terminology used for describing the cultic objects. A unique feature of the Northern Asia is the lack of architectural structures associated with ritual activities in the ancient times. The definitions which have been presently used are rather conventional, and there are no generally accepted types of Siberian sanctuaries. The article attempts at differentiating the cultic sites according to their functional purpose and regional features. Different variants of ritual practices of ancient societies could have had different arrangement of the place where the rituals were performed. However, similar components of ritual activities, the traces of which occur at such archaeological sites, make it possible to attribute these sites to various categories of cultic monuments, such as sanctuaries, ritual complexes, sacrificial places, etc.