Technique of identification of the sequence in rock art palimpsests (on the example of multilayered composition from Oglakhty I)

The article is devoted to the methodological issue of determining the sequence of rock carvings in palimpsests. We consider the main approaches to the study of multilayered compositions in rock art. In recent decades, the researchers have focused mainly on the study ofthe social aspect through the analysis of content and context, the relationship of images to each other and to the environment. Nevertheless, one of the central issues in the study of palimpsests has always been the sequence of paintings and petroglyphs. Studies ofpainted images have made significant progress in recent years, including in terms of methodology and detailed analysis of superimpositions of paintings. Less attention is paid to this aspect in the study of petroglyphs, although the task of identifying the sequence of rock carvings is quite challenging. This article presents the results ofthe analysis ofthe superimpositions ofpetroglyphs in a complex multilayered composition from panel 91 ofthe location of Oglakhty I, in the flooded part ofthe shore ofthe Oglakhty rock massif. At the beginning ofthe 2023 field season, this panel was completely cleared of sand and boulder deposits, which allowed it to be thoroughly studied. The multilayered composition presented on surface 91 is a striking example ofthe Minusinsk style and, at the same time, an excellent example of a palimpsest with images having specific traceological characteristics. The traces of pecking of the considered images have not only a well-readable form, distinguishable from others, but also retain the direction of their location in the lines throughout almost the entire contour. It is these features that are significant when analyzing the superimpositions of petroglyphs. Thus, conclusions are drawn about the sequence of creating images of a part of the composition on panel 91: vertical zoomorphic figures overlap a large horizontal image of a deer. When analyzing the superimpositions of petroglyphs, it is proposed to pay attention to the nature of traces and their orientation in the pecked lines.