Tulguba rock painting

This article presents an overview of a prehistoric Tulguba rock painting discovered by the archaeological expedition of Petrozavodsk State University on the west side of Lake Onega. This is the first rock painting discovered in the Republic of Karelia. Previously known rock paintings of the European part of Russia are located in the northern part of the Kola Peninsula and in the upper reaches of the Vishera River (the Western Urals). The paper focuses on establishing the chronology and identifying the stylistic parallels and possible semantics of the studied rock painting. Comparing the altitude data for the Tulguba rock painting and the prehistoric sites in the lower reaches of the Suna River showed that in 5000-4000 BC the shore of Lake Onega was located directly beside the ancient painting. Location of the rock painting on steep cliff faces looking at the bodies of water is typical for Finnish Neolithic pictographs. Thus, the Tulguba rock painting could be associated with the Neolithic period. The deposit of greenish slate suitable for making stone axes and adzes was found near the painting. Comparison of the Tulguba rock painting with the known similar ochre painting and petroglyphs from Northern Europe suggests that this painting schematically depicts a boat as a curved bottom with so-called “crew lines”.