Dolmens in Kuban Kuban studies in elementary school. Dolmens of the Krasnodar Territory are places of power. Dolmens on the Doguab River
Department of Education and Science Krasnodar region
Krasnodar College of Light Industry
On the history of Kuban
Topic: Dolmens of the Krasnodar region
Student Morozova Elena Mikhailovna
3rd year, correspondence department
specialty 2809/1
code 06 – 12
Introduction
Thousands of monuments are scattered throughout the Krasnodar Territory, which, according to historical and cultural significance stand on a par with the famous Stonehenge and are the same age as the Egyptian pyramids. These are dolmens. For several years now they have attracted the attention of hundreds of people. Most of them are followers of one of the modern religious and mystical movements, which have chosen dolmens as an object of worship. To see ancient buildings with their own eyes and touch the secrets of antiquity, pilgrims travel thousands of kilometers, traveling from the most remote corners of Russia and neighboring countries. The origin of these monuments still remains mysterious. But thanks to archaeological research recent years, we are learning more and more about those who left behind these tombs that compete with nature and time. Just as archaeologists extract ancient artifacts from the ground bit by bit, the daily life of the ancient builders, their technical capabilities and scientific knowledge, their beliefs and customs is revealed to us step by step.
1. Monuments of the past
Dolmens - megalithic tombs, unique monuments of the past, left to us by the peoples of the Caucasus. Their construction began at the turn of the 4th-3rd millennia BC. Dolmens, like guards, stand between the past, present and future, delighting us with their grandeur, which reflects the history of thousands of years.
The giant stone tombs got their name from the Breton (Celtic) tol - table, men - stone, stone table.
Dolmen culture played a significant role in the formation of the Abkhaz-Adyghe ethnic group at its early stage. Megalithic mausoleums entered the vocabulary of the languages of the peoples of the western tip of the Caucasus and their legends. The Mingrelians called dolmens “odzvale”, “sadzvale” (containers of bones), as well as “mdishkude” (houses of giants), the Abkhazians called them “adamra” (ancient burial houses). The Adygs initially used the word “keu-nezh”, which has the same meaning as the Abkhazian “adamra”, and in later times the term “ispyun” (“ispun”, “spyun”), which is translated as the dwarf’s house (“sleep”) "dwarf, "une" house). According to Adyghe legends, dolmens are dwellings built by giants (“nart”, “yenizh”) for the neighboring tribe of dwarfs (“spi”, “tsang”, “tsanna”) out of generosity and pity for defenseless creatures (however, there is an option legends that claim that treacherous dwarfs tricked simple-minded giants into doing this work). Later Adyghe tales claim that the gnomes, like dashing horsemen, crossed the round opening of the dolmen's entrance by jumping out of the cave and jumping inside it riding hares. The Russian-speaking population that appeared in the North-West Caucasus in the 19th century called dolmens “heroic huts”, “didovs” or even “devil’s huts”.
Dolmen culture is widespread in the Western Caucasus, from Taman Peninsula to Abkhazia. It stretches 480 km in length and 30-75 km in width. By the end of 1976, 2,308 dolmens had been discovered. On Black Sea coast Caucasus - 268, of which about 100 are in the Gelendzhik region, with more than 40 in the area of the villages of Pshady and Mikhailovsky Pass.
Analyzing written sources of the 19th-20th centuries, it can be noted that in the Novorossiysk-Gelendzhik region more than half of the megalithic tombs, which are the property of not only Russian but also world culture, were destroyed. The process of their loss continues. Hundreds of dolmens were destroyed during the construction of roads, quarries, housing, during logging, planning hayfields, gardens, destroyed by treasure hunters...
Dolmens brought world archaeological fame to the Western Caucasus and are included in all encyclopedias.
2. Research and classification of dolmens
The areas of distribution of dolmens in the world gravitate towards the World Ocean. Initially, dolmens of India, Palestine and a number of people became known to European science. European countries- France (Brittany), Italy, Greece, Denmark and Scandinavian countries. Dolmens are considered to belong to the Indo-European race. There is a hypothesis according to which the builders of dolmens belonged to a single nation of seafarers. According to another hypothesis, dolmen culture is characteristic of various peoples who had contacts with each other. The famous Soviet dolmen researcher L.I. Lavrov believes that, starting from the second hypothesis, it is possible to explore the question of sea travel ancient Caucasian highlanders, who, although they borrowed, improved the technique of building dolmens. Moreover, since it is now customary to date the construction of the dolmens of the mountain Trans-Kuban region to 2300-2000 BC, that is, consider them to be the same age Egyptian pyramids, Lavrov considers the undoubted fact of the existence in this era of contacts between the builders of dolmens and the builders of the pyramids. This, in his opinion, is supported by the same exceptional concern for the afterlife in both cases.
Dolmens were first discovered in the Western Caucasus by the Russian academician P. S. Pallas in 1793. Driving along the Northern Spit on the Taman Peninsula (near the village of Fontalovskaya), he met the ruins of the Tatar village of Chokrak-Koy, “... and a little further,” he adds in his report, “on a flat hill there are many graves ... with large flat limestone and sandstone-slate slabs placed on edge in oblong quadrangular boxes. Their origin is not Tatar, but, perhaps, Circassian."
In 1818, the French archaeologist Tebu de Marigny discovered a group of dolmens in the Pshady River gorge. In the early 30s of the 19th century, his compatriot Dubois de Montpereux and the Englishman J. Bell discovered several more dolmens between Gelendzhik and Dzhubga, as well as large dolmen groups in the upper reaches of the Abin River; about ten years later, these researchers were the first to publish sketches of the mysterious mausoleums. In the second half XIX century expeditions to dolmens were undertaken by F. S. Bumper (1865-1870), K. D. Felitsyn (1878), who went down in the history of science as the largest expert on dolmens and the discoverer of many dolmen groups in the Kuban region, V. I. Sizov (1888). The pioneer of Kuban local history, teacher of the Ekaterinodar gymnasium V. M. Sysoev, on behalf of the Moscow Archaeological Society, traveled in 1892 to the area where Kuban dolmens were distributed, making one of the first attempts to determine their total number. They wrote about dolmens famous researchers P. S. Uvarov (1891) and L. Ya Apostolov (1897). IN Soviet time they were studied by many scientists, among whom V.I. Markovin, who dedicated 25 scientific publications and 1960-1975, his doctoral dissertation, monograph, and also a popular book, should be noted first of all; L. I. Lavrov, who in 1960 published the most complete catalog of dolmens of the North-Western Caucasus, and the famous Krasnodar archaeologist Professor N. V. Anfimov - his 1957 expedition to the dolmens of the Russian Black Sea region obtained a lot of new information about stone “birdhouses”.
The first most complete catalog of dolmens was compiled by 1960 by L.I. Lavrov (1139 dolmens). He also proposed a classification of dolmens in the Western Caucasus, which exists today with some changes. L.I. Lavrov divided the entire variety of dolmens into four main types.
1. “Ordinary” (tiled dolmen), i.e. the most common type of dolmens. It is “a quadrangular box, each side of which, as well as the roofs and often the bottom, is a separate monolithic slab.”
2. Composite dolmens - with one or more walls made of smaller slabs.
3. Trough-shaped dolmens.
4. Dolmens are monoliths.
IN AND. By 1978, Markovin compiled a catalog of dolmens in the Western Caucasus, numbering about 2308 monuments. He also compiled and published the monograph “Dolmens of the Western Caucasus”, which today is a kind of “bible” for researchers of megaliths of the Western Caucasus. Classification of dolmens according to V.I. Markovin is an expanded version of the above classification by L.I. Lavrova.
I. Tiled dolmens:
1. Structures of a quadrangular plan:
Buildings without openings;
Dolmens with portals;
Dolmens with wide portal projections;
Dolmens have a sharply trapezoidal plan.
2. Structures with a polygonal plan.
II. Composite dolmens:
1. dolmens, imitating the forms of tiled buildings and transitioning to multifaceted structures;
2. dolmens of a multifaceted and round plan;
3. dolmens of complex design;
III. Trough-shaped dolmens:
1. dolmens without a manhole;
2. trapezoidal dolmens;
3. dolmens, carved into rocks, with chambers of various shapes, decorated with portal projections or niches;
4. false portal dolmens;
5. dolmens, similar to monoliths.
IV. Dolmens are monoliths.
In the monograph by V.I. Markovin presents a preliminary diagram of the development of dolmen types and changes in the burial ritual.
A. The oldest type of dolmen buildings are tiled structures, in which the openings are manholes, and individual walls are dry-built with cobblestones. The appearance of such dolmens can be approximately dated back to 2400 BC. (according to the edition for 1997 - by 2700 BC).
Following them, dolmens of the Novosvobodnaya type appear - portal-type structures (with attached slabs at the facade). They are characterized by: an elongated chamber, rectangular and round holes, and the absence of heel stones. Dolmens are often covered with stone and earth embankments. The time of their construction is determined to be approximately 2300 BC. (as amended for 1997 – 2600 BC).
At the same time and somewhat later, dolmens with a chamber of almost square plan appeared, made of slabs of rectangular shape. Their holes are mostly round. By 2100 B.C. (according to the edition for 1997 - by 2500 BC), in the opinion of scientists, monuments of a more clear trapezoidal plan with powerful portal projections appeared, at the same time the mound of Psynako I was erected.
Almost simultaneously with the earliest tiled dolmens, trough-shaped structures without holes appeared, covered with a large slab. Somewhat later, the first composite dolmens appeared. These buildings, with their proportions and external design of the portal part, imitate the shapes and decor of tiled dolmens.
The described monuments were intended mainly for individual burials, less often - 2-3 dead bodies, placed in a crouched position, with a strong dusting of ocher.
Alone among the early monuments stands a multifaceted dolmen (Fars River), which, one can assume, is almost synchronous with the Novosvobodnaya tombs.
B. The heyday of dolmen culture occurred in the first half of the 2nd millennium BC. (according to the edition of 1997 - at the end of the 3rd - first half of the 2nd millennium BC). At this time, tiled buildings with a trapezoidal plan and profiles with clear proportions became widespread. The trapezoidal shape gave the dolmens greater stability and made it easier to assemble the walls and build the ceilings. The holes take on various shapes (from round to arched). Carefully made heel stones appear under the dolmen slabs. Many buildings are leaned against the slopes, there is no embankment above them (sometimes they are slightly recessed into the slopes and hills).
In addition to tiled dolmens, composite and trough-shaped structures are becoming relatively widespread. Their shape and external design are directly dependent on tiled buildings. Trough-shaped dolmens are carved in huge rocks, giving them the appearance of a dolmen only from the facade, and in fragments of rocks, processing them from all sides. Probably, by the end of this period, dolmens close to monoliths appeared.
Funeral rites are changing. Already in some of the later portal dolmens, “sessile” skeletons were discovered. Now this method of burial - placing the dead in the corners and in the center of dolmen chambers - is becoming the most common. The amount of ocher on the bones is kept to a minimum.
B. The late period of dolmen culture falls in the middle and beginning of the second half of the 2nd millennium BC. (according to the 1997 edition - in the middle of the 2nd millennium BC). Tiled dolmens lose their clear proportions. Probably, at this time, trough-shaped dolmens with chambers of round outlines and in the form of a jug, as well as false portal structures, appeared. Among the composite dolmens there are buildings with overhanging blocks (with a false arch), a round plan and with a facade made of individual polished stones. Towards the end of this period, dolmens - monoliths - appear. Many of the dolmens were used at this time (according to the 1997 edition - by 1400 BC) for secondary burials as a kind of ossuary. By this time, they stopped building, and the construction of dolmens stopped earlier in the territory of modern Abkhazia, and then in the Kuban region.
Some patterns can be identified in the location of dolmens on the ground. As a rule, they were built only in the forest (the only known exceptions are the dolmens discovered on the Tuzla and Fontalovsky capes of the Taman Peninsula, as well as dolmens in the vicinity of the village of Ulyap). The altitude of most dolmens ranges from 250-400 m above sea level. A striking single exception is the dolmen on the Mesetsu ridge (1029 m above sea level).
Dolmens were erected on flat areas of forest slopes, on watershed ridges, on flat peaks low mountains(for example, the well-known dolmens on the top of Mount Nexis near Gelendzhik). With their facades (portals) they face the lower side of the slope, towards the river, and always in the sunny direction (very few dolmens are known that face the north with their facade, but even in these cases there is reason to think that they are facing towards more illuminated clearing).
Some researchers who tried to determine the side of the world to which the facades of the dolmens predominantly faced came to the conclusion that the builders of these structures were guided, first of all, by the idea of best “fitting” the mausoleum into the landscape. But it seems to us that compliance with the above principles (façade towards descent, river, sun) automatically led to compliance with aesthetic criteria.
Dolmens are always confined to the river basin. Abkhaz scientists (Ts.N. Bzhania and others) compared the diagram of ancient cattle routes with the area of dolmens and came to the conclusion that the carriers of the dolmen culture knew how to use simple passes.
All dolmen slabs and blocks were individually fitted and fastened together using grooves. But perhaps the most surprising thing is that some buildings have real storm drainage. Material for construction was taken from quarries, which were usually located somewhere nearby. For example, in the valley of the Zhane River, stone was taken 600 m from the construction site. But distances were not such a difficult problem for Bronze Age builders. It is known that for the construction of the world famous Stonehenge, stone was delivered several tens of kilometers away. Many people believe that ordinary people cannot do this. But in practice it turned out that blocks in the range of 20-30 tons are amenable to human power - both processing and moving. At the end of the 19th century, the French experimented with whether a block of 32 tons could be dragged. About 200 people dragged him along the logs using ropes. The megalith builders could carry slabs weighing 320 tons (this is the weight of the largest European menhir - it was carved into the rock, but for some reason was never transported). The most difficult thing is to chop off a slab or block of the required size. A very interesting method was used to split the slabs. Shallow oval notches were made on the workpiece. Then they took a bronze tape 2 times longer than the depth of the notches, bent it in half and placed the fold in the hole and carefully hammered a wooden or metal wedge between the walls (strips) of the tape, alternately in each of the notches. Gradually the stone cracked exactly along the line marked by the notches. And thus, blocks of the required size were obtained.
The blanks were transported to the future construction site with the help of bulls and wooden drags. Here the stone was subjected to final processing. They did this with the help of bronze and stone tools. If one of you ever visits dolmens, take a closer look: on the surface of the carefully hewn slabs you can see traces of the work of ancient craftsmen. Long, narrow nicks are made with a bronze tool, and “pock marks” (round ones) are made with a stone tool (a sledgehammer or a stone chipper). The chipping technique is called “picketage”. The inner and outer surfaces of the dolmen chamber are usually processed using picketage.
Perhaps during construction they used length measures such as cubit, palm, etc. The construction module most likely served as the diameter of the hole in the facade wall. In that distant era, people were already familiar with mathematics, because to create such a design required the most complex mathematical calculations. Especially for dolmens that are round in plan. They are made up of small blocks arranged in several tiers, tapering from the base and forming something like a false vault. Each block in such a building represents a segment of a circle. The length of these segments had to be calculated so that in the end, during assembly, the result would be exactly what was intended. And the thought involuntarily arises whether we have the right to consider the ancient peoples primitive, standing at a lower level of mental development than you and I.
3. Dolmens of Gelendzhik
In the Gelendzhik area, 23 points with 82 dolmens were explored, of which about 50 have survived to this day.
Let's take a look at some of them that are most accessible to visit. In the saddle of the ridge between the Nexis and Dolmen mountains, village. Svetly, southeast of Gelendzhik, there are two dolmens, one tiled (“big Aderbievsky”) and a block one with ornaments on the walls (“small Aderbievsky”).
The first one is made of massive slabs of gray sandstone and has a quadrangular shape. The front slab (height 1.95 m) has a large hole with a diameter of about 46 cm. All slabs are installed on a heel stone. The side ones have grooves for joining with the front and rear plates. The front slab is 3.60 m long, 3.22 m wide at the front and 2.70 m at the rear, 0.45 m thick, sanded from the bottom and sides, and has grooves for fastening to the slabs. The side slabs have buttresses that support them, preventing the building from collapsing. The dolmen is oriented to the southwest. In 1972, archaeologist V.I. Markovin carried out excavations and discovered: three specimens of rough stone tools made of quartzite, resembling disks or scrapers, apparently used for marking; ceramics: fragment of a smoothly bent rim of a black clay vessel; a fragment of a small handle, oval in cross-section, smeared into a special hole made in the body of the vessel, which had a spherical shape, more elongated proportions; fragments of vessels with a pear-shaped body; oval-shaped bronze temple pendant, one and a half turns; a rather neatly cut piece of tubular bone with an angular cutout. Items were found in the portal part of the dolmen.
The second, composite dolmen, is located east of the tiled one when climbing Mount Dolmen. It combines the features of tiled and composite structures. Some of its stones are processed in the form of L-shaped blocks. It has a trapezoidal chamber in plan (2.23 x 2.10-1.80 m with a height of 1.60-1.40 m). The front plate is supported by grooves in the side blocks that form portal projections. It has dimensions of 2.10 x 1.20 x O.32-0.30 m and is equipped with cuts along the edges into which the ends of the L-shaped blocks fit. The round hole, 0.40 m in diameter, is located quite low. The top of the front slab was once covered with a large block. Its base rests on a wide stone, forming a platform in front of the dolmen and part of its floor. Inside, the walls were carefully processed with a tool that left wave-like marks. Its walls are covered with relief battlements and zigzag cuts. Outside, the dolmen blocks support 9 buttress stones. A ceiling made of a massive slab measuring 3.00 x 3.20 x 0.30-0.40 m around the dolmen reveals the contours of the stone tower-like structure in which it was once enclosed. Its excavations were carried out by an expedition of the Committee for the Protection and Restoration of Historical and Cultural Values (Heritage) of the Krasnodar Territory at the beginning of 2003.
The area where the dolmens are located offers a beautiful panorama. In the south is the valley of the Mezyb and Aderba rivers, flowing into the sea near the village of Divnomorskoye, in the west you can see the resort of Gelendzhik and Mount Doob. In the north, beyond the valley of the Shebs River, stretches the Main Caucasus ridge, in the east the road to the Mikhailovsky Pass winds like a snake. The tiled dolmen in the area of the village is very interesting. Wide Gap southeast of Gelendzhik, in the valley of the Shebs River, where it is located on the edge of a river cliff. Its front slab is decorated with a U-shaped ornament - two columns support a single-tier ceiling, above which there are pairs of small rounded protuberances resembling female breasts on the left and right. The round hole is decorated along the edge with a protruding border for a tighter fit of the sleeve (plug).
At the entrance to the village of Vozrozhdenie (located in the southeast of Gelendzhik), on the left side of the road there is a rural cemetery. On the hillock between it and the road stands a beautifully crafted tiled dolmen. The grooves connecting the walls are carefully processed. His condition is critical. Currently, the buttresses on both sides and the rear wall have been lost. The front wall has cracked and fragments have been lost. This is the result of fires being lit at the entrance to the dolmen. In the modern cemetery there is another one - without a lid and interesting because on the side slab there is a protrusion for supporting the slab - a canopy over the entrance.
Then we follow the route, and we find ourselves in the valley of the Zhane River, where until 1917 there was a hunting estate of Prince A.P. Oldenburg, a relative of the Russian imperial family, a general of the Russian army, and a public figure late XIX- beginning of the 20th century. He was known as a patron of medical science, a trustee of educational institutions, and shelters.
Here, two groups of dolmens are of particular interest.
The first group consists of three dolmens located in a row, at a distance of 20 m from each other and oriented with facades with slight deviations to the southeast, that is, down the slope towards the river. Each of the dolmens was surrounded on three sides, excluding the facade part, by a turf embankment of river boulders, reaching the level of the dolmen roof. The diameter of the embankment around the central and westernmost dolmens reaches 20 m. The embankment around the easternmost dolmen is smaller - about 10-12 m in diameter.
The western dolmen of the group is a structure surrounded by an embankment, almost circular in plan, built from large sandstone blocks carefully processed and fitted to each other, to which is adjacent, to the façade, a portal structure and a paved courtyard, fenced with walls and a creped. Its façade (opening) is oriented to the south. The foundation (floor) slab was round in shape, about 3.3 m in diameter and 0.4 m thick. The walls were made of blocks in three tiers. They are given a curved shape so that when assembled they form a closed ring. The internal diameter at the floor is 2.56 m, and at the ceiling level - 2.30 m. The sizes of the blocks vary in length from 2.4 m to 1.4 m; in height - 0.65 m to 0.45 m; in thickness - from 0.4 to 0.6 m. The height of the chamber at the facade slab is 1.8 m. The diameter of the hole is 0.42 m. The floor slab has not been preserved, but according to indirect data, it could have been approximately 4.5 m long and 3.8 m wide, and covered both the chamber and the portal of the dolmen. The western and eastern walls of the portal were 2.2 m apart from each other, and its depth was 1.1 m. Five of the six blocks from it have survived. The dolmen is surrounded on three sides by an embankment with a diameter of about 20 m, which is made of river boulders and was about 1.5 m high at the time the excavations began. Four buttresses made of massive blocks are attached to the walls at an angle. In front of the façade part of the dolmen, adjacent to it, there is a wide courtyard, almost semi-circular in plan, paved with flat boulders and fragments of slabs, with an area of about 120 sq.m. it is separated from the embankment by two walls, folded in several tiers of massive and unprocessed blocks, about 5 years long. .5 m each. Smoothly curved in plan, the walls adjoin one end to the side slabs of the dolmen in the portal part, and the opposite to the semicircular in plan crepida made of obliquely laid slabs, enclosing the courtyard area in front of the facade. During the clearing of the dolmen and the courtyard in front of its facade, about 200 different finds were discovered, mainly fragments of ceramics, about 59 fragments of human bones, a small number of animal bones, a spindle whorl, a bronze spear tip, a bronze plaque with an eye, a bronze spiral piercing, a bronze bracelet , bronze temple ring, iron spear tip, flint core. The eastern dolmen is also a round building, installed on a foundation consisting of three slabs laid parallel to each other on a specially prepared leveled area. The slab under the facade of the dolmen has a segment-shaped shape, 2.9 m long, 1.7 m wide and 0.35 m thick. The slab under the back of the dolmen is also segment-shaped: length - 2.8 m, maximum width - 1.05 m, thickness - 0.35 m, central rectangular slab - length 2.9 m, width - 1 m, thickness - 0.35 m.
The walls of the dolmen are made of 18 carefully processed sandstone blocks, laid in three tiers. Their sizes range in length from 1.75 to 0.8 m, in height from 065 to 0.45 m, in thickness from 0.45 to 0.25 m. A round hole with a diameter of 0.42 m, oriented to the southeast , i.e. facade towards the descent to the Zhane River. The dolmen is covered with a slab of an elongated irregular hexagonal shape with rounded corners. Its maximum length is 2.49 m and a width of 2.42 m and a thickness of 0.40 m. The dolmen is adjoined on all sides by an embankment, the main elements of which are buttresses (a lining of large specially processed stones) and a cobblestone paving of the courtyard in front of the façade of the dolmen.
The area (yard) in front of the dolmen was from 1.8 m wide to 5.5 m at a distance of 4.4 m from the facade. Probably, the embankment covered the entire dolmen up to the ceiling, excluding the facade part. During the clearing of the building and the embankment, about 1,200 different finds were discovered: fragments of ceramics, several human bones, a small number of animal bones, fragments and entire objects of bronze and iron, two glass beads. By architectural features and construction techniques, round in terms of construction, Janet’s groups are closer to false-dome structures of the thick-shaped type (tholos - from the Greek “vault”, dome).
Between them there is an almost square dolmen, made of four carefully processed slabs. The façade is slightly trapezoidal in shape, 1.8 m high, the base is 2.8 m long, the top edge is 2.6 m long and has a maximum thickness of 0.44 m. The slab is given a convex shape. At 0.3 m from the bottom edge of the slab there is a round hole with a diameter of 0.4 m. A U-shaped relief ornament is applied to the outer surface of the slab - two columns support a two-tier ceiling (support height 1 m, floor length 2.1 m).
The side walls have the same dimensions: length - 3.9 m, height of the portal projections - 1.7 m, height of the opposite portal sides - 1.58 m, thickness - 0.43 m. The ends on the side of the facade are decorated with three rows of vertical parallel zigzags. The side walls protrude beyond the façade slab by 0.68 m along with the ceiling and. The floor slab forms a portal. The inner surface of the chamber walls is decorated with an embossed pattern in the form of a horizontal row of hanging triangles (side and front plates) and a zigzag (rear plate). The ornament forms a continuous border of approximately 60 cm, approximately 16-17 tons. It is oriented to the southeast.
Thanks to the painstaking, long-term and hard work of archaeologists of the West Caucasus Archaeological Expedition of the Institute of the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Russia) Saint Petersburg) in 1997 and 1999, under the leadership of Candidate of Historical Sciences V.A. Trifonov, numerous visitors to the monument today have a rare opportunity to see, instead of forest-covered ruins, the ancient crypts of the Zhane River valley that have regained their monumentality. Particularly impressive is the vast (about 300 sq.m.) courtyard paved with slabs and boulders, adjacent to the façade of the central dolmen. In terms of the originality of the monumental architecture, the decorative design of the burial chamber and the degree of preservation of the monument, this dolmen complex has no equal within the entire Western Caucasus.
In the second group there is a small tiled dolmen with a hole not in the front, but in the back wall (with a secret entrance). All that remains of the remaining tiled dolmens are just ruins of slabs. Around you can see several hundred medieval mounds located on both banks of the river.
Half of all dolmens in Gelendzhik are concentrated in the valley of the Pshada River. They became known at the beginning of the 19th century and are mentioned in all publications dedicated to the Black Sea coast. Now there are 9 known places where dolmens have been preserved.
The most popular are the dolmens located at the confluence of the Pshady and Doguab rivers. One of the largest dolmens in the Krasnodar Territory, located on the slope of a hill, near the Novorossiysk-Sukhumi highway. It belongs to the tiled structures of a trapezoidal shape and has the following dimensions: the front slab is 1.97 m high, 2.10 m long at the top, 2.85 m long at the bottom, and 0.37 m thick; the back plate is 1.76 m high, 1.67 m long at the top, 2.47 m long at the bottom and 0.40 m thick; side slabs - northern height - 1.75 m, length at top - 2.0 m, bottom - 4.40 m, thickness 0.40 m, southern - height - 1.75 m, length at top - 2.0 m, bottom - 4.37 m and thickness - 0.35 m; The dimensions of the ceiling are 4.62 m long, 2.90 m wide, and 0.40 m thick. It is made of massive sandstone slabs and has changed a lot over the past 100 years. Instead of a round hole, an opening was cut in the front wall. The slabs turned red and cracked due to fires being lit inside the chamber and next to the walls. Everything around is trampled by numerous sightseers and tourists. Going a little lower down the slope you can examine two tiled dolmens of a trapezoidal shape, also made of massive sandstone slabs, carefully fitted to each other, and one is relatively small.
Moving along the left bank of the Pshada River to its upper reaches, 4 km from the village of Pshada between the Panasov and Kalusov crevices, dolmens are located on a small flat hill covered with deciduous trees. The Pshada River flows from the west, there is a ravine from the north, a small saddle on the southern and eastern sides, the entire area occupied by buildings is 1000 sq.m. There are nine buildings in this area. Eight dolmens lined up in two rows parallel to the river bank. The ninth dolmen is completely destroyed, the third and fourth - partially.
They belong to tiled buildings, the first type of dolmens. Their chamber is quadrangular in shape, composed of individual monolith slabs, covered on top with a powerful floor slab. The floor slabs simultaneously serve as the heel slabs of the structure. The chambers have a trapezoidal shape not only in plan, but in longitudinal and cross sections. The top plates are rectangular in shape. There are round and oval holes in the front walls. The facades of the dolmens are oriented to the west and southwest, towards the bed of the Pshada River. Their total height ranges from 1.60 m to 2.05 m, length from 2.50 to 3.60 m, width in the front part -1.65 - 1.70 m.
Dolmens are typically portal monuments - the side slabs protrude strongly forward. Additional slabs are attached to dolmen No. 6. The front slab of the dolmen M>7 is decorated with wavy incised lines. Excavations carried out in 1972 inside and around the dolmens made it possible to establish that funeral feasts were held in the portal part in front of the facade. There is an interesting collection of ceramics typical of the dolmen culture of the Western Caucasus. It is kept in the State Historical Museum.
Of interest is the trough-shaped dolmen, located on the north-eastern outskirts of the village of Pshada near the sawmill, at the beginning of Skupkova Gap. It was hewn from a large free-standing block of sandstone (3.80 x 2.57 m). A truncated oval-shaped chamber is carved into it. In longitudinal section it has the shape of a trapezoid. The hole is oval (0.34-0.37 m) and oriented to the north. The facade is decorated with portal projections located on the sides of a flat trapezoidal wall with a platform in front of it. The ceiling had a subrectangular shape (3.70 x 2.70 x 0.45 m). 50 years ago there were two more trough-shaped and a dolmen-monolith nearby, of which nothing remains. Nearby there are picturesque rocks.
On the watershed of the Pshada and Tekos rivers, in the mountains, there is the tract Tsygankov aul. Dolmens are built on a rocky ridge, stretched out in a chain. In 1916 G.N. Sorkhin recorded 18 dolmens. Only seven are completely preserved.
Tsygankov aul is interesting because it had buildings of various designs - ordinary tiled, block, two trough-shaped. They have stone embankments and retaining slabs to the side walls. The front and rear plates are square and trapezoidal in shape. The side walls and floor slabs protrude forward, forming a portal. Round holes are cut into the front plates.
The block dolmens are of particular interest. There is a dolmen here, the side walls of which consist of two blocks each. The other has side walls consisting of 5-6 slabs, laid flat on top of each other. The front and right walls of the third dolmen are composed of several rows of small blocks. Another structure has a side wall slab built on with a narrow block. This is a typical example of the degradation of architecture at the end of dolmen construction.
4. Modern research and projects
Work continues on the study of megalithic monuments left to us as a legacy by peoples who lived 5,000 years ago. They, obeying an unknown tradition and faith, carved out details of fantastic structures in the quarries of the Western Caucasus, which became part of the unique Caucasian landscape. A long-term international program has been developed for the study, restoration and use of dolmens of the Caucasus, which includes the following areas of research: intensive archaeological exploration of specially selected regions with a maximum concentration of monuments in Krasnodar region and the Republic of Adygea; landscape studies using Geographic Information System: (GIS) to analyze spatial relationships between dolmens, settlements of their creators and resources; testing of monuments, including electronic probing, to determine their chronology and function; architectural measurements of megaliths and creation of a computer database that meets European standards for inventory and accounting; collection and analysis of paleobotanical, mineral and other samples necessary for the reconstruction of climate, landscape, life support systems, economic activity and specialization of the population groups that created the megaliths; ethno-archaeological reconnaissance in areas of settlement of the indigenous population to collect comparative ethnographic material, development of methods for restoration and museification of dolmens.
For several years, expeditions have been working in the Gelendzhik territorial district to study dolmens: the Institute of the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg), under the leadership of Candidate of Historical Sciences V.A. Trifonova - in the valley of the Zhane River; Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow), under the leadership of Candidate of Historical Sciences B.V. Meleshko - in the village. Arkhipo-Osipovka; Committee for the Protection, Restoration and Exploitation of Historical and Cultural Values (Heritage) of the Krasnodar Territory, under the leadership of the chief specialist of the archeology department D.E. Vasilinenko - in the saddle between the peaks of the Nexis and Dolmen mountains, in the area of the village. Light.
A huge amount of work has been carried out to verify archaeological monuments, clarifying the number of dolmens, their location, and current condition. On February 24, 2004, by order No. 22-p of the Committee for the Protection, Restoration and Exploitation of Historical and Cultural Values (Heritage) of the Krasnodar Territory, a list of identified objects was approved cultural heritage, including archeological monuments of the Gelendzhik territorial district. The first park of Caucasian dolmens in Russia is being created in the valley of the Zhane River in the Gelendzhik region. Work on the project has been carried out since 1997 by the West Caucasus Expedition of the IHMC RAS (St. Petersburg) with the assistance of the Committee for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Krasnodar Territory and the regional forest protection service. The project involves experts in the study and reconstruction of ancient megalithic monuments from Holland, Denmark, the USA and France.
It is planned to create in the picturesque valley of the Zhane River archaeological park with total area 100 hectares. The main archaeological sites of the park will be three groups of dolmens, a Bronze Age quarry and burial mounds, a medieval burial mound and a settlement. The compact location of the monuments and the favorable combination of their scientific, cultural and historical merits with the picturesque surrounding landscape and developed local infrastructure create the possibility of functioning protected area simultaneously in park, museum, cultural, educational and scientific center.
Conclusion
The preservation of dolmens, world-class monuments, is a matter of culture, national heritage, conscience and public opinion. The man of the third millennium must reach a higher level of his development, relying on the experience of the past, respect cultural traditions past generations, preserve the memory of ancestors. Do not destroy, but restore historical and cultural monuments, because without the past there is no present, and there will be no future.
List of sources used
1. V.N. Ratushnyak. Essays on the history of Kuban from ancient times to 1920. Textbook. manual: Krasnodar, 1996.
2. B.A. Three brothers. Native Kuban. Pages of history. Educational manual: Krasnodar, 2003.
3. Kasyanov V.V. History of Kuban from ancient times to the end of the twentieth century. Textbook for higher educational institutions: Krasnodar, 2004.
4. E.I. Narozhny. Archaeological discoveries in Kuban 2004. Reference manual: Rostov-on-Don, 2005.
One of the main tourist attractions are the Dolmens of the Krasnodar region. A dolmen (from Breton tol - table and men - stone) is a type of ancient structure found on the coast, presumably for temple or funerary purposes, made of stone slabs or carved out of rock.
The most ancient dolmens are more than 6 thousand years old. The corresponding culture existed for 2-3 thousand years. I must say that dolmens North Caucasus belong to a separate archaeological culture, and should not be confused with African or Far Eastern ones. These are round or square structures made of solid sandstone slabs large mass, or hollowed out in rock ledges. They have an entrance portal. The purpose of dolmens is still controversial among archaeologists. Some say that these are ancient temples, others - that they are sites for meditation, and still others - that they are burial grounds. Local legends and stories tell of mountain and forest spirits who live here and ensure that travelers respect nature. What is certain is that their harsh archaic beauty annually attracts the interest of many tourists. In addition to dolmens, there are many groups of stone steles scattered throughout the area, presumably for ritual purposes. In general, dolmens are found on the coasts of Europe and Africa. There are more than 2,500 of them in the Caucasus. We will talk about the most famous dolmens of the Krasnodar region among tourists.
Dolmen in the Kuapse Valley
It can be found in the picturesque Mamedov Gorge in Sochi national park. This dolmen is in the shape of a trapezoid, 4 meters high, which is carved directly into the rock in an orientation to the south. Since it is located 2 km from the village of Lazarevskoye, it is the easiest to get here. However, despite the proximity to modern housing, the attraction is quite clean. In front of the dolmen there is a ritual platform covered with stone. And on the front plate there are some patterns carved.
The dolmen itself is not the largest, but the simplicity of the road to it makes the monument one of the most visited. The internal space is small - 168 cm (precisely measured).
There are many rumors and legends associated with the dolmen. They say that on the days of the summer and winter solstice, the compass needle goes crazy, and the sun's rays fall directly on the center of the megalith. They also say that at night, during windy weather, a barely audible sound comes from the stone. Some tourists experience peace and tranquility next to the dolmen, although who is in the mood for what?
A tourist can get here by public transport(stop “Mamedka”). You can take a tour, but if you go yourself, you won’t lose much. The gorge itself, where the dolmen is located, is also quite interesting and covered with many legends that any local resident will definitely tell you about.
Not far from the previous one, also in the Sochi National Park, there is another interesting and accessible dolmen. It is located on the banks of the Svir River on the slope of a ridge not far from its second waterfall. This is a single megalith of the same shape, hollowed out in a single piece of sand rock. You can visit the site with a tour or on your own, since the route is equipped with fences and signs. In addition to the archaeological sites, ecotourists will be interested in visiting the many surrounding waterfalls and beautiful mountain views. The portal has irregular geometric shapes. The camera had long been clogged with earth. An interesting tradition is that there are always fresh flowers here. This is one of the most ancient dolmens - it has stood for more than 6 thousand years! The roof of the building has already collapsed, and a beech tree has grown on it.
Dolmen in the village of Dzhubga
Another large megalith, which is not difficult for an ordinary tourist to visit, is located on the Dzhubga River in the former Centrosoyuz sanatorium, just a kilometer from the sea. The dimensions of the monument are 2.5x3.5x4. In front of the dolmen, an ancient sacred stone platform was erected for some mysterious religious purposes. Due to its ease of visit and authentic appearance, the monument is one of the most famous among visitors. It was built 1500 years later than the previous ones, although the architectural style has changed little during this time.
Not far from the village of Ubinskaya, on the left bank of the Ubin-Su River, next to the children’s camp, there is another dolmen. In general, there used to be several of them here, but not everyone knew that this was a valuable monument. As a result, when scientists paid attention to this place, there was nothing special to protect. We had to build it again. In general, the dolmen is a new building (2nd millennium BC) and also restored.
Not far from here (no more than 2 km) on the watershed ridges there are several smaller dolmens. Since you are here anyway, then to the south, on another spur of the same ridge you can see ancient stones - altars (well, most likely). These are monoliths of regular shape and with a carved altar.
It is also located next to the sea on the Godlik stream. Built somewhere 4-5 thousand years ago. Ancient builders carved it out of the sandy rock. The dimensions are not the smallest: 17x7.4x6m. Inside there is a rectangular room. You can climb entirely into the portal for photography or just for fun. True, the room inside turns out to be smaller than the entrance. The dolmen is oriented to the southeast.
I must say that the dolmen looks very impressive against the backdrop of the surrounding mountain landscapes and gorges. The monument is generally unique in that it is the only one in this area. Such structures are rare for the North Caucasus, so don’t miss it.
Dolmens on Mount Seregai
Near the Breeze gardening partnership, on the banks of the Ozereyka River, the engineers of the past decided not to limit themselves to just one dolmen. The complex includes three monuments in different states. The architectural composition of the landmark is distinguished by its rounded shapes. The building material was large stone blocks hewn into the rock. The towers stand in a semicircle, and the area in front of them is covered with natural stone. Around the towers there are ancient burials of a later period. In 1986 and 1987, an expedition from the Novorossiysk Museum (led by A.P. Kononenko) was sent to the complex. After this, the archaeological site was restored by A.V. Dmitriev. Apparently there was something like a temple here, however, we’ll leave guesses to knowledgeable people. The complex is protected by the state and is open to tourists.
Dolmens near the village of Aderbievka
A couple more monoliths were erected on the top of Honey Mountain, rising above the left bank of the Aderba River. The area around the dolmens is not cleaned and is overgrown with bushes, which gives the attraction a natural look. Dolmens differ in the method of construction. One is made of massive stone slabs 2m high. Its foundation is a huge solid processed stone, and there is a ledge in front of the entrance.
Its neighbor is located further down the slope in the east, about 400 meters higher. It is oriented to the south and is made of hewn stone-bricks. The dolmen has a height of 1.7 m. The slabs have a pattern of rows of wavy lines. Both monuments were built in the first half of the 2nd millennium BC. However, the difference in the method of construction suggests different time works (or the architect's sudden insight).
In any case, visiting this place, you will be able to see two different types dolmens at the same time. Archaeologists in 1972 found Bronze Age artifacts and Scythian things inside the dolmens. It is believed that these things came here later with migration flows and the arrival of other peoples.
Dolmens on the Doguab River
Several ancient buildings can be visited on the road from Sochi to Novorossiysk. There are two tiled dolmens about 2 meters high in good condition. One stands in a quince orchard on a dominant peak. The second one can be found to the right of the road in a dense forest overgrown with bushes and vines. Another artifact of a past of unknown purpose was discovered nearby.
The surrounding mountains contain many archaic artifacts from past centuries. However, many of them are difficult to access and unexplored. If you value attractions that are not spoiled by civilization by crowds of tourists, contact local travel companies.
Dolmens of Nikhetkh
There are nine dolmens on this ridge. They all have the same material and construction method. Most of them are in a greater or lesser state of destruction.
The tour begins with three ruined monuments. The first one is made of sandstone slabs. Time did not spare him - only the portal remained standing. The side and back walls have gone underground, and the Entrance hole is located exactly at the surface. The next one is built from blocks. All that was left of it, too, were ruins. In fact, you can only see the remains of the front wall. The third dolmen of this group, most likely trough-shaped, is completely covered with a layer of earth. Only the tops of the eastern and southern walls can be seen.
Fifty meters from the first three there is another group of dolmens. Three of them are located within sight, the rest are a little further away.
The first pair of dolmens of this group is preserved in good condition. There are even grommets for entry. Dolmens are built from sand slabs. Material - sandstone. Dolmens are a recognized archaeological monument.
The third dolmen of the described complex is also made of sand slabs. He is half buried underground. The lid is missing, as is the ceiling.
Another dolmen is atypical. It does not and never had a portal. The structure consists of four walls without a ceiling or ceiling. Perhaps this is unfinished.
The last dolmen here is also half destroyed. Part of the side walls and the front slab are sticking out. The entrance inside is already covered with earth.
Dolmens of the Chukhukt River
Along the river there are six trough-shaped dolmens, differing in shape and size, but built in the same way.
The first tiled dolmen can be found right at the beginning of the path. It consists of four walls without a roof. The portal measures 2x2 meters. There is an entrance in the center. The roof probably cracked and fell inward.
The next dolmen was discovered only in 2003. Before that, it was completely buried underground. One of the walls is best preserved. The rest disintegrated into separate stones and went into the ground. Poor preservation is explained by the thinness of the slabs from which it was made. The interior has the shape of a semi-oval. The dolmen is filled with stone chips, earth and water.
Nearby there is another dolmen in good condition. It has a whole roof and walls. The monument is a rare example of a dolmen with two portals located opposite each other. It's pretty large building with a ritual area lined with stones around and a courtyard enclosed by an ancient fence. Archaeologists found drawings and ancient writings on the inner surface. During excavations, the structure was somewhat damaged by construction equipment, and part of the wall now lies nearby.
A little higher along the ridge there is another dolmen complex. Three monuments are in relatively good condition. The roof of the first one has been removed from its base and lies nearby. The inner chamber has a rectangular shape. The entrance is an elongated ellipse. The portal is not fully processed and is a wild stone. About 20 meters from the first one there is another one. The inner chamber has a similar shape and is almost completely covered with earth. The cover has also been removed and lies nearby. The entrance hole is the same as the previous one, and the portal stone is also untreated.
The latest megalith is distinguished by better detailing of the portal slab and the presence of a well-hewn entrance. The lid has also been thrown to the side. The interior space is filled with earth and small stones, overgrown with bushes and grass. Apparently, this dolmen was prepared with the greatest care.
It is likely that all three structures were looted, since their covers have been removed and lie nearby. Near the buildings there is a ritual triolite. Signs are painted on the surface of the stone, presumably related to the cult of sun worship.
Dolmens in the vicinity of the village of Tatyanovka
A group of four monuments was built near Mount Arosh, near the village of Tatyanovka, on the banks of the Psezuapse River. It is not easy for a tourist to get to these places; everything is covered with forest and thickets of wild bushes. If you don’t want to get lost, talk about this topic with local residents. The people here are good-natured and ready to show the way to the traveler. However, even knowing the right place, it will not be so easy to discover some ruins. All dolmens are made of sandy rock and each has traces of past centuries.
The first one is in moderate condition: the eastern wall has sagged and crumbled, the western wall has almost completely sunk into the ground, the lid is split into two halves in the middle. The front slab is already heavily buried under a layer of soil and the entrance hole is partially covered. The height above the surface is just over a meter. However, the building is not very large - only 2 meters in length.
Not far away, a couple of tens of meters away, there is another dolmen. You may not see it due to dense vegetation, so keep your eyes peeled. It is also partially buried. However, of the entire group, this structure is the best preserved - thanks to the long-standing burial underground of the back and side slabs. But the place where the front wall should be remains empty. An irregular cross is carved on the lid - evidence of the late Christian era.
To the north of the first two are the remains of the remaining monuments. Their independent search will be particularly challenging due to poor condition. All the walls were split into small fragments and scattered throughout the area. As a guide, one of them has an intact top slab. Also, there are two walls from different structures nearby. In general, if you search purposefully, you can find it.
Dolmens near the Kizinka farm
Located on the river of the same name and in the surrounding mountains the whole city dolmens It was probably some kind of sacred or prestigious site of ancient culture, or a densely populated region. The only fact remains that scientists have already found more than half a thousand similar structures here.
These places have been the object of attention of historians since at least the end of the 19th century. A comprehensive study was carried out in 1967-1971 by an expedition from the Institute of Archeology of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Professor V.I. did a huge job of description and systematization here. Markovin. All structures were created from local limestone rocks. Dolmens of all shapes, types, sizes and dates of construction are presented here. This is one of the largest such complexes in the world and the largest in the region. This in itself is of interest. Interested tourists can visit these places completely free of charge. However, many companies organize tours here with a guide and an interesting route.
Dolmens of the Serentkh ridge
Here, in the area of the Chukhukt River bed, there are several more dolmens, two on each bank. These are structures of different shapes and methods of construction, probably erected by different generations of builders. On the one hand, on the hill holiday village trough-shaped dolmens were built. On the other hand, rectangular and round. All the monuments are in average condition; they were clearly looked into in search of valuables. One is missing a roof.
Another one lurked on the outskirts of the old garden. The building is already half hidden by a layer of earth and overgrown with grass, but it is easy to spot (due to its location near the road). You won't be able to get inside because the entrance is covered. The dolmen has already been visited - the lid was thrown off its place and left nearby. The chamber has a rectangular shape with an area of about 2.5 square meters. In the thicket further there is another object. It's different from the first one round shape lids and better preservation. The hewn stone of the portal, approximately 2x2 meters wide, is perfectly preserved. The entrance has an oval shape and is located above ground level (approximately in the center of the slab). The dolmen is practically not covered with earth. Rainwater has accumulated inside. The area around is quite clean, but overgrown. The portal contains marks from later eras: runic signs and a Byzantine cross. The lid is slightly cracked from time or purposeful impact, but has not cracked.
In the valley of the Psekups River there are as many as twenty dolmens. Artifacts were found in the areas of the villages of Fanagoriyskoye and Bezymyanoye and the village of Pyatigorskaya. Seven of them are located in a hard-to-reach place on the banks of one of the sources of the Gryaznaya River. The construction of these structures took place between the 2nd and 3rd millennia BC. Why so many religious buildings are located in this particular area, as well as the method of their construction, remain a subject of debate for scientists.
All buildings are made of huge stone slabs weighing from three to 40 tons, over 2 m long and up to 2.5 m in height, thickness - from 30 to 57 cm. All available finished dolmens have a hole in the front slab with a diameter of up to half a meter, clogged with a special stone. The technology for constructing these impressive structures is not fully understood even now. One of the main mysteries is how the ancients could drag a heavy slab onto the structure without construction equipment. However, it can be assumed that the stones were dragged along a specially made earthen embankment.
Dolmens are considered religious buildings. In the surrounding villages, legends are told about the ancient gods and giants who built these temples and about the forest spirits who live here. Visit these places alone (preferably in the evening) and you will remember the folklore with pleasure.
This facility is located 700 meters from the Pshenako River (the name translates as valley of springs). The presence of historical importance here was discovered back in 1972, but a detailed survey of the complex was carried out only in the 80s. Active archaeological research continues here today. Here there is a dolmen standing on a prepared stone embankment and a monolithic base. There are three tholos above the structure (this is a kind of stone vault). The roof is additionally strengthened.
There are serious reasons to believe that this important temple sun. From the base there is a long embankment towards the neighboring mountain. Most likely it's ancient Observation deck, because from it you can watch the sunrise between the mountains on the day of the summer solstice. Nearby there is a place surrounded by a stone fence and having an unclear purpose. Work on the complex has been going on for a long time, but documents on turning it into a museum have only now been submitted.
Dolmens on the Pshada River
Another interesting place for an inquisitive tourist will be the forest around the Pshada River. There are several dolmen-type structures here. The history of their study is interesting in itself. They were discovered here in 1818 by the French explorer Jacques-Victor-Edouard Thébout de Marigny, a famous ethnographer, scientist and traveler who left behind a great legacy in the form of memories and introduced Europeans to local peoples and customs.
It is very convenient to visit this place - it is located a couple of hundred meters from the highway. The path here is signposted and is not a problem. The ease of visiting also has its downsides. Recently, dolmens have been attracting crowds of different tourists like a magnet, which completely kills the atmosphere of privacy and does not contribute to cleanliness. The writings of primitive artists have already begun to be covered by modern ones. However, you can look at vandalism philosophically - in the end, this too will become history.
The monument is located on the Kotsekhur ridge. To go to this dolmen, you need to get to the village of Shapsugskaya. Next, follow the forest road south for about 4 km to Mount Kredyanaya. The object can be seen on the right.
The building itself resembles a stone mushroom 2.5 meters high. 4 thousand years from the date of its construction it stood in good condition. The only thing is that there is a crack above the inlet. All the walls, roof and portal slab with the entrance have been preserved. Someone took the cork. The walls on the inside are decorated with some kind of drawings, and on the lid there is a network of dots reminiscent of the night sky. Finding a dolmen in this condition is considered very rare. Probably the reason for the preservation of the structure is its remoteness from large settlements.
In addition to those described in the article, there are many more similar structures both in the Krasnodar region and beyond. Some of them are well described and cataloged, others are unknown and remain unexplored. Some have been preserved in excellent (almost pristine) form, while others are only mounds, since these structures are often destroyed by black archaeologists, lumberjacks and peasants. We have indicated only those monuments that any tourist can easily find.
“One of the unique tourist attractions of our region is, undoubtedly, dolmens,” writes a participant in our competition “I live here!” Candidate of Historical Sciences Alexander Savelyev. - These massive structures still excite archaeologists and historians with their mystery, and the mystical aura surrounding them attracts many ordinary mystery lovers. Modern science cannot confidently answer any of the basic questions about dolmens - who, when and why built them? There are only many versions..."
Did giants build for dwarfs?
One of the main mysteries of dolmens is their prevalence throughout Eurasia - they are found not only in our Krasnodar region, but also in the territory British Isles, Middle and Far East and the Iberian Peninsula. All dolmens have a similar design, and therefore were created by representatives of the same culture, but which one? There are different versions on this matter.
The oldest of them is the legend of the Circassians, who live next to the dolmens for many centuries. According to this legend, they were built to house and protect dwarfs (who were so small that they rode hares) by giants who took pity on them. That is why the Circassians call dolmens “ispun”, which translated means “house of dwarfs”. It is interesting that the Cossacks who arrived in the region nicknamed these structures, on the contrary, “heroic huts,” since they believed that only very powerful people could build them.
Scientists believe that the dolmen culture originated in one place and then spread widely. This is quite possible, because at the time of the construction of dolmens, some peoples already knew how to build multi-oared and sailing ships which made it possible to travel long distances. It is unlikely that it will be possible to trace the origin of this civilization, but it is assumed that dolmen builders could have come to the Caucasus from the Iberian Peninsula, since the Caucasian highlanders have a similar culture and language to the Basque people, who now live in Spain and the south of France, and the ancestors of the Basques built dolmens , very similar to those on the Black Sea coast.
Bogatyrskaya glade in Adygea. There are many dolmens in the territory of both the Krasnodar Territory and the neighboring region. Photo: AiF/ Photo by Arthur Lautenschläger
It's like building an Egyptian pyramid
The word “dolmen” itself comes from the Breton language and translated means “stone table”, although most of these structures look more like beehives.
Dolmens can be of various sizes. For example, in the courtyard of the Tuapse Museum there is a dolmen only the size of a dog kennel, but most of these structures are enormous in size. The weight of some of their slabs reaches 40 tons, although stones weighing from 500 kg to 3 tons are common. In the Caucasus, dolmens were built from sandstone, thanks to the excellent construction qualities of which the durability of these structures was ensured.
In terms of labor intensity of construction, dolmens are quite comparable to the Egyptian pyramids, although much smaller. It is estimated that 150 people had to build a large dolmen within two years.
Tombs or calendar?
The question of the purpose of dolmens remains open. The most common version that these are tombs is still questioned, because actual burials are rarely found in them, and the objects accompanying the deceased date back to later times, so they could simply have used structures that had stood for a long time for burial.
Initially, the dolmens were most likely associated with the cult of the Sun, which can be judged by the location of their facades and the symbols applied. There is an opinion that groups of dolmens located in a special way could serve as a kind of calendar, with the help of which the priests accurately determined the onset of the new year, the time of sowing and harvesting, and kept chronology.
There are no written sources reporting on the construction of dolmens, only legends exist. Dolmens Photo: AiF/ Photo by Alexey Gusev
On the territory of the Krasnodar Territory, clusters of dolmens are located on the Black Sea coast (Gelendzhik, Tuapse, Lazarevskoye), in the valleys of the Belaya and Laba rivers, as well as on Mount Bogatyrka (Novosvobodnaya village).
Dolmens(translated from Bretno as “tol” - “table”, “men” - “stone”) Krasnodar region — funerary religious buildings as stone boxes with small round holes located on the territory Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. According to various estimates age dolmens oscillates from 6 to 10 thousand years.
In general, dolmens are found not only in the Krasnodar region, but also in the territory Europe, Africa, Asia- almost everywhere except Australia. Dolmen culture originated in India, and then it spread two streams- through the Caucasus to northern Europe, and another route - through northern Africa, although some scientists believe that the practice of building such funeral structures arose independently among different peoples. But there is an alternative opinion that claims that the dolmens were erected ancient powerful civilization as special energy facilities. There are over 2,500 dolmens in the Caucasus - this is more than anywhere else in the world.
I wonder what scientific research of dolmens started relatively recently - at the end of the 17th century. The first scientist to describe dolmens located on the Taman Peninsula was Russian geographer Pallas. Unfortunately, almost until the end of the 20th century, science did not focus public attention on the importance of dolmens as archaeological sites- as a result, many dolmens in the Krasnodar region were destroyed local residents, and in the 50s of the last century they were even blown up to train military sappers.
Dolmens are structures made of heavy stone slabs, which were carved into the rock and then folded in a certain way. Most dolmens are characterized by portals with a small round hole. Structures may have different shape- rectangular, round, trapezoidal. Some dolmens were decorated engraved or relief ornament.
Despite their apparent simplicity, dolmens are complex engineering structures, made of stone slabs weighing several tens of tons. Their construction required not only specialized knowledge, but also coordination of work of many people, the use of various mechanisms. You can compare the construction of dolmens with construction of the Egyptian pyramids, the predecessors of which they are.
There are many different theories by whom and for what purpose thousands of dolmens were built, discovered on a strip 75 km wide and 500 km long, stretching along the Black Sea coast. Along with scientific versions assumptions are also made that at first glance relate to the category of legends.
Firstly, the scientific theory that dolmens are burial structures created by Bronze Age people for burials of their leaders. Indeed, during archaeological research, along with human remains in dolmens they find objects that, as our ancestors believed, the deceased needed to exist in other world: amulets, jewelry, pottery.
The second group of theories claims that dolmens were used as a kind of communication system, allowing you to install telepathic contact between people located at different dolmens. This is facilitated by the material from which the dolmens were made - quartz sandstone. Now it is actively used in radio engineering and is valued for its ability to generate current and radio waves. Another approach to explaining the role of dolmens as a system for transmitting information focuses on the fact that dolmens are always located on the shore or near a water source. Thus, it is water that has the property save information in its structure, is key element in the functioning of dolmens.
Thirdly, the dolmens had astronomical significance, since they were oriented in a special way ( usually on a sunny slope), based on the setting and rising of celestial objects.
Fourthly, dolmens could represent knowledge accumulation system- original libraries. The wisest people tribes performed complex rituals using dolmens, through which they received knowledge from previous generations and left their own information for posterity. It was believed that the dolmen is still intact tribe or clan, these people are not in danger. Such theories include, in particular, information from Siberian sorceress Anastasia, described by V. Megret.
There are also unsubstantiated theories, for example, among local peoples there are legends that dolmens were built in ancient times by giants, for dwarfs who, due to their small stature, did not have the opportunity to build their own homes.
The surviving dolmens are located in the area Gelendzhik, Tuapse, Sochi, in Abkhazia, as well as in Adygea. To many dolmens excursions organized, and some you can get to on your own. But there are also dolmens that are not available for inspection. Among the dolmens, which are the most often visited by tourists, one can note the dolmens of the Nexis Mountains, Yatsunov Bugor, the Zhenya River, the Dolmen cooperative, the Pshad dolmens, the Sukhumi dolmen.
It should be remembered that dolmens have strong energy- this is felt by people with high sensitivity. Many people note that those wished for near the dolmen wishes have the ability to come true. By visiting the dolmen, you can get the answer to a tormenting question, to feel insight. Some tourists pay attention to feeling of peace and lightness, which comes from being close to a dolmen. Not only people, but also technology reacts to an extraordinary field, surrounding the domain - often proven devices and equipment fail, and the clock slows down. Those. effects similar to those manifested in Egyptian pyramids. There are known cases when, after visiting dolmens, a person health is restored, and dormant creative potential is revealed. There are specialized dolmens that can help people establish certain side of life, Dolmen of Health, Dolmen of Family and Marriage, etc.
Department of Education and Science of the Krasnodar Territory
Krasnodar College of Light Industry
On the history of Kuban
Topic: Dolmens of the Krasnodar region
Student Morozova Elena Mikhailovna
3rd year, correspondence department
specialty 2809/1
code 06 – 12
Introduction
There are thousands of monuments scattered throughout the Krasnodar region, which in terms of historical and cultural significance are on a par with the famous Stonehenge and are the same age as the Egyptian pyramids. These are dolmens. For several years now they have attracted the attention of hundreds of people. Most of them are followers of one of the modern religious and mystical movements, which have chosen dolmens as an object of worship. To see ancient buildings with their own eyes and touch the secrets of antiquity, pilgrims travel thousands of kilometers, traveling from the most remote corners of Russia and neighboring countries. The origin of these monuments still remains mysterious. But thanks to archaeological research in recent years, we are learning more and more about those who left behind these tombs that compete with nature and time. Just as archaeologists extract ancient artifacts from the ground bit by bit, the daily life of the ancient builders, their technical capabilities and scientific knowledge, their beliefs and customs is revealed to us step by step.
1. Monuments of the past
Dolmens are megalithic tombs, unique monuments of the past, left to us by the peoples of the Caucasus. Their construction began at the turn of the 4th-3rd millennia BC. Dolmens, like guards, stand between the past, present and future, delighting us with their grandeur, which reflects the history of thousands of years.
The giant stone tombs got their name from the Breton (Celtic) tol - table, men - stone, stone table.
Dolmen culture played a significant role in the formation of the Abkhaz-Adyghe ethnic group at its early stage. Megalithic mausoleums entered the vocabulary of the languages of the peoples of the western tip of the Caucasus and their legends. The Mingrelians called dolmens “odzvale”, “sadzvale” (containers of bones), as well as “mdishkude” (houses of giants), the Abkhazians called them “adamra” (ancient burial houses). The Adygs initially used the word "keu-nezh", which has the same meaning as the Abkhazian "adamra", and in later times the term "ispyun" ("ispun", "spyun"), which is translated as the dwarf's house ("sleep") "dwarf, "une" house). According to Adyghe legends, dolmens are dwellings built by giants (“nart”, “yenizh”) for the neighboring tribe of dwarfs (“spi”, “tsang”, “tsanna”) out of generosity and pity for defenseless creatures (however, there is an option legends that claim that treacherous dwarfs tricked simple-minded giants into doing this work). Later Adyghe tales claim that the gnomes, like dashing horsemen, crossed the round opening of the dolmen's entrance by jumping out of the cave and jumping inside it riding hares. The Russian-speaking population that appeared in the North-West Caucasus in the 19th century called dolmens “heroic huts”, “didovs” or even “devil’s huts”.
Dolmen culture is widespread in the Western Caucasus, from the Taman Peninsula to Abkhazia. It stretches 480 km in length and 30-75 km in width. By the end of 1976, 2,308 dolmens had been discovered. On the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus - 268, of which about 100 are in the Gelendzhik region, with more than 40 in the area of the villages of Pshady and Mikhailovsky Pass.
Analyzing written sources of the 19th-20th centuries, it can be noted that in the Novorossiysk-Gelendzhik region more than half of the megalithic tombs, which are the property of not only Russian but also world culture, were destroyed. The process of their loss continues. Hundreds of dolmens were destroyed during the construction of roads, quarries, housing, during logging, planning hayfields, gardens, destroyed by treasure hunters...
Dolmens brought world archaeological fame to the Western Caucasus and are included in all encyclopedias.
2. Research and classification of dolmens
The areas of distribution of dolmens in the world gravitate towards the World Ocean. Initially, dolmens from India, Palestine and a number of European countries - France (Brittany), Italy, Greece, Denmark and the Scandinavian countries - became known to European science. Dolmens are considered to belong to the Indo-European race. There is a hypothesis according to which the builders of dolmens belonged to a single nation of seafarers. According to another hypothesis, dolmen culture is characteristic of various peoples who had contacts with each other. The famous Soviet dolmen researcher L.I. Lavrov believes that, starting from the second hypothesis, it is possible to explore the question of the sea voyages of the ancient Caucasian highlanders, who, although they borrowed, improved the technique of building dolmens. Moreover, since it is now customary to date the construction of the dolmens of the mountainous Trans-Kuban region to 2300-2000 BC, that is, to consider them the same age as the Egyptian pyramids, Lavrov considers it undeniable that there were contacts between the builders of the dolmens and the builders of the pyramids in this era. This, in his opinion, is supported by the same exceptional concern for the afterlife in both cases.
Dolmens were first discovered in the Western Caucasus by the Russian academician P. S. Pallas in 1793. Driving along the Northern Spit on the Taman Peninsula (near the village of Fontalovskaya), he met the ruins of the Tatar village of Chokrak-Koy, “...and a little further,” he adds in his report, “on a flat hill there are many graves... with large flat limestone and sandstone-slate slabs placed on edge in oblong quadrangular boxes. Their origin is not Tatar, but, perhaps, Circassian."
In 1818, the French archaeologist Tebu de Marigny discovered a group of dolmens in the Pshady River gorge. In the early 30s of the 19th century, his compatriot Dubois de Montpereux and the Englishman J. Bell discovered several more dolmens between Gelendzhik and Dzhubga, as well as large dolmen groups in the upper reaches of the Abin River; about ten years later, these researchers were the first to publish sketches of the mysterious mausoleums. In the second half of the 19th century, expeditions to dolmens were undertaken by F. S. Bumper (1865-1870), K. D. Felitsyn (1878), who went down in the history of science as the largest expert on dolmens and the discoverer of many dolmen groups in the Kuban region, V. I. Sizov (1888). The pioneer of Kuban local history, teacher of the Ekaterinodar gymnasium V. M. Sysoev, on behalf of the Moscow Archaeological Society, traveled in 1892 to the area where Kuban dolmens were distributed, making one of the first attempts to determine their total number. Famous researchers P. S. Uvarov (1891) and L. Ya Apostolov (1897) wrote about dolmens. In Soviet times, many scientists studied them, among whom V.I. Markovin, who devoted 25 scientific publications and 1960-1975 to dolmens, his doctoral dissertation, monograph, and also a popular book, should be noted first; L. I. Lavrov, who in 1960 published the most complete catalog of dolmens of the North-Western Caucasus, and the famous Krasnodar archaeologist Professor N. V. Anfimov - his 1957 expedition to the dolmens of the Russian Black Sea region obtained a lot of new information about stone “birdhouses”.
The first most complete catalog of dolmens was compiled by 1960 by L.I. Lavrov (1139 dolmens). He also proposed a classification of dolmens in the Western Caucasus, which exists today with some changes. L.I. Lavrov divided the entire variety of dolmens into four main types.
1. “Ordinary” (tiled dolmen), i.e. the most common type of dolmens. It is “a quadrangular box, each side of which, as well as the roofs and often the bottom, is a separate monolithic slab.”
2. Composite dolmens - with one or more walls made of smaller slabs.
3. Trough-shaped dolmens.
4. Dolmens are monoliths.
IN AND. By 1978, Markovin compiled a catalog of dolmens in the Western Caucasus, numbering about 2308 monuments. He also compiled and published the monograph “Dolmens of the Western Caucasus”, which today is a kind of “bible” for researchers of megaliths of the Western Caucasus. Classification of dolmens according to V.I. Markovin is an expanded version of the above classification by L.I. Lavrova.
I. Tiled dolmens:
1. Structures of a quadrangular plan:
Buildings without openings;
Dolmens with portals;
Dolmens with wide portal projections;
Dolmens have a sharply trapezoidal plan.
2. Structures with a polygonal plan.
II. Composite dolmens:
1. dolmens, imitating the forms of tiled buildings and transitioning to multifaceted structures;
2. dolmens of a multifaceted and round plan;
3. dolmens of complex design;
III. Trough-shaped dolmens:
1. dolmens without a manhole;
2. trapezoidal dolmens;
3. dolmens, carved into rocks, with chambers of various shapes, decorated with portal projections or niches;
4. false portal dolmens;
5. dolmens, similar to monoliths.
IV. Dolmens are monoliths.
In the monograph by V.I. Markovin presents a preliminary diagram of the development of dolmen types and changes in the burial ritual.
A. The oldest type of dolmen buildings are tiled structures, in which the openings are manholes, and individual walls are dry-built with cobblestones. The appearance of such dolmens can be approximately dated back to 2400 BC. (according to the edition for 1997 - by 2700 BC).
Following them, dolmens of the Novosvobodnaya type appear - portal-type structures (with attached slabs at the facade). They are characterized by: an elongated chamber, rectangular and round holes, and the absence of heel stones. Dolmens are often covered with stone and earth embankments. The time of their construction is determined to be approximately 2300 BC. (as amended for 1997 – 2600 BC).
At the same time and somewhat later, dolmens with a chamber of almost square plan appeared, made of slabs of rectangular shape. Their holes are mostly round. By 2100 B.C. (according to the edition for 1997 - by 2500 BC), in the opinion of scientists, monuments of a more clear trapezoidal plan with powerful portal projections appeared, at the same time the mound of Psynako I was erected.
Almost simultaneously with the earliest tiled dolmens, trough-shaped structures without holes appeared, covered with a large slab. Somewhat later, the first composite dolmens appeared. These buildings, with their proportions and external design of the portal part, imitate the shapes and decor of tiled dolmens.
The described monuments were intended mainly for individual burials, less often - 2-3 dead bodies, placed in a crouched position, with a strong dusting of ocher.
Alone among the early monuments stands a multifaceted dolmen (Fars River), which, one can assume, is almost synchronous with the Novosvobodnaya tombs.
B. The heyday of dolmen culture occurred in the first half of the 2nd millennium BC. (according to the edition of 1997 - at the end of the 3rd - first half of the 2nd millennium BC). At this time, tiled buildings with a trapezoidal plan and profiles with clear proportions became widespread. The trapezoidal shape gave the dolmens greater stability and made it easier to assemble the walls and build the ceilings. The holes take on various shapes (from round to arched). Carefully made heel stones appear under the dolmen slabs. Many buildings are leaned against the slopes, there is no embankment above them (sometimes they are slightly recessed into the slopes and hills).
In addition to tiled dolmens, composite and trough-shaped structures are becoming relatively widespread. Their shape and external design are directly dependent on tiled buildings. Trough-shaped dolmens are carved in huge rocks, giving them the appearance of a dolmen only from the facade, and in fragments of rocks, processing them from all sides. Probably, by the end of this period, dolmens close to monoliths appeared.
Funeral rites are changing. Already in some of the latest portal dolmens, “sessile” skeletons were discovered. Now this method of burial - placing the dead in the corners and in the center of dolmen chambers - is becoming the most common. The amount of ocher on the bones is kept to a minimum.
B. The late period of dolmen culture falls in the middle and beginning of the second half of the 2nd millennium BC. (according to the 1997 edition - in the middle of the 2nd millennium BC). Tiled dolmens lose their clear proportions. Probably, at this time, trough-shaped dolmens with chambers of round outlines and in the form of a jug, as well as false portal structures, appeared. Among the composite dolmens there are buildings with overhanging blocks (with a false arch), a round plan and with a facade made of individual polished stones. Towards the end of this period, dolmens - monoliths - appear. Many of the dolmens were used at this time (according to the 1997 edition - by 1400 BC) for secondary burials as a kind of ossuary. By this time, they stopped building, and the construction of dolmens stopped earlier in the territory of modern Abkhazia, and then in the Kuban region.
Some patterns can be identified in the location of dolmens on the ground. As a rule, they were built only in the forest (the only known exceptions are the dolmens discovered on the Tuzla and Fontalovsky capes of the Taman Peninsula, as well as dolmens in the vicinity of the village of Ulyap). The altitude of most dolmens ranges from 250-400 m above sea level. A striking single exception is the dolmen on the Mesetsu ridge (1029 m above sea level).
Dolmens were erected on flat areas of forest slopes, on watershed ridges, on the flat tops of low mountains (for example, the well-known dolmens on the top of Mount Nexis near Gelendzhik). With their facades (portals) they face the lower side of the slope, towards the river, and always in the sunny direction (very few dolmens are known that face the north with their facade, but even in these cases there is reason to think that they are facing towards more illuminated clearing).
Some researchers who tried to determine the side of the world to which the facades of the dolmens predominantly faced came to the conclusion that the builders of these structures were guided, first of all, by the idea of best “fitting” the mausoleum into the landscape. But it seems to us that compliance with the above principles (façade towards descent, river, sun) automatically led to compliance with aesthetic criteria.
Dolmens are always confined to the river basin. Abkhaz scientists (Ts.N. Bzhania and others) compared the diagram of ancient cattle routes with the area of dolmens and came to the conclusion that the carriers of the dolmen culture knew how to use simple passes.
All dolmen slabs and blocks were individually fitted and fastened together using grooves. But perhaps the most surprising thing is that some buildings have real storm drainage. Material for construction was taken from quarries, which were usually located somewhere nearby. For example, in the valley of the Zhane River, stone was taken 600 m from the construction site. But distances were not such a difficult problem for Bronze Age builders. It is known that for the construction of the world famous Stonehenge, stone was delivered several tens of kilometers away. Many people believe that ordinary people cannot do this. But in practice it turned out that blocks in the range of 20-30 tons are amenable to human power - both processing and moving. At the end of the 19th century, the French experimented with whether a block of 32 tons could be dragged. About 200 people dragged him along the logs using ropes. The megalith builders could carry slabs weighing 320 tons (this is the weight of the largest European menhir - it was carved into the rock, but for some reason was never transported). The most difficult thing is to chop off a slab or block of the required size. A very interesting method was used to split the slabs. Shallow oval notches were made on the workpiece. Then they took a bronze tape 2 times longer than the depth of the notches, bent it in half and placed the fold in the hole and carefully hammered a wooden or metal wedge between the walls (strips) of the tape, alternately in each of the notches. Gradually the stone cracked exactly along the line marked by the notches. And thus, blocks of the required size were obtained.
The blanks were transported to the future construction site with the help of bulls and wooden drags. Here the stone was subjected to final processing. They did this with the help of bronze and stone tools. If one of you ever visits dolmens, take a closer look: on the surface of the carefully hewn slabs you can see traces of the work of ancient craftsmen. Long, narrow nicks were made with a bronze tool, and “pockmarks” (round ones) were made with a stone tool (a sledgehammer or a stone chipper). The chipping technique is called "picketage". The inner and outer surfaces of the dolmen chamber are usually processed using picketage.
Perhaps during construction they used length measures such as cubit, palm, etc. The construction module most likely served as the diameter of the hole in the facade wall. In that distant era, people were already familiar with mathematics, because to create such a design required the most complex mathematical calculations. Especially for dolmens that are round in plan. They are made up of small blocks arranged in several tiers, tapering from the base and forming something like a false vault. Each block in such a building represents a segment of a circle. The length of these segments had to be calculated so that in the end, during assembly, the result would be exactly what was intended. And the thought involuntarily arises whether we have the right to consider the ancient peoples primitive, standing at a lower level of mental development than you and I.
3. Dolmens of Gelendzhik
In the Gelendzhik area, 23 points with 82 dolmens were explored, of which about 50 have survived to this day.
Let's take a look at some of them that are most accessible to visit. In the saddle of the ridge between the Nexis and Dolmen mountains, village. Svetly, southeast of Gelendzhik, there are two dolmens - one tiled ("Big Aderbievsky") and a block one with ornaments on the walls ("Small Aderbievsky").
The first one is made of massive slabs of gray sandstone and has a quadrangular shape. The front slab (height 1.95 m) has a large hole with a diameter of about 46 cm. All slabs are installed on a heel stone. The side ones have grooves for joining with the front and rear plates. The front slab is 3.60 m long, 3.22 m wide at the front and 2.70 m at the rear, 0.45 m thick, sanded from the bottom and sides, and has grooves for fastening to the slabs. The side slabs have buttresses that support them, preventing the building from collapsing. The dolmen is oriented to the southwest. In 1972, archaeologist V.I. Markovin carried out excavations and discovered: three specimens of rough stone tools made of quartzite, resembling disks or scrapers, apparently used for marking; ceramics: fragment of a smoothly bent rim of a black clay vessel; a fragment of a small handle, oval in cross-section, smeared into a special hole made in the body of the vessel, which had a spherical shape, more elongated proportions; fragments of vessels with a pear-shaped body; oval-shaped bronze temple pendant, one and a half turns; a rather neatly cut piece of tubular bone with an angular cutout. Items were found in the portal part of the dolmen.
The second, composite dolmen, is located east of the tiled one when climbing Mount Dolmen. It combines the features of tiled and composite structures. Some of its stones are processed in the form of L-shaped blocks. It has a trapezoidal chamber in plan (2.23 x 2.10-1.80 m with a height of 1.60-1.40 m). The front plate is supported by grooves in the side blocks that form portal projections. It has dimensions of 2.10 x 1.20 x O.32-0.30 m and is equipped with cuts along the edges into which the ends of the L-shaped blocks fit. The round hole, 0.40 m in diameter, is located quite low. The top of the front slab was once covered with a large block. Its base rests on a wide stone, forming a platform in front of the dolmen and part of its floor. Inside, the walls were carefully processed with a tool that left wave-like marks. Its walls are covered with relief battlements and zigzag cuts. Outside, the dolmen blocks support 9 buttress stones. A ceiling made of a massive slab measuring 3.00 x 3.20 x 0.30-0.40 m around the dolmen reveals the contours of the stone tower-like structure in which it was once enclosed. Its excavations were carried out by an expedition of the Committee for the Protection and Restoration of Historical and Cultural Values (Heritage) of the Krasnodar Territory at the beginning of 2003.
The area where the dolmens are located offers a beautiful panorama. In the south is the valley of the Mezyb and Aderba rivers, flowing into the sea near the village of Divnomorskoye, in the west you can see the resort of Gelendzhik and Mount Doob. In the north, beyond the valley of the Shebs River, the Main Caucasus Range stretches; in the east, the road to the Mikhailovsky Pass snakes its way. The tiled dolmen in the area of the village is very interesting. Wide Gap southeast of Gelendzhik, in the valley of the Shebs River, where it is located on the edge of a river cliff. Its front slab is decorated with a U-shaped ornament - two columns support a single-tier ceiling, above which there are pairs of small rounded protuberances resembling female breasts on the left and right. The round hole is decorated along the edge with a protruding border for a tighter fit of the sleeve (plug).
At the entrance to the village of Vozrozhdenie (located in the southeast of Gelendzhik), on the left side of the road there is a rural cemetery. On the hillock between it and the road stands a beautifully crafted tiled dolmen. The grooves connecting the walls are carefully processed. His condition is critical. The buttresses on both sides and the rear wall have now been lost. The front wall has cracked and fragments have been lost. This is the result of fires being lit at the entrance to the dolmen. In the modern cemetery there is another one - without a lid and interesting because on the side slab there is a protrusion for supporting the slab - a canopy over the entrance.
Then we follow the route, and we find ourselves in the valley of the Zhane River, where until 1917 there was a hunting estate of Prince A.P. Oldenburg, a relative of the Russian imperial family, a general of the Russian army, and a public figure of the late 19th - early 20th centuries. He was known as a patron of medical science, a trustee of educational institutions, and shelters.
Here, two groups of dolmens are of particular interest.
The first group consists of three dolmens located in a row, at a distance of 20 m from each other and oriented with facades with slight deviations to the southeast, that is, down the slope towards the river. Each of the dolmens was surrounded on three sides, excluding the facade part, by a turf embankment of river boulders, reaching the level of the dolmen roof. The diameter of the embankment around the central and westernmost dolmens reaches 20 m. The embankment around the easternmost dolmen is smaller - about 10-12 m in diameter.
The western dolmen of the group is a structure surrounded by an embankment, almost circular in plan, built from large sandstone blocks carefully processed and fitted to each other, to which is adjacent, to the façade, a portal structure and a paved courtyard, fenced with walls and a creped. Its façade (opening) is oriented to the south. The foundation (floor) slab was round in shape, about 3.3 m in diameter and 0.4 m thick. The walls were made of blocks in three tiers. They are given a curved shape so that when assembled they form a closed ring. The internal diameter at the floor is 2.56 m, and at the ceiling level - 2.30 m. The sizes of the blocks vary in length from 2.4 m to 1.4 m; in height - 0.65 m to 0.45 m; in thickness - from 0.4 to 0.6 m. The height of the chamber at the facade slab is 1.8 m. The diameter of the hole is 0.42 m. The floor slab has not been preserved, but according to indirect data, it could have been approximately 4.5 m long and 3.8 m wide, and covered both the chamber and the portal of the dolmen. The western and eastern walls of the portal were 2.2 m apart from each other, and its depth was 1.1 m. Five of the six blocks from it have survived. The dolmen is surrounded on three sides by an embankment with a diameter of about 20 m, which is made of river boulders and was about 1.5 m high at the time the excavations began. Four buttresses made of massive blocks are attached to the walls at an angle. In front of the façade part of the dolmen, adjacent to it, there is a wide courtyard, almost semi-circular in plan, paved with flat boulders and fragments of slabs, with an area of about 120 sq.m. it is separated from the embankment by two walls, folded in several tiers of massive and unprocessed blocks, about 5 years long. .5 m each. Smoothly curved in plan, the walls adjoin one end to the side slabs of the dolmen in the portal part, and the opposite to the semicircular in plan crepida made of obliquely laid slabs, enclosing the courtyard area in front of the facade. During the clearing of the dolmen and the courtyard in front of its facade, about 200 different finds were discovered, mainly fragments of ceramics, about 59 fragments of human bones, a small number of animal bones, a spindle whorl, a bronze spear tip, a bronze plaque with an eye, a bronze spiral piercing, a bronze bracelet , bronze temple ring, iron spear tip, flint core. The eastern dolmen is also a round building, installed on a foundation consisting of three slabs laid parallel to each other on a specially prepared leveled area. The slab under the facade of the dolmen has a segment-shaped shape, 2.9 m long, 1.7 m wide and 0.35 m thick. The slab under the back of the dolmen is also segment-shaped: length - 2.8 m, maximum width - 1.05 m, thickness - 0.35 m, central rectangular slab - length 2.9 m, width - 1 m, thickness - 0.35 m.
The walls of the dolmen are made of 18 carefully processed sandstone blocks, laid in three tiers. Their sizes range in length from 1.75 to 0.8 m, in height from 065 to 0.45 m, in thickness from 0.45 to 0.25 m. A round hole with a diameter of 0.42 m, oriented to the southeast , i.e. facade towards the descent to the Zhane River. The dolmen is covered with a slab of an elongated irregular hexagonal shape with rounded corners. Its maximum length is 2.49 m and a width of 2.42 m and a thickness of 0.40 m. The dolmen is adjoined on all sides by an embankment, the main elements of which are buttresses (a lining of large specially processed stones) and a cobblestone paving of the courtyard in front of the façade of the dolmen.
The area (yard) in front of the dolmen was from 1.8 m wide to 5.5 m at a distance of 4.4 m from the facade. Probably, the embankment covered the entire dolmen up to the ceiling, excluding the facade part. During the clearing of the building and the embankment, about 1,200 different finds were discovered: fragments of ceramics, several human bones, a small number of animal bones, fragments and entire objects of bronze and iron, two glass beads. In terms of architectural features and construction techniques, round in terms of construction, Janet’s groups are closer to false-dome structures of the thick-shaped type (tholos - from the Greek “vault”, dome).
Between them there is an almost square dolmen, made of four carefully processed slabs. The façade is slightly trapezoidal in shape, 1.8 m high, the base is 2.8 m long, the top edge is 2.6 m long and has a maximum thickness of 0.44 m. The slab is given a convex shape. At 0.3 m from the bottom edge of the slab there is a round hole with a diameter of 0.4 m. A U-shaped relief ornament is applied to the outer surface of the slab - two columns support a two-tier ceiling (support height 1 m, floor length 2.1 m).
The side walls have the same dimensions: length - 3.9 m, height of the portal projections - 1.7 m, height of the opposite portal sides - 1.58 m, thickness - 0.43 m. The ends on the side of the facade are decorated with three rows of vertical parallel zigzags. The side walls protrude beyond the façade slab by 0.68 m along with the ceiling and. The floor slab forms a portal. The inner surface of the chamber walls is decorated with an embossed pattern in the form of a horizontal row of hanging triangles (side and front plates) and a zigzag (rear plate). The ornament forms a continuous border of approximately 60 cm, approximately 16-17 tons. It is oriented to the southeast.
Thanks to the painstaking long-term and persistent work of archaeologists of the West Caucasian archaeological expedition of the Institute of the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg) in 1997 and 1999, under the leadership of Candidate of Historical Sciences V. A. Trifonov, numerous visitors to the monument today have a rare an opportunity to see, instead of forested ruins, the ancient crypts of the Janet River valley, which have regained their monumentality. Particularly impressive is the vast (about 300 sq.m.) courtyard paved with slabs and boulders, adjacent to the façade of the central dolmen. In terms of the originality of the monumental architecture, the decorative design of the burial chamber and the degree of preservation of the monument, this dolmen complex has no equal within the entire Western Caucasus.
In the second group there is a small tiled dolmen with a hole not in the front, but in the back wall (with a secret entrance). All that remains of the remaining tiled dolmens are just ruins of slabs. Around you can see several hundred medieval mounds located on both banks of the river.
Half of all dolmens in Gelendzhik are concentrated in the valley of the Pshada River. They became known at the beginning of the 19th century and are mentioned in all publications dedicated to the Black Sea coast. Now there are 9 known places where dolmens have been preserved.
The most popular are the dolmens located at the confluence of the Pshady and Doguab rivers. One of the largest dolmens in the Krasnodar Territory, located on the slope of a hill, near the Novorossiysk-Sukhumi highway. It belongs to the tiled structures of a trapezoidal shape and has the following dimensions: the front slab is 1.97 m high, 2.10 m long at the top, 2.85 m long at the bottom, and 0.37 m thick; the back plate is 1.76 m high, 1.67 m long at the top, 2.47 m long at the bottom and 0.40 m thick; side slabs - northern height - 1.75 m, length at top - 2.0 m, bottom - 4.40 m, thickness 0.40 m, southern - height - 1.75 m, length at top - 2.0 m, bottom - 4.37 m and thickness - 0.35 m; The dimensions of the ceiling are 4.62 m long, 2.90 m wide and 0.40 m thick. It is made of massive sandstone slabs and has changed a lot over the past 100 years. Instead of a round hole, an opening was cut in the front wall. The slabs turned red and cracked due to fires being lit inside the chamber and next to the walls. Everything around is trampled by numerous sightseers and tourists. Going a little lower down the slope you can examine two tiled dolmens of a trapezoidal shape, also made of massive sandstone slabs, carefully fitted to each other, and one is relatively small.
Moving along the left bank of the Pshada River to its upper reaches, 4 km from the village of Pshada between the Panasov and Kalusov crevices, dolmens are located on a small flat hill covered with deciduous trees. The Pshada River flows from the west, there is a ravine from the north, a small saddle on the southern and eastern sides, the entire area occupied by buildings is 1000 sq.m. There are nine buildings in this area. Eight dolmens lined up in two rows parallel to the river bank. The ninth dolmen is completely destroyed, the third and fourth - partially.
They belong to tiled buildings, the first type of dolmens. Their chamber is quadrangular in shape, composed of individual monolith slabs, covered on top with a powerful floor slab. The floor slabs simultaneously serve as the heel slabs of the structure. The chambers have a trapezoidal shape not only in plan, but in longitudinal and cross sections. The top plates are rectangular in shape. There are round and oval holes in the front walls. The facades of the dolmens are oriented to the west and southwest, towards the bed of the Pshada River. Their total height ranges from 1.60 m to 2.05 m, length from 2.50 to 3.60 m, width in the front part -1.65 - 1.70 m.
Dolmens are typically portal monuments - the side slabs protrude strongly forward. Additional slabs are attached to dolmen No. 6. The front slab of the dolmen M>7 is decorated with wavy incised lines. Excavations carried out in 1972 inside and around the dolmens made it possible to establish that funeral feasts were held in the portal part in front of the facade. There is an interesting collection of ceramics typical of the dolmen culture of the Western Caucasus. It is kept in the State Historical Museum.
Of interest is the trough-shaped dolmen, located on the north-eastern outskirts of the village of Pshada near the sawmill, at the beginning of Skupkova Gap. It was hewn from a large free-standing block of sandstone (3.80 x 2.57 m). A truncated oval-shaped chamber is carved into it. In longitudinal section it has the shape of a trapezoid. The hole is oval (0.34-0.37 m) and oriented to the north. The facade is decorated with portal projections located on the sides of a flat trapezoidal wall with a platform in front of it. The ceiling had a subrectangular shape (3.70 x 2.70 x 0.45 m). 50 years ago there were two more trough-shaped and a dolmen-monolith nearby, of which nothing remains. Nearby there are picturesque rocks.
On the watershed of the Pshada and Tekos rivers, in the mountains, there is the tract Tsygankov aul. Dolmens are built on a rocky ridge, stretched out in a chain. In 1916 G.N. Sorkhin recorded 18 dolmens. Only seven are completely preserved.
Tsygankov aul is interesting because it had buildings of various designs - ordinary tiled, block, two trough-shaped. They have stone embankments and retaining slabs to the side walls. The front and rear plates are square and trapezoidal in shape. The side walls and floor slabs protrude forward, forming a portal. Round holes are cut into the front plates.
The block dolmens are of particular interest. There is a dolmen here, the side walls of which consist of two blocks each. The other has side walls consisting of 5-6 slabs, laid flat on top of each other. The front and right walls of the third dolmen are composed of several rows of small blocks. Another structure has a side wall slab built on with a narrow block. This is a typical example of the degradation of architecture at the end of dolmen construction.
4. Modern research and projects
Work continues on the study of megalithic monuments left to us as a legacy by peoples who lived 5,000 years ago. They, obeying an unknown tradition and faith, carved out details of fantastic structures in the quarries of the Western Caucasus, which became part of the unique Caucasian landscape. A long-term international program has been developed for the study, restoration and use of dolmens of the Caucasus, which includes the following areas of research: intensive archaeological exploration of specially selected regions with the maximum concentration of monuments in the Krasnodar Territory and the Republic of Adygea; landscape studies using Geographic Information System: (GIS) to analyze spatial relationships between dolmens, settlements of their creators and resources; testing of monuments, including electronic probing, to determine their chronology and function; architectural measurements of megaliths and creation of a computer database that meets European standards for inventory and accounting; collection and analysis of paleobotanical, mineral and other samples necessary for the reconstruction of climate, landscape, life support systems, economic activity and specialization of the population groups that created the megaliths; ethno-archaeological reconnaissance in areas of settlement of the indigenous population to collect comparative ethnographic material, development of methods for restoration and museification of dolmens.
For several years, expeditions have been working in the Gelendzhik territorial district to study dolmens: the Institute of the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg), under the leadership of Candidate of Historical Sciences V.A. Trifonova - in the valley of the Zhane River; Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow), under the leadership of Candidate of Historical Sciences B.V. Meleshko - in the village. Arkhipo-Osipovka; Committee for the Protection, Restoration and Exploitation of Historical and Cultural Values (Heritage) of the Krasnodar Territory, under the leadership of the chief specialist of the archeology department D.E. Vasilinenko - in the saddle between the peaks of the Nexis and Dolmen mountains, in the area of the village. Light.
A huge amount of work has been carried out to verify archaeological monuments, clarifying the number of dolmens, their location, and current condition. On February 24, 2004, by order No. 22-p of the Committee for the Protection, Restoration and Exploitation of Historical and Cultural Values (Heritage) of the Krasnodar Territory, a list of identified cultural heritage sites, including archeological monuments of the Gelendzhik Territorial District, was approved. The first park of Caucasian dolmens in Russia is being created in the valley of the Zhane River in the Gelendzhik region. Work on the project has been carried out since 1997 by the West Caucasus Expedition of the IHMC RAS (St. Petersburg) with the assistance of the Committee for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Krasnodar Territory and the regional forest protection service. The project involves experts in the study and reconstruction of ancient megalithic monuments from Holland, Denmark, the USA and France.
It is planned to create an archaeological park with a total area of 100 hectares in the picturesque valley of the Zhane River. The main archaeological sites of the park will be three groups of dolmens, a Bronze Age quarry and burial mounds, a medieval burial mound and a settlement. The compact location of the monuments and the favorable combination of their scientific, cultural and historical merits with the picturesque surrounding landscape and developed local infrastructure create the possibility of the protected area functioning simultaneously as a park, museum, cultural, educational and scientific center.
Conclusion
The preservation of dolmens, world-class monuments, is a matter of culture, national heritage, conscience and public opinion. A person of the third millennium must reach a higher level of development, relying on the experience of the past, respect the cultural traditions of past generations, and preserve the memory of their ancestors. Do not destroy, but restore historical and cultural monuments, because without the past there is no present, and there will be no future.
List of sources used
1. V.N. Ratushnyak. Essays on the history of Kuban from ancient times to 1920. Textbook. manual: Krasnodar, 1996.
2. B.A. Three brothers. Native Kuban. Pages of history. Educational manual: Krasnodar, 2003.
3. Kasyanov V.V. History of Kuban from ancient times to the end of the twentieth century. Textbook for higher educational institutions: Krasnodar, 2004.
4. E.I. Narozhny. Archaeological discoveries in Kuban 2004. Reference manual: Rostov-on-Don, 2005.
Department of Education and Science of the Krasnodar Territory Krasnodar College of Light Industry ABSTRACT On the history of Kuban Topic: Dolmens of the Krasnodar Territory Student Morozova Elena Mi
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