THE PERSISTENCE OF SUN-HORSE IMAGERY IN KAZAKHSTAN, A CASE STUDY OF ROCK ART AT TAMGALY VALLEY

Abstract

This research project examines the persistence of sun-horse imagery in Kazakhstan and chooses the Tamgaly Valley petroglyphs as the primary focus. This research tries to answer how has the sun-horse imagery in Kazakhstan changed over time and which symbolic meanings it held before and now. The research uses the concepts of animism, shamanism, Tengrism, and doxa, as well as contextual and symbolic approaches, as theoretical frameworks. The methodology is the visual analysis of scanned images taken from Rozwadowski (2001), Hermann (2011), UNESCO photographs and Tanbaly Museum photographs. This capstone project suggests that the sun-horse imagery at Tamgaly Valley portrayed the ancient spiritual symbolism, in which horned horses and ‘solar-headed’ figures had sacred meanings. The interpretation is that shamanism and Tengrism practiced at the site impacted the imagery of horned horses and ‘solar-headed’ figures. Thus, the research concludes that modern symbolism of sun-horse imagery in the country forms a national doxa, in which two elements are specifically chosen to be portrayed as historical, political and national figures.