In the heart of Asia, where it starts the Altai Mountains in the picturesque valley of Anouilh is famous Denisova Cave.It is located on the border of Ust-Kan and Soloneshensky District, near the village of Black Anuj (4 km) and 250 km from the town of Biisk.Denisova Cave rises 670 meters above the sea level.
origin of the name
According to ancient legend, the cave got its name due to the fact that at the end of the XVIII century there lived an Old Believer - hermit Dionysius (Denis in the world).He was a pastor for conservatives nearby villages and Kerzhaks often came to his cell for advice and blessing.At the beginning of the XIX century to the Denisova Cave in the Altai missionary priest no longer feel any interest.
However, in 1926, during a trip to Altai, in a cave visited outstanding Russian and Soviet archaeologist and a great artist Nicholas Roerich.
Locals call the cave Ayu-Tash, which translates as "The Bear's Stone".From generation to generation they transmit a tradition that lived here in ancient times Black Shaman - angry and very powerful.He could at any moment turn into a huge bear.This villain of the national myth dominating the Altai nomad camps, forcing them to pay a huge tribute.
If he does not obey, he is using his magic spell over the cave gathering clouds are sculpted huge rock and rolls it to the foot of the mountain.Where lay the path of the stone, it did not stop thunderstorms, which destroyed crops and pastures.
Desperate people began to pray for the help of the chief god - Ulgen, who managed to defeat the oppressor.Stormy stone he hid safely in long galleries of the cave.
Of course, this is only a legend that keeps the Denisova Cave.Soloneshensky District (Altai Territory), but rather the people closest to her village (Black Anouilh), often accused of archaeologists, who for many years, "something dig in the cave."Villagers believe that it is guilty of archaeologists weather damage, after all, they argue, it is enough to break away from the shaman very tiny piece of stone - and the shower is guaranteed for two days.
Altay, Denisova Cave: description
on one of the slopes of the mountain, a few meters above the road offers a wide entrance to the cave.Its area - 270 square meters.m, length - 110 meters.The cave has a "central hall" at the entrance and two smaller depressions in the rock.
Grotto in front
greatest interest to archaeologists grotto, located at the entrance.It can be accessed through the foramen ovale.Dimensions grotto - 32h7 m. Height and width of the vaults increased as the distance input.The widest part reaches 11 meters.
In the grotto there are several branches.Two of them - it is a direct continuation of the cave.In the upper part there is a through hole with a diameter slightly more than a meter.The bravest travelers climb up and admire the magnificent views.Through this opening to the cave natural light, so most of it is well covered.Here, throughout the year is dry, the grotto is like in the old days, a good natural refuge for animals and humans, protection from the weather.
first worked here geophysics "rang" cave, using his special equipment, and decided that the central hall and a gallery extending from it - it is only the beginning of a huge void, leaving deep into the rock.Now these internal cavity is completely filled up by a huge layer of fat.
Research
The earliest research in Denisova Cave in the Altai (in the central hall) held a well-known Siberian paleontologist Nicholas Ovodov, who laid the first two exploration pits and measurements made available at the time of natural areas of Education in 1978.At the same time the object examined, archaeologists, led Academician Okladnikov.
great interest of scientists always caused cave Altai mountains.Denisova cave after the first studies gradually entered the world history of archeology.
For example, there has been found the most ancient cultural layers of human habitation in Siberia.It belongs to the Paleolithic era, and its age has 282 thousand years.Previously, there was a theory that the ancient people in the area could not appear before 50-30 thousand years BC.e.The excavations have shown that in ancient times the foothills of the Altai covered with deciduous forests, which grow hornbeam, manchzhursky walnut, oak and northern species of bamboo.In North Asia, were found human remains Neanderthal era.
Scientists believe that the Denisova Cave - archeological monument of the Altai Mountains.It was found more than 50 thousand of stone artifacts, various ornaments made of bone;assembled a large collection of bones of mammals.Of course, the interesting finding - a treasure of iron things that belong to the XIV century, the pit in which to store grain the same time, a bronze knife.
use of the cave at different times
in IV-III millennium, during the Afanasiev culture, Denisova cave was used as a shelter for shepherds and cattle.To keep the animals inside, fenced off free grottoes and niches.Shepherds hunted wild animals, sheep meat eaten only as a last resort, when hunting was unsuccessful.This is confirmed by the detection tip darts and arrows.The ceramic vessels stored liquid.For butchering used stone tools, which were made here.This is evidenced by the production of waste, which were archaeologists.
remains poorly understood how to use the cave native culture of the Bronze Age.
to the Scythian period is characterized by powerful cultural deposits, which indicates the length of stay in the cave man.It is a repository of food supplies - meat, grains and dairy products, as it always had low temperatures.
Huns and Turks used this natural object for ritual ceremonies.According to the number of archaeological finds, in terms of their value to science, many researchers liken this amazing cave to the pyramids of ancient Egypt.Many believe that the results of the excavations carried out in the Denisova Cave, the general public perceive as less sensational than the Egyptian.However, it was found something that caused quite a stir in the scientific world.
stunning discovery
Archeologists removed from the eleventh layer in the cave remains of a previously unknown type of ancient human science.On this, scientists reported in the journal Nature in 2010.The man from the Denisova Cave equally distant genetically from both the Neanderthal and the modern Homo sapiens.By this view, researchers came after the genome was derived, preserved in tissue samples - metacarpophalangeal finger bones and molars.
priceless treasure
Every year, every artifact found Denisova Cave became more attractive to researchers.It was decided to build in this place a scientific field camp.Since 1982 Novosibirsk scientists began to explore the cave periodically.For their work, they have attracted professionals of different profiles not only from Russia but also from Japan, USA, Korea, Belgium and other countries.
Denisova cave is under the protection of UNESCO.Now research camp has become a scientific research institute with a laboratory desk.It hosts the primary work with found artifacts.Every year there are more than 100 studies of archaeologists and experts from other fields of science.In the 30 years of excavations, scientists were able to investigate only a small part of the cave.
Deciphering DNA inhabitants Denisova Cave
Today transcript of the material extracted from the phalanx and the tooth, and DNA studies confirm the identification of a new human population of the ancient world.Research results clarify the way in which it developed.Genome of individuals compared with the genomes of fifty-four of our contemporaries from all over the Earth, with ancient human DNA and six Neanderthals.
results are quite interesting.Scientists have found that "denisovtsy" moved away from the classical branch of human development around a million years ago and began to evolve on their own, but unfortunately, this way turned out to be a dead end.
Human evolution has progressed in the direction of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens.About 400 thousand years ago, these types of went along different paths of development.The second led to the emergence of modern man, and the first started in a deadlock.
Denisova Cave in the Altai and its artifacts
Now scientists believe that the culture of cave dwellers were more advanced than Neanderthals, who once inhabited the surrounding rock.
Neanderthals were stone tools (scrapers, arrowheads, etc.), in appearance resembling a Western thing.The Denisova Cave found the remains of the culture and way of life, dating back 50 thousand years.According to archaeological features is fully consistent with human culture, has a modern physical appearance.
were found not only the stone but also bone items, tools.But they have been handled better way.As an example, a miniature (about 5 cm) stone needles, which were drilled lugs.
lovely bracelet
In addition, in a cave found the magnificent decoration of the stone, which changes the idea of primitive man.These are two elements of the bracelet hloditolita - stone, which was brought from the Rudny Altai, located two hundred and fifty kilometers from the cave.
a rare mineral that can change color depending on the light.On the bracelet traces the internal bore, but the most amazing thing that the drilling was carried out on the machine.
This technology became widely used only in the Neolithic period, so the earlier it was believed that she was not more than fifteen thousand years.A wonderful bracelet found in a layer dating back 50 thousand years!
Learning bracelet showed that he probably represented a composite object.In the same layer were found beads made from ostrich egg shells brought from the Trans-Baikal and Mongolia.All of this suggests a high level of development of inhabitants Denisova Cave - spiritual, social, aesthetic and technological.
Why disappeared "denisovtsy"?
exact answer to this question is not found.Now we can only say with certainty that in ancient times existed in Altai another type of ancient people.In the caves, located sosedsttvu Denisov, were found the remains of Neanderthal men, who are approximately the same time.This means that the two types of ancient people could contact.However, the official scientific evidence does not yet exist.
