Kurykan fortress wall
Olkhon island, Khorgoy cape, Khaday mountain
See map »
Ancient kurykan defensive wall is 185 meters long, its height reaches 1.5-2 meters in some places. The fortress has well-remained masonry, earth bank and also half-destroyed ditch of 3.5 meters wide and 1.5 meters deep. Hypothetically, such construction was build for temporary protection. However, during last time it is more believed that this construction could have been a cultural sanctuary. It is possible that stone walls and ditches protected sacral space from evil spirits, and flat stones with hollows were used as altar for human sacrifice. Such stone plates with well-noticeable dimples of round and cylindrical shape were found at Khorgoy cape. According to hypothesis of Okladnikov academician, kurykan people are ancestors of two siberian nationalities: Yakut and Buryat people.
© Text by BaikalNature. All rights reserved.
 Photos provided by Panoramio. Photos are under the copyright of their owners.
 |
Peoples of Lake Baikal The Kurykans
In the first millennium A.D. Pribaikalie was inhabited by a tribal union consisted of three families – the Turks, the Evenks and the Protoburyats that had a common name “Kurykans”. In spite of their little quantity these ancient tribes formed a quite... |
 |
Shamanism Shamanism is one of the oldest religious traditions of the mankind, which preceded other world religions. Shamanism, as such, is considered to be primarily Siberian and Central Asian religion. Central and Northern Asia is regarded as shamans’ homeland, and the sacred place for... |
 |
Baikal Climate Lake Baikal is situated almost in the centre of Asia and it is considerably distant from all oceans. Vast plains and plateaus are located to the north from the lake and don’t hinder the access of the cold Artic air. In the south on the contrary there are high ranges, behind... |
 |
Discover Olkhon The largest island of the Baikal – Olkhon is situated in the middle part of the lake, nearby the western coast. Its length reaches 71km, a maximal width is 15km, and the area is about 700km2.
The strait between the island and the continental coast is named Maloye More (Small... |
 |
Discovery of Lake Baikal Lake Baikal is a unique lake of our planet. Lake Baikal is a place of superlatives: the deepest, the oldest, the clearest, the cleanest, the highest level of biodiversity, the largest volume of fresh water in the world, and home to flora and fauna that is mostly endemic. For... |
|
|