Petroglyph “Belaya Loshad” (White Horse) in the Minusinsk Basin (Attribution, Experiment, Discussion)

Purpose. According to the data about its analogues, the petroglyph White Horse in the Minusinsk basin has been dated as the late Paleolithic. Such dating of the petroglyph provides ground for research and drawing stylistic links with a series of similar Paleolithic images of Western Europe. Results. We used microscopical analysis of the surface with the pattern to carry out a number of special experiments. The aim of our research was to verify whether the image could have been created using the supposed “applicative” technology. The results of our studies and the dating of calcite stains on the rocky planes obtained by means of accelerator mass spectrometry lead us to revise the time estimates of the image. Experimental-technological and special traceological studies together with photogrammetry of the petroglyph provide the basis for determining three stages of the pattern formation. Some of the fragments of the image are likely to have been performed by different people at different times. A stylistic analysis of similar and geographically close objects allows us to date the picture no earlier than the Late Holocene. The image safety is under a serious threat due to the rapid destruction of the rock surface. Conclusion. Based on the data obtained as a result of our experiments, the petroglyph cannot be defined as “an image of the Upper Paleolithic era”. After a series of analyses including chemical analysis of calcite and experimental traceological analysis, we conclude that relative dating of the image refers to a period not earlier than the Bronze Age. A stylistic analysis suggests that the petroglyph White Horse in the Minusinsk basin, to a certain extent, naturally fits into the general visual tradition of the region. The 3-D model of the image allows us to keep a clear visual image of the object. However, the image can be damaged as a result of natural processes as the rock surface is in a state of decay.