 Kamyana Mohyla in May 2012 | |
| Location | Terpinnia, Melitopol Raion, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 46°57′0″N 35°28′12″E / 46.95000°N 35.47000°E |
| Type | National Archeological Site |
| Site notes | |
| Website | www.stonegrave.org |
Kamyana Mohyla (Ukrainian: Кам'яна Могила, romanized: Kamiana Mohyla, lit. 'stone grave') is an archaeological site in the Molochna River (lit. 'milk river') valley, about a mile from the village of Terpinnia, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine. Petroglyphs of Kamyana Mohyla are dated from Upper Paleolithic (Kukrek culture) to Medieval, with Stone Age depictions subjected to most archaeological interest.
The site encompasses a group of isolated blocks of sandstone, up to twelve meters in height, scattered around an area of some 3,000 sq m. As Noghai legend has it, it resulted from a scuffle of two baghaturs who took turns throwing rocks at each other. In truth, the site had its origins in a sandbank of the Tethys Ocean. For a long time it was an island in the Molochna River, which has since been silted up and now flows a short distance to the west. It is thought to represent the only sandstone outcrop in the Azov-Kuban Depression. The shape of this sand hill is similar to that of kurgans that dot the Pontic–Caspian steppe.
Petroglyphs are found only inside the caves and grottoes of Kamyana Mohyla, many of them still filled up with sand. No adequate protection from the elements has been provided to this day. Few traces of ancient human settlement have been discovered in the vicinity, leading many scholars to believe that the hill might have served as a remote sanctuary. Faint traces of red paint remain on parts of the surface. Scholars have been unable to agree whether the petroglyphs date from Mesolithic or Neolithic.