Siberia is the land where we live
Siberia is the land where we live. There are many secrets and riddles in its history. For example, everybody know about the riddle of the Tungus meteorite. It is possible to tell for a long time about the Valley of Death in area of the river Vilui where, according to legends, unknown metal objects dangerous for everybody are hid under the ground. And do you know about the most mysterious archaeological monument in our territory which was found recently, in 1987? It is the ancient city Arkaim in the Ural mountians, the city-fortress of ancient Aryans which was constructed in accodance with lows of astrology and was abandoned for the unknown reasons about 4 thousand years ago. That is the next riddle - the lake Labinkir, the legendary lake in Yakutia where, according to numerous observations, the huge animal lives.
We could tell about many secrets and riddles of Siberia using researches of scientists who live together with us in Novosibirsk Science Sity. But we want begin our story from very ancient times and tell about Siberia in Palaeolithic epoch, about fauna of the Ice Age, about the life of the ancient Human, about the ancient land Beringia, once connected Eurasia with America, about mighty Siberian Shamans, taking his mysterious force from ancient times.
Contents:
Siberia is shown during the last icing of the Quaternary Age (the beginning - about 115 thousand years ago, the end - about 10 thousand years ago): the climate, the Arctic ice cover, flora and fauna and the Human.
The Ice Age. Began from 1,5 up to 3,5 million years ago. Geologists name this stage of the planet's history as the Quaternary Age. And sometimes it is named as Anthropogene, of the Greek word "antropos", that means "the Human" .This name appeared because just in this time on the Earth Mankind was developing. The last Glacial Epoch is a part of the Ice Age.
Flora and fauna. Modifications in the vegetative and the animal world of the Northern hemisphere during the last icing of the Quaternary Age.
Rivers and lakes. Rivers and lakes formation during the last icing of the Quaternary Age.
The Siberian Lake. The West Siberian Lake, one of the largest ice lake in Eurasia during the last icing of the Quaternary Age.
The world ocean The world ocean level depended on the formation of ice covers.
The last great glacier. Arctic ice cover during the last icing of the Quaternary Age.
Holocene. The climate began to warm and glaciers began to thaw 18-16 thousand years ago. The territory of Siberia was released of ice 10 thousand years ago. Just this time the beginning of the new period became and it suddenly changed the life of the Human and the Nature surrounded him.
There was the original bridge during the Ice Age over which the plants, animals and Humans moved to the Northern America from Asia. This bridge left under water about 10 thousand years ago, when glaciers thew.
First Americans. First people appeared in the American continent between 70-12 thousand years ago.
Migrations of animals Migrations of animals through Beringia happened at least during the last interglacial epoch.
Mammoths in America.. American mammoths died out in the end of Pleistocene - the beginning of Holocene.
American bison. Moving of bisons to America ( they live there up to now ).
Very unusual kinds of animals lived in Siberia during the Ice Age. Many of them already are not present on the Earth. A mammoth was the largest of them. All animals living simultaneously with a mammoth are unifying by palaeontologers in the mammoth fauna complex (the Mammoth Fauna).
Woolly rhinoceros Had height 160-170 cm, body length over 3,5 m, weight up to 3 t.
Primeval bison. Had height up to 2 m, body length 3 m, weight 2 - 2,5 t.
Cave bear. It was a really giant. A large brown bear weighs 300-350 kgs, and a cave bear weighed 800-900 kgs. Only his head’s length was more than half-meter.
Mammoth. He was a giant of height up to 3,5 m. and weight 5-6 t.
The finds of mammoths The map and notes about the most important finds of mammoths in Siberia.
The mammoth of Adams. September, 1799, the right bank of the river Lena.
Mammoth from Berezovka. August, 1900, on the bank of the river Berezovka in the northeast of Siberia.
Mathilda 1939, in the river Oyosh, running into the river Ob hardly to the north of Novosibirsk.
Berelekh. In 1970 the searching works began in the huge mammoth cemetery near the stream Berelekh in Yakutia.
The young mammoth Dima. 1977, about 40 thousand years ago in uppers of the river Kolima disaster happened. Six-month young mammoth was beat off from herd.
The mammoth structure. A mammoth, as well as all animals, consisted of bones, muscles, fat, skin and various internal organs. And that all are of very large sizes.
The teeth structure. Notes about teeth of mammoth.
The tusks. The structure of mammoth tusks.
The wool. The structure of mammoth wool.
The trunk. The structure of mammoth trunk.
Mammoth and the Human. The history of mammoths and other animals of the Ice Age wonderfully is connected with the life of the primeval Human.
The mammoths hunting. Our far ancestors invented very artful methods of hunting these czarist animals.
House of bones. Heavy bones and tusks of mammoths were used by primeval Humans for construction their dwellings.
The first human appeared in Siberia 350-300 thousand years ago. Still by this time the earliest finds of his living rests in caves of Altai dates. Scientists consider that the first humans which came into Siberia, were the neanderthalens ( sapiens neanderthalensis) - primitive hunters and gatherings.
Wolf Mane. In the1967 archeological excavation began in Novosibirsk region on territory of the settlement Ozerki., at the place, which the inhabitants named the Wolf Mane.
Buret. Found in 1936, it is the archeological memorial, extremely similar to Malta, is placed on a right bank of the river Angara.
Venus from Buret. It is one of the most known find in Siberia found in 1936.
Malta. Was found in 1928 in the river Belaya, is the most known upper-palaeolithic monument in Siberia.
The tools. Notes about the tools of ancient humans, which were found in Malta and Buret.
The art. One of the largest in Siberia and in the world collection of primitive art was found in Malta.
The ancient calendar. Many researchers consider, that the palaeolithic population of Siberia had precise idea about the time.
Birds figurines. The series of birds sculptural images, which have been cut out from a mammoth tusk, is very known.
Venuses. The series from 30 bone female figurines is the most significant in the Malta collection
The interment ritual. The stand Malta is the unique stand in Siberia, where the palaeolithic interment was found .
Siberian aborigines. The map and short notes about indigenous peoples of the modern Siberia.
The world of Siberian peoples was occupied by many gods and spirits. According to this ideas, an ancient spirits lived everywhere: in the sky and in the air, in the stone and in the tree, in the water and in the ground. The natural elements, the animal and vegetative worlds and, certainly, the Human were submited to them.
Petroglyths. In many places in Siberia the unusual images of people are found. As they were stopped in the magic dance.
Shamanism. Not each person risked to contact with the mighty spirits, but only some having secret forces and knowledge did that.
Modern Shamans. In the end of 20-th – in the beginning of 30-th years of our century Siberian Shamanism practically completely was destroyed. Only few, who live in the most remote areas, continued the activity.
The Shaman tambourine. A tambourine is the most significant Shaman instrument.
The dress. During the rituals Shaman dressed in the special costume. It was very unusual.
How to become Shaman. Not everybody can be the Shaman. It is considered, that nobody can to learn the shaman action, it can be received only as a gift.
All photos available in our entry are placed in the separate part. Each photo has brief comment. All photos are divided into the following themes:
Ancient animals. The places of excavations, reconstructed skeletons, parts of skeletons.
The ancient Human. Stands, tools, art and life objects.
Shamans. Photos of Shamans, cult objects - the modern photos and photos of the beginning of our century.
Indigenous Peoples Short notes about indigenous peoples of the modern Siberia
Arctic ice cover in the last Glacial Epoch
Siberia in the last Glacial Epoch
The spreading of mammoths and woolly rhinoceroses in Eurasia and America
The most significant stands of the ancient Human in Siberia.
The map of the significant finds of the mammoths in Siberia.
Indigenous peoples of the modern Siberia.
The map of the West Siberian Lake, the largest ice lake in Eurasia in the last Glacial Epoch.
The story about those, who made this web site.
Brief exposition of used terms and definitions
List of basic dates
In this section the test for checking your knowledge in all our themes is placed. You should answer some questions and the testing system will estimate your knowledge.