Kamyana Mohyla, Archaeological site near Terpinnia village, Ukraine
Kamyana Mohyla is a grouping of sandstone slabs and boulders near Terpinnia village in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine. The rock mass spreads across three hectares and holds several shallow caves and niches where old carvings and drawings cover the walls.
Stone Age hunters and gatherers left the oldest marks here about 24,000 years ago as they hunted animals and camped along the river. Later, during medieval times, the area came under the influence of Kyivan Rus, and Christian symbols were added to the earlier images.
The animals carved into rock faces often show horses, deer and goats, reflecting the life of early hunters and herders. Some later carvings carry Christian crosses, suggesting that travelers and monks stopped here to pray.
The path between boulders runs over uneven ground, so wear solid shoes and climb carefully. Many carvings remain covered by sand or have faded, so bright daylight works best to view them.
The outcrop forms the only sandstone hill of this type in the Azov-Kuban Depression, rising 18 meters (59 feet) above the valley. Some old drawings are so small and hidden that visitors miss them unless they look closely into the gaps between slabs.
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