알타이 지역 고대 암각화 속의 기마 전사 연구

Mounted Warriors Depicted in the Ancient Rock Art of Altai Region

This article focuses on the images of mounted warriors depicted in the ancient rock art (the Huns – Turkic Period) of Central Asian region, where the Altai mountains stretch across. With the rise of the Hunnic Empire, the new types of motifs, styles, and techniques were introduced in the ancient art of Central Asia. The good example of this is the portrayals of mounted warriors. Warriors usually wear helmet and armor, hold a long spear or flag, and depicted as having a battle with one another. Sometimes one can find warriors riding armored horses. The images are mainly engraved in thin lines. The legs of horses are portrayed as walking fast or running. One of the foreleg of the horse stretches forward, while the other kneels down. The hind legs are crossed together. The images that embody such motifs, styles, and techniques can be found in the ancient rock art of Shinskino (Russia), Gorno Altai (Mongolia), Eastern Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. They can also be found in the ancient tomb murals of Korea’s Goguryeo Kingdom. These are the images of cavalry (mounted warriors riding armored horses) discovered in Anak Tomb no 3, Deokgunegri Mural Tomb, and Myuyongchong. As such, these were the main motifs of the ancient art for almost 10 centuries, which was from 3 B.C to 7 A.D. By studying these images, one can grasps the fact that Central Asia during this period was undergoing severe regional and ethnic conflicts. At the same time, the images confirm that Korean ancient art, including that of Goguryeo’s, shares the common root with the Northern Nomads’ art.