Did shamans always play the drum? Tracking down prehistoric shamanism in Central Asia

Abstract

This paper considers the question of antiquity of shamanism in Central Asia and outlines several lines of enquiry into the issue. It analyses both linguistic and archaeological data with particular emphasis on ancient rock art. In the sphere of rock art studies it focuses on methodological questions connected with identifying shamanism in visual arts. It concludes that most convincing traits of shamanic symbolism, which characterizes Central Asian tradition, can be deciphered in the art dated to four thousand years.