Rock Paintings of Shulgan-Tash Cave

Brief synthesis The Rock Paintings of Shulgan-Tash Cave, also known as Kapova Cave, are located in the western foothills of the Southern Ural Mountains within the Burzyansky district of the Republic of Bashkortostan, below a karst massif bounded by the Belaya River and the Shulgan River canyon. The property features large halls, galleries, steep passages, and interconnected siphons and contains extensive Upper Palaeolithic rock paintings in the aphotic zone of the cave. The rock paintings are found in several chambers at different levels and primarily depict the characteristic fauna of the steppe ecosystem – mammoths, woolly rhinoceroses, bison, horses, and one complete image of a Bactrian camel – as well as anthropomorphic representations, abstract signs, and geometric patterns, including the renowned “Kapova trapezoids. These rock paintings were created during the Last Glaciation Maximum and at the beginning of the deglaciation, between 20,600 and 16,500 calibrated years BP. The climate in the Southern Urals was severe and the temperature in the cave was constantly below 0°C, making it extremely difficult to produce paintings there in comparison with other caves known to display Palaeolithic art. The rock paintings bear witness in an outstanding way to commonalities in human perceptions of the world and of external phenomena from Western Europe to the Urals during the Late Pleistocene. The peculiarities of these paintings also suggest that a centre of ancient culture existed in the Southern Urals during the Palaeolithic period. They provide insight into shared and different domestic and cultural practices covering vast areas of Europe. In addition, archaeological finds and speleothems provide rare and outstanding evidence of the artistic process, and of the domestic activities carried out by humans in the Shulgan-Tash Cave in the Late Palaeolithic. The property offers a vast potential for future investigations and the advancement of knowledge on production tools for rock art, imagery and paintings in the cave. The forested immediate and wider setting is mainly intact, with no impact from urbanisation, and contributes to the understanding of the Outstanding Universal Value of the property. Criterion (iii): The Rock Paintings of Shulgan-Tash Cave provide outstanding evidence of the cultural and domestic practices of the Southern Urals Upper Palaeolithic inhabitants. The numerous paintings on the cave walls and the rich archaeological materials found in the cultural layers of the cave sediment offer important comparative and differential perspectives on domestic and cultural practices across vast areas of Europe, highlighting both common and distinctive elements in the use of cave and production of rock art. Paleontological finds, spores and pollen, charcoal, and dripstones reflect the temporal, climatic and environmental contexts of the Palaeolithic human occupation of the cave. Wall paintings and other evidence of non-utilitarian activities provide additional cultural and anthropological context. The property offers significant potential for further research and knowledge production. Integrity The integrity of the property depends on the preservation of the karst system and the stability of its parameters. The geological, geochemical and microclimatic factors of the deep section of the cave appear stable, ensuring the long-term preservation of the wall paintings and loose sediments containing archaeological materials. Although some painting panels suffered contamination and defacement by graffiti during the initial exploration of the cave, the State Party rapidly protected the property. The attributes are therefore adequately conserved and convey the Outstanding Universal Value of the property; they are not in danger of natural decay or neglect. Factors affecting the property mainly relate to housing and agricultural activities in the buffer zone. These risks are considered low and are closely monitored. However, impacts on the inner part of the cave due to increased visitor numbers in its outer part need constant monitoring, and prompt corrective measures if necessary. The almost intact character of the remote rural environment of the property needs to be preserved. Authenticity The authenticity of the property relies on the numerous paintings on the cave walls depicting Late Pleistocene fauna (mammoth, rhinoceros, bison, horse, camel), as well as the archaeological materials found in the sediments. The paintings were dated using uranium-thorium dating, and are over 14,500 years old. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal has made it possible to determine the age of the cultural layer, which is estimated to be between 20,600 and 16,500 calibrated years BP. This comprehensive collection of data and objects, unequivocally ascribing the Shulgan-Tash paintings to the Upper Palaeolithic era, is genuine in its materials and substance. Palaeontological relics such as spores and pollen, charcoal, and dripstones reflect the time, climate, and environmental background of human occupation of caves in the Palaeolithic era. Protection and management requirements The property has been protected as a federal cultural heritage site since 1960. The protection and management of cultural heritage is governed by the Federal Law No. 73, dated 25 June 2002. The property, the buffer zone and the broader setting enjoy additional layers of protection through the designation of this territory as the Shulgan-Tash State Nature Biosphere Reserve and the Altyn-Solok State Wildlife Reserve, both part of the UNESCO Bashkir Urals Biosphere Reserve, and the Bashkirya National Park. The property and its buffer zone are included in the cultural heritage site Land of Ural-Batyr. This territory is covered by a special town-planning regulation that limits economic activities to preserve natural, historical, and cultural monuments. The Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Department for State Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites of the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation and the Ministry for Natural Resources and the Environment of the Republic of Bashkortostan ensure the protection, financing, control, planning and management of the property and its buffer zone. The Shulgan-Tash Cave Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve, is the key management entity for the property and surrounding area, and the Shulgan-Tash State Nature Biosphere Reserve exercises responsibility over the Biosphere and part of the buffer zone. The cave holds significant sacral importance for the Indigenous Bashkir people. Careful surveillance by the local community provides further protection to the property. Coordination and cooperation among all responsible entities, including local authorities, via a collegial governance and management framework, is essential for effectively protecting, planning and managing the property, its buffer zone and its wider setting.