A unique observatory found at Elbrus in the Baksan District of Kabardino-Balkaria near Zayukovo Village has been found not far from a cave and a necropolis, ITAR-TASS cites Maria and Victor Kotlyarovs, local ethnographers, as saying.
A plateau was found resembling an observatory. It was used for rituals. Ancient people observed the sun and calculated the spring and autumn equinox, winter and summer solstice.
The observatory resembles Stonehenge in the UK and the Arkaima of Russia. It is part of the North Caucasian region. Archeologist Murat Orkvasov says that the plateau is next to a necropolis, where Cimmerians were buried in the 8-7th century BC. A shaft was found nearby earlier. Officers of Ahnenerbe studied it.
Experts and local functionaries propose the sites to be used for tourism purposes and become symbols of the region. However, illegal archeologists are robbing the place and stealing artifacts. The North Caucasian tourism cluster is building 5 news resorts in Russia’s south in 2011-2020. They include the Elbrus-Bezengi resort in Kabardino-Balkaria.
