SHAMANISM IN HUMAN LIFE: EVIDENCE FROM ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOURCES
Abstract
This article comprehensively analyzes the phenomenon of shamanism, one of the oldest belief systems in human history, examining its genesis of origin and its socio-cultural role in human life. It sheds light on the essence of shamanic beliefs, their correlation with animistic and totemistic concepts, as well as their societal management and medico-psychological functions. The primary focus of the paper is directed toward the material traces of shamanic culture-such as rock art (petroglyphs), amulets discovered in burials, ritual artifacts, and specialized attire-and how they are reflected in archaeological and ethnographic sources. In particular, the indelible marks left by shamanism in the history of Central Asian and Turkic peoples, along with its syncretic (hybrid) connection with subsequent religions, are systematically analyzed.
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