Deer Stone

These decorated standing Stones have been found mostly in Mongolia & some Central Asian countries, dating back to the beginning of the Bronze age and the Early Iron Age.

The name comes from their carved depictions of flying deer. Researchers believe that these sophisticated statues were dedicated to tribe leaders and great warriors of a tribe. Therefore, on the bodies of the deer stones, there are engravings of various types of weapons such as daggers, grindstones, mattocks, bows with cases, spears, shields, and mirrors as well as belts with decorative patterns.

There are recorded around 1200 Deer stones of which 560 are located in Mongolia. Excavation revealed skulls neck bones & hooves of horses. The tallest deer stone is about 4m while the shortest measures only about 40cm.

What is engraved on the deer stone?
Deer stones have three ornamented sections: upper, main, and lower sections.

Upper sections are images of sun, moon, human faces, and earrings

Main: stylized deer, elk – occasionally horses and ibexes

Lower section: carvings of various weapons, belt, and sometimes horse riders