Deer Stone, Mongolia
Experts speculate that north-central Mongolian stone engravings, such as this representation of a deer, were created more than three thousand years ago. Originally thought to guide ancient people across the open steppe, a recent discovery has swayed opinion about the markers. An ancient human, with skin intact, was found buried north of Siberia. His skin bore tattoos similar to the Mongolian deer carving. Researchers now believe that these stones are grave markers and each engraving echoes a tattoo found on the person buried in the frozen earth below. I illuminated this engraving with a headlamp to enhance the mystery of these iconic stones. The artificial light brought out the detail of the beautiful lines, highlighting them against the waning light in the western sky.