Sulla statuaria antropomorfa nell'Eurasi settentrionale. Dalle "Pietre dei cervi" ai Balbal

Among nomads and populations of Northern Eurasia, a long tradition of anthropomorphic stelae and menhir-statues has existed. At the beginning of the first millennium B.C. the so-called "Deer Stones" appeared in Mongolia and Siberia. Human figures are not represented on these stelae: only weapons, clothes and ornamental images (as well as animal ones), suggesting the idea of warriors, can be seen. The same kind of stelae have been found in Europe before the Scythian Age. The Scythians, however, built big statues upon kurgans representing a warrior with weapons and often a rhyton in the hands. During the Medieval Age the Turkish nomads of Asia and Europe were used to building statues quite similar to the Scythian stelae. They were called stone Balbals. Ancient Turkish inscriptions and some Arabic and Chinese authors tell us that the Balbals represented enemies killed during battle.