Marat A. Bakushev^a,#, Alexey S. Afonin^b, Yulia A. Salova^b,##, and Aleksandr V. Borisov^###

^a Kuban Archaeological Society, Rostov-on-Don, Russia
^b Tyumen Scientific Centre SB RAS, Tyumen, Russia
^c Institute of Physical, Chemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science RAS, Pushchino, Russia

^#E-mail: bakart@mail.ru
^##E-mail: yadviga13@yandex.ru
^###E-mail: a.v.borisovv@gmail.com

Keywords: mountainous Dagestan, cult sites, religious rites, ritual, Zuberkha, Berak.

The issue of cult sites on mountain tops or slopes is relevant in studying the pre-Islamic beliefs of Dagestan. To reveal the essence of religious rites studies were conducted on the tops of the mountains Zuberkha and Berak. Some items were obtained from the cult site on Mount Zuberkha. An analysis of samples collected there made it possible to date the site and to restore the nature and aspects of ritual acts. The site on Mount Berak was completely excavated in 1938, but the new data obtained cast new light on the chronology and nature of the ritual actions on the top of this mountain. Two sites of worship dating from different times and located at a distance from each other showed both different and common features. The article traces the transformation of aspects of ritual actions for over one and a half millennium and, at the same time, states the stability of the basic religious beliefs that existed there before the advent of Islam.

DOI: 10.31857/S0869606322040043