Uushigiin Uvur Deer Stones

A 3,000-Year-Old Bronze Age Monument Complex

On the slopes of Uushig Mountain, some 18 kilometres west of Mörön town, stands one of Mongolia’s finest concentrations of deer stones — upright carved monoliths dating back roughly 3,000 years to the Late Bronze Age. Uushigiin Uvur holds 14 closely spaced deer stones alongside hundreds of burial mounds, and is considered among the best-preserved and most clearly carved deer stone sites anywhere in Central Asia.

What Are Deer Stones?

Deer stones are granite monoliths, typically one to four metres tall, carved during Mongolia’s Late Bronze Age (roughly 1300–700 BC) with stylised imagery of flying deer, weapons, belts, and solar or lunar symbols. More than 500 have been documented across Mongolia, and researchers now believe they represented powerful warriors or leaders rather than serving simply as grave markers.

A Site of Exceptional Preservation

Uushigiin Uvur’s 14 stones are especially well known for their clarity and craftsmanship, including Deer Stone 14, one of only a handful in Mongolia to feature an actual human face rather than abstract ornamentation, with pierced ears and an open mouth suggesting a shamanic chant. The site also contains roughly 1,400 burial mounds and khirigsuurs, making it a rich single-location record of Bronze Age steppe culture.

Recognised World Heritage

In 2024, deer stone complexes across Mongolia and Siberia, including Uushigiin Uvur, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as “Deer Stone Monuments and Related Bronze Age Sites,” recognised for their exceptional artistry and their role as some of humanity’s earliest monumental sculpture.

Gallery

• See 14 closely grouped Bronze Age deer stones up close
• Find the rare human-faced Deer Stone 14
• Explore roughly 1,400 surrounding burial mounds and khirigsuurs
• Learn how researchers now interpret these 3,000-year-old carvings