ABSTRACT
Shamanism in Central Asia and Siberia, though commonly believed to be the key component of regional cultures, is still not fully understood in the archaeological record. It is common knowledge that the very term “shaman” came out of Siberia and today is widely applied by anthropologist and ethnographers to similar cultural phenomena in different parts of the globe. Usually it is accompanied by the supposition that “classic shamanism” appeared (and originated) in Siberia. Hence Siberia is often perceived as a rather monolithic entity, and consequently so-called Siberian shamanism is considered a homogeneous phenomenon. A closer examination of this seemingly simple phenomenon, however, reveals a greater variety of hues in the monochrome picture of Siberian shamanism, and this circumstance is amplified by considering the geographically and culturally related region of Central Asia.
