The Stone Heaps of Jimusaer

　　World mystery: large, crop-circle-like stone mounds and deer stones inscribed with the mysterious "heavenly hunt" phenomenon, situated in Dalongkou Village, about 8 km south of Jimusaer County.

　　The heaps are constructed from a mixture of yellow earth and pebbles of varying sizes. Originally 2 meters high, they now stand 0.5–1 meter tall with a diameter of 54 meters. Surrounding the heaps is a stone circle, with the outer ring formed by embedding approximately 0.5-meter pebbles into the ground. Southwest of the stone circle, there are also two smaller stone enclosures, built using large pebbles around 1 meter in size. These two small enclosures are roughly circular, with diameters of 3 meters and 4 meters respectively. According to local villagers, there were originally seven such circular stone enclosures arranged around the main stone circle. Archaeologists have conducted preliminary excavations around the heaps and the surrounding stone rings but found only virgin soil without any significant findings.

　　The small stone circles outside the main ring were likely ritual sites. The large central heap within the stone ring was fully excavated. Its composition is relatively simple, consisting mainly of pebbles and yellow earth. However, at the base of the heap, a deer stone measuring 1.85 meters in length was discovered. The deer stone was found buried horizontally in the fill soil at about 0.5 meters above the tomb entrance, oriented roughly north-south. The tomb entrance is located slightly northeast of the center of the heap. It is oval-shaped, aligned at 270 degrees, measuring 4.6 meters north-south and 4.0 meters east-west. There are two terrace layers around the opening, and at a depth of 1.2 meters, a circular vertical shaft was dug, with a diameter of 1.2 meters and a depth of 1.8 meters. The shaft is filled with sandy soil and small pebbles, and near the bottom, there are traces of decayed wooden sticks arranged in a “well” pattern. No human remains or other artifacts were found.

　　The deer stone unearthed from the heap stands 185 cm tall, tapering from top to bottom with an inclined top. The top is 24 cm wide, narrowing to 16 cm at the bottom, with a side width of 27 cm. Made of fine-grained yellow sandstone and finely worked, it features carvings on all four sides and the sloping top. The front side has nine small circular pits, while the back upper part shows three slanted grooves. Between the grooves are three small circular pits, one ibex figure, and one zigzag symbol. Each side of the deer stone features a circular ring with a diameter of 14 cm. Below the left ring is another pair of small circular pits, and on the right side, slightly above the middle, there is a slanted groove carved into an existing recess.

　　The megalithic stone heap and the deer stone are believed to date back 2,500–2,000 years. The absence of human bones or artifacts other than the deer stone within the stone circle and shallow pit suggests that this heap was likely a religious structure, possibly intended to preserve a certain form or shape.