▁grave , ▁and ▁in ▁other ▁instances , ▁the ▁de er ▁stones ▁were ▁set ▁in ▁elaborate ▁circular ▁patterns , ▁suggesting ▁use ▁in ▁rit uals ▁of ▁unknown ▁significance . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁A . P . ▁Ok lad nik ov ▁published ▁a ▁study ▁of ▁a ▁de er ▁stone ▁found ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 6 ▁by ▁D . P . ▁Dav yd ov ▁near ▁modern ▁U lan - U de ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁I vol ga ▁stone , ▁displayed ▁in ▁the ▁Ir k ut sk ▁State ▁Historical ▁Museum . ▁Ok lad ink ov ▁identified ▁the ▁de er ▁images ▁as ▁rein de er , ▁dated ▁the ▁stone ' s ▁car ving ▁to ▁the ▁ 6 th - 7 th ▁Cent uries ▁BC , ▁and ▁concluded ▁from ▁its ▁pla cement ▁and ▁other ▁images ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁associated ▁with ▁fun er ary ▁rit uals , ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁monument ▁to ▁a ▁war rior ▁leader ▁of ▁high ▁social ▁prom in ence . ▁ ▁A ▁extensive ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁study ▁by ▁V . V . ▁Vol kov ▁identified ▁two ▁cultural ▁conditions ▁behind ▁the ▁de er ▁stones . ▁The ▁eastern ▁de er ▁stones ▁appear ▁to ▁be ▁associated ▁with ▁c em eter ies ▁of ▁the ▁S lab ▁Gra ve ▁culture . ▁The ▁other ▁cultural ▁tradition ▁is ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁circular ▁structures ▁suggesting ▁use ▁as ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁rit uals . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁several ▁proposed ▁theories ▁for ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁the ▁de er ▁stones . ▁There ▁are ▁different ▁view points ▁about ▁the ▁orig ins ▁of