Universal History Annotation << Back DUKA-BEK: ACTUAL ISSUES OF HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDY OF STATUE V.A. Fomenko The Duka-bek sculpture is one of the most unique and widely known monuments of history and culture of the North Caucasus. However, the question of the time of production of this sculpture are far from being finalized and so far there is no way to connect the person depicted with the person mentioned in written historical sources. The significance of the relief drawings of the frieze -bek has not been fully established and there is no satisfactory reading of the inscription on Duka. The origin of the costume depicted in detail on the statue has not been unequivocally clarifi ed. These issues determine the relevance of further study of this historical monument. This article is a usuing of a new approach to the interpretation of the sculpture of Duka-bek. The novelty of the approach lies in the objective analysis of historiography, in an unbiased search for archaeological and historical analogies to sculpture in general and to its specific elements. The work briefl y describes the main periods in the study of the unique monument. The main researchers of the sculpture and their publications on this theme are named. The chronology of the monument is determine. A more objective version of its cultural and ethnic attribution is proposed. The question of the place of the first location of Duka-bek was considered. The author comes to the conclusion that the inscription on the sculpture of Duka-bek and the scene of the deer hunting cannot be a reliable basis for dating the statue. Keywords: sculpture of Duka-bek, North Caucasus, the valley of the Etoka river, chronology, cultural attribution, ancient Etoka settlement, kabardians. DOI: 10.25791/vseist.03.2020.1110 Pp. 60-68.