The spiral is the oldest symbol found on petroglyphs and ancient pottery in many regions of the world: the Pacific basin, Western Asia, Europe, and others. This universal sign has a rich symbolism. On Kazakh artifacts the spiral is found since the Andronov period, and frequently on ceramic complexes of the early Bronze Age and without interruption in later times. It is actively depicted in nomadic art and symbolizes life with its twists and turns, descent and ascent.
In the language of mathematics there are several basic types of spirals: Archimedean spiral, logarithmic spiral, clothoidal spiral and spiral formed by conjugation of semicircles with different diameters. The Archimedean and logarithmic spirals are similar in shape to the famous Kazakh “qoshqar muiiz” (ram’s horns). In Kazakh culture, the spiral is associated with movement and development, with eternity, and is understood as a vivid metaphor for life. Spirals are encountered that rotate with the movement of the sun and vice versa. This fact is probably related to the understanding of the world of the living and the world of the dead (to denote them). In general, the spiral figuratively symbolizes the development of life.
