Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Maygul Aiyitihazi) news: Recently, it was learned from the Fourth National Cultural Relics Census Team of the Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture that two sites of ancient rock paintings, totaling 30 paintings, have been discovered on the northern shore of Sayram Lake, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. This discovery fills the gap in rock painting types among the 32 cultural relics sites at Sayram Lake, which is a major national cultural heritage site, and enriches the evidence of the long-term activities of ancient people in this area.

Photo shows two ancient rock paintings discovered on the northern shore of Sayram Lake, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Yuan Junxia)

After the Fourth National Cultural Relics Census Team entered the field investigation phase, the Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture team, by combining satellite imagery, local environment, and experiential judgment, focused on screening the mountains around Sayram Lake. "On May 17, 2025, we discovered multiple rock paintings on a cliff face at an altitude of about 2,500 meters on the northern shore of Sayram Lake," said Daoerji, the person in charge of field investigation at the Fourth National Cultural Relics Census Steering Group Office of Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture. "These rock paintings are distributed on the flat black rock surfaces on both the east and west sides of the valley. They are well-preserved, and the subjects of the paintings include animals, human figures, and hunting scenes." "This is the first discovery of ancient rock painting remains in the scenic area since the second national cultural relics census in 1988. It provides important evidence for the study of the interactions and exchanges between ancient grassland cultures in northern Xinjiang," Daoerji added.

The newly discovered rock paintings were created using techniques such as dotting and engraving. The image styles feature both single-line silhouettes and double-line outlining with filling, showing a variety of artistic expressions. One particularly precious painting is the archery scene, in which the figure holds an "asymmetrical recurve composite bow." "Based on the physical bows unearthed in Xinjiang and the dating data, it is inferred that the scene depicted dates back to about 2,500 years ago, reflecting the production and living conditions of that time," said Wang Yue, an advisor for the office of Xinjiang's fourth national cultural relics census who is based in Bortala and a teacher at Ili Normal University. "This type of rock painting is relatively rare, and the new discovery can provide evidence for the east-west exchanges of Eurasian grassland cultures."

Photo shows two ancient rock paintings discovered on the northern shore of Sayram Lake, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Jiang Yuanyuan)

Currently, the census team has completed the high-precision image acquisition and data entry of the newly discovered rock paintings. Subsequent efforts will focus on dating research and digital preservation. As of May 26, 2025, Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture has reviewed 570 cultural relics from the third national cultural relics census and discovered 170 new sites.

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