Pétroglyphes archaïques du Ladakh et du Zanskar - article ; n°1 ; vol.45, pg 5-27

Arts asiatiques - Année 1990 - Volume 45 - Numéro 1 - Pages 5-27
The authors have collected a number of rock engravings in Ladakh and Zanskar. A selection is published here, dating from Bronze and Iron Age. Beside the expected parallels engraved in Upper Indus Valley (Karakorum Highway) and Western Tibet there is also evidence for relations with Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Altai, Mongolia). The images of the Bronze Age cultures of Okunevo (2nd mill.), Karasuk (end of 2nd mill.) and of the Iron Age Saka animal style (Early Nomads) are clearly represented. Unexpectedly, some petroglyphs exhibit specific analogies with particular material from China: a Western Zhou burial and a number of figures on bronzes of pictorial style. The petroglyphs of the upper reaches of the Indus include therefore representations inspired by Achaemenid, Central Asiatic and Chinese arts.
The historical reasons and mechanisms for such links cannot be completely explained; further field research is necessary towards the elaboration of a corpus of petroglyphs from Central Asia.
23 pages
Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.