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Helankou petroglyphs damaged by flooding
Tuesday 06 September 2016

An article on Shanghaidaily.com/Xinhua - Prehistoric art washed away by flooding - reports on the effect extreme weather conditions are having on ancient carvings on the Helan Mountain in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Helankou petroglyphs damaged by flooding

Excessive rainfall and flooding have caused substantial damage to prehistoric petroglyphs at Helan Mountain in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Image (& below): Xinhua

The Helan Mountains may have some 20,000 petroglyphs, scattered over several hundred kilometres, but the main concentration of rock art carvings is found at Helankou, the dramatic gorge cutting north-west through the mountain chain, and this constitutes the Helankou Rock Engravings Park.

The petroglyphs are thought to be between 3,000 to 10,000 old.

 
Article continues below
 

Reports from researchers at  the Helankou Rock Engravings Park reveal that some of the petroglyphs have been damaged by mud and silt, while others have been destroyed, or partially destroyed, by the rock surface - upon which the engravings have been carved - exfoliating and cracking. Some decorated rocks have even been washed away.

Helankou in China

Helankou in the dry season

Hu Zhiping, deputy director of Helan Mountain Cliff Petroglyph Administration in Yinchuan, the region's capital, revealed that of the roughly 6,000 engravings (3 undamaged examples shown below from a 2014 field trip), 12 were unaccounted for. He stated that the extent of the damage is still being assessed.

Helankou mask in China

Helankou carvings in China

Helankou petroglyphs in China

Editor's Note: Bizarre to think that petroglyphs are in peril - usually it's pictographs. Having been a guest of the Helankou Rock Engravings Park, I am certain that all involved will be doing their utmost to assess the damage; in this scenario, prevention is impossible, (prior) documentation is 'key'. 

Visit the China Rock Art Archive to view more about the rock engravings of the Helan Mountains in Inner Mongolia, China:

http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/china/index.php

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