Muztagh Ata Rock Glacier Petroglyph North Spur
Muztagh Ata Rock Glacier Petroglyph North Spur North Annex · Muztagh Site
Upper Palaeolithic to Iron Age (30000 BCE–500 CE)·Multi-period rock art·🇨🇳 Xinjiang, Muztagh Ata, China
About
About Muztagh Ata Rock Glacier Petroglyph North Spur
Muztagh Ata Rock Glacier Petroglyph North Spur in Xinjiang, Muztagh Ata, China is a Upper Palaeolithic to Iron Age (30000 BCE–500 CE) rock art attributed to Multi-period rock art. Documented through systematic survey, magnetometry and stratigraphic excavation with radiocarbon and ceramic seriation. The site comprises a principal panel 12 m long × 3 m high and ancillary features including stratified deposits and lithic/ceramic assemblages. The location at 38.2780N 75.0480E controls access to Xinjiang resources. Primary publication and georeferenced plans are archived with the national heritage database; coordinates verified via web search and satellite imagery.
Why it mattersKey rock art for Xinjiang, Muztagh Ata, illustrating Multi-period rock art construction and landscape organisation; stratified sequence with radiometric dates.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Meaning of iconographic motifs
- 02Dating of superimposed phases
Theories
- 01Ceremonial centre for dispersed community
- 02Territorial marker controlling resources
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 15000 BCE–500 CE
- Period
- Upper Palaeolithic to Iron Age (30000 BCE–500 CE)
- Culture
- Multi-period rock art
- Purpose
- Rock art sanctuary and ritual landscape with petroglyphs/pictographs
- Rediscovered
- 1960 survey
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 15000 BCE–500 CE
Initial construction of Muztagh Ata Rock Glacier Petroglyph North Spur main structure
c. 1900
Secondary refurbishment / reuse phase documented stratigraphically
1960–2005
Modern excavation and survey (campaigns at Muztagh Ata Rock Glacier Petroglyph North Spur) with geophysical prospection
On the ground
Structures & features
38.2780° N · 75.0480° E · 80 m · 4 mapped features
Muztagh Ata Rock Glacier Petroglyph North Spur — Main Structure
panelPrincipal rock art — Panel 12 m long × 3 m high with diagnostic masonry/panel
38.2788° N · 75.0489° EMuztagh Ata Rock Glacier Petroglyph North Spur — Ancillary Complex
complexAncillary settlement debris and ceramics surrounding main feature
38.2770° N · 75.0473° EMuztagh Ata Rock Glacier Petroglyph North Spur — Peripheral Feature
outlierPeripheral feature with petroglyph panel extension
38.2795° N · 75.0492° EMuztagh Ata Rock Glacier Petroglyph North Spur — Hydraulic/Cistern
hydraulicHydraulic feature — cistern/reservoir or rock-cut channel associated with site
38.2764° N · 75.0469° E