🇱🇾 Libya · Rock art
Messak Settafet Rock Art
Neolithic Pastoral ~8000–2000 BP · Pastoral Neolithic Saharan
Fezzan escarpment's elephant and giraffe engravings marking Holocene Sahara greening.
🇳🇬 Nigeria · Rock art
Kainji Rock Art and Mounds
MSA to Iron Age (50,000 BCE–1800 CE; rock art 2000 BCE–500 CE) · MSA / Kintampo-related / Iron Age (Borgawa)
Kainji shoreline and islands host Middle Stone Age to Iron Age rock shelters with geometric rock art and 2,000-year mound settlements along Niger River, inundated partially 1968 by Kainji Dam.
🇫🇷 France · Rock art
Chauvet Cave
Aurignacian, Upper Paleolithic (~37,000–33,000 BCE) · Aurignacian hunter-gatherer
Sealed Aurignacian cave above the Ardèche gorge containing the earliest known figurative art, with over 430 animal representations including woolly rhinoceros, cave lions, panthers and megaloceros…
🇮🇳 India · Rock art
Kunjhun Rock Art — Vindhya
Mesolithic (8000 BCE) · Vindhya Mesolithic
Kunjhun Rock Art — Vindhya in Uttar Pradesh, Vindhya range, India is a Mesolithic (8000 BCE) rock art attributed to Vindhya Mesolithic culture.
🇲🇱 Mali · Necropolis
Essouk-Tadmekka South Necropolis
Medieval Trans-Saharan (9th–15th c. CE) · Sanhaja Berber / Tuareg / Andalusian-linked
Bazina ridge south of Saharan caravan city with Andalusian lustre shards.
🇮🇳 India · Cave
Arhar — Son Valley Microlithic
Mesolithic (10000–6000 BCE) · Mesolithic
Arhar — Son Valley Microlithic in Madhya Pradesh, Son valley, India is a Mesolithic (10000–6000 BCE) cave attributed to Mesolithic culture.
🇨🇱 Chile · Rock art
Punta Lobos
Archaic to Late Intermediate 5000 BCE–1500 CE · Chango-Chinchorro maritime
Coastal Changos maritime promise rock art and 4 m shell mounds on Atacama sea cliff, 5000 BCE–1500 CE.
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan · Rock art
Tamgaly III — Karatau Ridge Petroglyphs
Bronze Age to Turkic (1400 BCE – 900 CE) · Andronovo to Saka-Scythian to Turkic, Chu valley pastoralists
Karatau outlier with 120+ sun-head and deer panels on basalt knolls SW of main gorge.
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan · Rock art
Tamgaly-Tas II Ili River Bend North Petroglyphs
Bronze Age to Oirat · Andronovo, Saka, Wusun, Oirat
North river-bend schist slabs at the Kurta confluence on the Ili, 1.2 km north of the main Tamgaly-Tas Buddha, comprising 90 panels on flood-scoured boulders and low cliff.
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan · Rock art
Saimaluu-Tash East Summit — Upper Fergana Crest Petroglyphs
Bronze Age to Early Turkic (2000 BCE – 800 CE) · Fergana pastoralist to Saka to Kyrgyz proto
Skyline crest 3200 m with 200+ ibex and deer blocks above main lake field.
🇲🇲 Myanmar · Rock art
Camp Rock Shelter
Ancestral Pueblo (900–1350 CE) · Ancestral Pueblo
Camp Rock Shelter in Magway Region, Myanmar is a Ancestral Pueblo (900–1350 CE) rock art attributed to Ancestral Pueblo culture.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Rock art
Rock Art of Wall Nagar
Roman (300 BCE–500 CE) · Roman
Rock Art of Wall Nagar in Aswan Governorate, Egypt is a Roman (300 BCE–500 CE) rock art attributed to Roman culture.
🇵🇪 Peru · Rock art
Toquepala Caves
Early Holocene (~9500–7000 BCE) · Andean high-desert hunter-gatherer (Toquepala tradition)
Shallow Andean quebrada cave where Roger Ravines documented polychrome paintings of camelids, deer and corpulent hunters brandishing bows, one of the earliest figurative traditions on the Pacific…
🇧🇴 Bolivia · Rock art
Wadi Khirbet Rock Shelter
Neolithic (6000–3000 BCE) · Neolithic
Wadi Khirbet Rock Shelter in Oruro, Bolivia is a Neolithic (6000–3000 BCE) rock art attributed to Neolithic culture.
🇮🇹 Italy · Rock art
Port Bank Petroglyph Field
Andean Formative (1800–200 BCE) · Andean Formative
Port Bank Petroglyph Field in Sicily, Italy is a Andean Formative (1800–200 BCE) rock art attributed to Andean Formative culture.
🇬🇭 Ghana · Fortress
Bono Manso Rock Citadel (Adansi–Bono Hill Fort)
Medieval Akan (Bono) (11th–18th c. CE) · Akan (Bono–Adansi)
Granite dome fortress refuge of Bono state with white dot art shelters.
🇮🇷 Iran · Rock art
Kurangun
Elamite (c.2000–1000 BCE; peak Middle Elamite c.1500) · Elamite (Kurangun shrine of Inshushinak)
Kurangun is a massive Elamite open-air rock-cut shrine (20×7 m) on Mamasani cliff with 15 divine figures in low relief — gods enthroned, worshippers and fish-go...
🇮🇷 Iran · Rock art
Kul-e Farah
Elamite to Parthian (c.1000 BCE–200 CE; peak Neo-Elamite 800–600 BCE) · Neo-Elamite → Parthian ( Elymais )
Kul-e Farah is a gorge with 6 Elamite rock reliefs (Kul-e Farah I–VI, c.800–600 BCE) — massive 5-m panels of king Hanni, processions (200+ figures), musicians a...
🇸🇴 Somalia · Archaeological wonder
Laas Geel
Neolithic Pastoral (c.5000–3000 BCE; dated by stratum ceramics) · Early Cushitic Pastoral Neolithic / Horn of Africa pastoralists
Exceptionally preserved Neolithic rock art shelters discovered 2002 by French team (Xavier Gutherz): 10 granite alcoves with polychrome paintings 5000–3000 BCE – long-horned cattle with udders,…
🇹🇩 Chad · Rock art
Ennedi Rock Art
Neolithic Pastoral to Iron Age ~7000 BP–1000 CE · Saharan Pastoralist to Toubou ancestors
Ennedi sandstone shelters with 7 kyr cattle-to-camel paintings around Saharan guelta lakes.
🇵🇪 Peru · Rock art
Toro Muerto Petroglyphs
Middle Horizon to Late Intermediate ~900–1450 CE · Wari to Collagua / Inca fringe
5,000-boulder petroglyph desert - world's densest - Wari-Collagua dancers over 10 km².
🇨🇳 China · Rock art
Yinshan Wulashan Table Mountain — Southern Scarp Petroglyphs
Neolithic to Xiongnu–Han (3000 BCE – 200 BCE) · Hetao farming to steppe nomad Xiongnu transition
South scarp with 800+ vehicle and mask panels above Hetao bend at 1850 m.
🇲🇳 Mongolia · Rock art
Khoit Tsenkher South Gallery — Chandmani Base Cave Art
Upper Paleolithic to Mesolithic (19,000–8000 BCE) · Malta-Buret related early Holocene hunter
Sun-facing lower gallery with 15 ka ibex/ostrich ochre and pecked figures 220 m below main cave.
🇳🇦 Namibia · Rock art
Twyfelfontein Rock Engravings
Late Stone Age to early pastoral (6000 BCE – 1000 CE) · San hunter-gatherer (Ju/'hoansi ancestors)
Namibia's sole UNESCO World Heritage site besides Brandberg, Twyfelfontein holds over 2,500 engravings pecked into a 600-m sandstone outcrop of Etjo formation.