Himalayan High Art

Features March/April 2026

In a remote region of India, archaeologists trace 4,000 years of history through a vast collection of petroglyphs
Matt Stirn
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At the site of Murgi Tokpo in the Nubra Valley of India’s Ladakh region sits a boulder carved with depictions of yaks. This scene is one of 900 rock art panels at the site.

At the westernmost edge of the Himalayan Range, the high-altitude region of Ladakh is encircled by towering peaks and cut through by raging rivers. This alpine desert features some of the coldest environments in the world and is home to among the planet’s highest permanent settlements, which are nestled as much as 19,0

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