Rock Art Sites Discovered in Tibet

MARKHAM COUNTY, TIBET—China Daily reports that eight rock art sites have been found in Tibet by a team of more than 20 researchers from the Tibetology Institute at Sichuan University. The sites are thought to be more than 1,000 years old. “They include cliff-side carvings, circular engraved statues, ancient Tibetan texts, and Mani stones,” said researcher Zhang Yanqing. (Mani stones are engraved with a mantra, and serve as a form of prayer in Tibetan Buddhism.) Zhang thinks the petroglyphs, which reflect Indian and Chinese influences, were created during the reigns of kings Trisong Detsan (A.D. 755-797) and Tride Songtsan (A.D. 798-815). “As both Buddhist art and a historical find, these carvings are of great value and should be protected,” he said. For more, go to “China’s Legendary Flood.”