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<< Our Photo Pages >> Hunza Valley Petroglyphs - Rock Art in Pakistan

Submitted by DrewParsons on Sunday, 16 May 2010  Page Views: 10457

Rock ArtSite Name: Hunza Valley Petroglyphs
Country: Pakistan Type: Rock Art
Nearest Town: Gilgit  Nearest Village: Baltit
Latitude: 36.316000N  Longitude: 74.652000E
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
5 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
4 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
2

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Hunza Valley Petroglyphs
Hunza Valley Petroglyphs submitted by DrewParsons : Site in Pakistan Hunza Valley petroglyphs photographed during a visit in 1996 (Vote or comment on this photo)
Petroglyphs in Northern Pakistan. One of the many branches of the ancient Silk Road led from the Tarim Basin in modern day China to the prosperous Indus Valley and its subsequent Gandharan civilisation in what is now northern Pakistan. This route carried traders, travellers and culture as it traversed the Karakorum Mountains and down through the Hunza Valley. Travellers carved some 30,000 rock art items and petroglyphs, and 5000 inscriptions in some 10 writing systems along 100 kilometres of this part of the Silk Road.

They can still be visited along the modern Karakorum Highway which has linked China and Pakistan once again since opening in 1978.

Dating is based on themes carved and how they relate to the dominent cultures of each era. Examples where more recent items overlay previous ones give further reference points in time. The oldest petroglyphs range back to prehistoric times with estimates ranging back as far as 5000 BC. Many carvings date to the Gandharan era when Buddhist travellers carried both trade and culture across the mountains along the old Silk Road.

I visited the area in 1996, travelling from Chitral through the Hindu Kush and Kailash valleys and over the 12000 foot Shadur Pass into the Gilgit and Hunza regions, then over the Kunjerab Pass to Kashgar passing some of these sites along the way. Sites are located in the Hunza Valley, around Chilas and Shatial as well as many other places along the road.

References:
"Study of Petroglyphs of Buddhist Period Along the Silk Road Between Shatial and Kunjerab Pass, Northern Areas, Pakistan", Thesis by Muhammad Arif for a Ph.D at University of Karachi 2001.

Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften: Felsbilder und Inschriften am Karakorum Highway

Lonely Planet Pakistan also has helpful information on how to reach some of these sites (local political conditions permitting!!).





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Hunza Valley Petroglyphs
Hunza Valley Petroglyphs submitted by DrewParsons : Rock carved Buddha on the cliff along the Shadur to Gilgit road. Scan of a photo taken in 1996 (Vote or comment on this photo)

Do not use the above information on other web sites or publications without permission of the contributor.

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Old acquaintances
Karakorum Development Organization KADO Building

The above images may not be of the site on this page, but were taken nearby. They are loaded from Flickr so please click on them for image credits.


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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
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"Hunza Valley Petroglyphs" | Login/Create an Account | 2 News and Comments
  
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Re: Hunza Valley Petroglyphs by KaiHofmann on Monday, 08 August 2011
(User Info | Send a Message)
In the Hunza valley the "sacred rock of Hunza" is located. a rock on the banks of the Hunza River (the photo above seems to be a part of the rock). the exact
location of this rock is : 36.312425N , 74,688509E
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Hunza Valley Petroglyphs by motist on Sunday, 16 May 2010
(User Info | Send a Message)
1. the hidden meaning of petroglyphs

http://www.astroset.com/bireysel_gelisim/ancient/a3.htm

2. Shape Analysis of Petroglyphs in Central Asia

http://www.scipress.org/journals/forma/pdf/2103/21030243.pdf

3.rock art in Saudi Arabia

http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200807/art.rocks.in.saudi.arabia-.compilation..htm
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