HIGHEST ELEVATION ROCK ART REVISITED - NEPAL:

Fig. 4.1 and 4.2, p. 11,

Kak Nyingba, Nepal, Dr.

Perdita Pohle, 2003.

On June 18, 2016, I posted a column titled The Low-Down On Highest Altitude Rock Art Claims. In this I reported on an article titles Highest-Altitude Prehistoric Rock Art Revealed, written by Stephanie Pappas and published online by LiveScience. In her article Pappas outlined claims that a painted rock shelter named Abri Faravel in the southern French Alps has the highest elevation rock art discovered so far. The paintings of Abri Faravel were discovered in 2010 and are at an elevation of 2,133 meters (approximately 7,000 feet).

Fig. 5.1 and 5.2, p. 12,

Kak Nyingba, Nepal, Dr.

Perdita Pohle, 2003.

I then presented two pictograph sites in Colorado that I believe are from higher elevation than 7,000 feet, and I ended with the invitation for readers to inform me of sites that they know of that are at higher elevations. Then, on 19 June, 2016, Peter Jessen forwarded an article to me about a petroglyph site in Nepal at an elevation of about 9,000 feet. The site, Kak Nyingba, consists of petroglyphs carved onto the "flat sandstone banks abutting the Kali Gandaki river." (Pohle 2003:2)

Fig. 6.1 and 6.2, p. 13,

Kak Nyingba, Nepal, Dr.

Perdita Pohle, 2003.

At the time of the writing 1,189 petroglyphs had been identified, not counting cupules that are also found there. (Pohle 2003:2) While no precise dates are given internet references date habitation in that area to a few thousand years.

Fig. 7.1 and 7.2, p. 14,

Kak Nyingba, Nepal, Dr.

Perdita Pohle, 2003.

So, now, thanks to Peter Jessen we have moved the bar up considerably, from 7,000+ feet elevation to approximately 9,000 feet elevation. Who can give us a higher rock art site? Do you know of one? If so, send it to me at rockartblogmail@yahoo.com.

NOTE:  For complete information on the Kak Nyingba petroglyph site refer to the original 2003 article "Petroglyphs and Abandoned Sites in Mustang, A Unique Source For Research in Cultural History and Historical Geography" by Dr. Perdita Pohle below.

REFERENCES:

Pappas, Stephanie,

2016, http://www.livescience.com/54889-highest-altitude-prehistoric-rock-art-revealed.html

Pohle, Perdita, Dr.,

2003      Petroglyphs and Abandoned Sites in Mustang, A Unique Source For Research in Cultural History and Historical Geography, p. 1-14, Ancient Nepal, No. 153, June 2003, Published by His Majesty's Government Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Department of Archaeology, Kathmandu, Nepal.