Kyrgyzstan petroglyphs

Kyrgyzstan ranks among the countries with large locations of rock art sites. Mapping out of the sites in recent years showed that they are found all over the country. According to their concentration and level of study, researchers identified three major historical and geographical areas:

• The Northern Near Issyk Kul Area – in the north of the country;
• The Talas Valley – in the northwest;
• The Fergana Valley (Kyrgyz part) – in the south.

The total number of registered rock art sites in Kyrgyzstan is still unclear, as specialists report different figures. The State Register of Historical and Cultural Sites of Kyrgyzstan (2002) includes 23 locations that have status of national significance. In addition, some are on the List of Sites of Local Importance.

According to their drawing technique, they are divided into petroglyphs (rock engravings) and rock paintings. Chronologically the sites widely range from the Neolithic to Modernity. We are going to see the characteristics of the major sites within the various areas and, among them, the potential sites for the serial nomination “Rock Art of Central Asia”.