The Rock Art of Upper Tibet and Ladakh: Inner Asian cultural adaptation, regional differentiation and the Western Tibetan Plateau Style

Abstract

This paper examines common thematic and esthetic features discernable in the rock art of the western portion of the Tibetan plateau. This rock art is international in scope; it includes Ladakh (La-dwags) (under Indian jurisdiction), Tö (Stod) and the Changthang (Byang-thang) (under Chinese administration) hereinafter called Upper Tibet. This work sets out the relationship of this art to other regions of Inner Asia and defines what we call the 'Western Tibetan Plateau Style'. The primary materials for this paper are petroglyphs (rock carvings) and pictographs (rock paintings). They comprise one of the most prolific archaeological resources on the Western Tibetan Plateau.