Rock Art Research

Vol. 21 No. 2 (2004)
DOI : https://doi.org/10.56801/rar.v21i2.456
Published : Nov 3, 2004

DATING ANALYSIS OF ROCK ART IN THE QINGHAI-TIBETAN PLATEAU

Tang Huisheng (1), Gao Zhiwei (2)

(1) Department of Antiquities and Museum, College of Society Development, Nanjing Normal University, China
(2) Department of Antiquities and Museum, College of Society Development, Nanjing Normal University, China
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Abstract

The dating of rock art has long been regarded as one of the most delicate problems in rock art studies. Since the concept of direct dating of rock art was put forward in the early 1980s, many scholars have attempted to conduct a direct dating of rock art by means of science and technology. Almost all the direct dating methods are, up to now, hard to apply to petroglyph dating. Microerosion analysis seems to be a promising dating method of petroglyphs and there is much evidences demonstrating its validity. During 1997–1998, the authors applied microerosion dating analysis to Qinghai petroglyphs in accordance with Bednarik’s method. Chinese rock art scholars frequently use synthesis and comparisons from archaeology, anthropology, religion studies, bibliography and others to conduct the dating of rock art. Synthesis and comparison, as well as microerosion dating analysis are likewise the major method the authors used in the dating of rock art in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.