Rock Art Research

In June 2025, the Garitang Inscription of the Qin—the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau’s only in situ Qin-Dynasty rock inscription—was discovered in Maduo County, Qinghai.  Linked to some historical debates (Kunlun Mountain’s location and Qin Shi Huang’s quest for immortality), its authenticity raised scepticism regarding its historical, environmental and logistical feasibility. Researchers addressed these concerns through rock varnish analysis (≥2500 years old), microerosion dating (quartz erosion, ~2100 years, aligning well with  210 BCE), and textual verification via the Shanhaijing to clarify ambiguities in characters like ‘Kunlun’ and ‘medicine’. This discovery fills gaps in Qin western expansion records,  establishes an integrated framework for arid-zone inscriptions, and provides key calibration data for Qinghai-Tibet rock art dating. It also confirms early cultural exchanges between  Han China and the western frontiers during the Qin-Han transition