Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia 45 (3) 2017   DOI: 10.17746/1563-0110.2017.45.3.069-078

Annotation:  New Stratigraphic Data on the Quaternary Sediments in the Peschanaya River Valley, Northwestern Alta A Comprehensive Study of Neolithic Stone Tools from Dwelling D on Suchu Island, the Lower Amur (1974 From Chauvet to Lascaux: 15,000 Years of Cave Art New Engravings from Abri Du Poisson (Dordogne, France) The Techniques of Modeling and Decorating Upper Paleolithic Anthropomorphic Figurines from Malta, Ea A Comparative Analysis of Paints on the Karakol Burial Slabs Petroglyphs from Northeast China: New Sites and Interpretations Paint on Deer Stones of Mongolia Old Turkic Stone Statues from Taldy-Suu, Kyrgyzstan Scythian Age Barrows with Burials on the Ground Surface in the Southern Ural Steppes: Features of th The Megaliths of Korea and Japan: An Analysis of Origins and Functions Traditional Tailoring Technology as an Ethnographic Source (the Case of Eastern Slavic Clothing in S Robusticity of Hand Phalanges: Relevance to the Origin of the Altai Neanderthals Human Teeth from Strashnaya Cave, the Altai Mountains, with Reference to the Dental Variation in Sto Prevalence of Caries Among Siberian Tatars of the Omsk Region in the 17th to Early 20th Centuries   

Petroglyphs from Northeast China: New Sites and Interpretations

A.P. Zabiyako^{1, 2} and Wang Jianlin¹

¹Amur State University, Ignatyevskoye shosse 21, Blagoveshchensk, 675027, Russia

²Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia

This article is based on the results of field studies in Northeast China (Dongbei) in 2012–2014. We describe 18 petroglyphic sites, most of which were hitherto unknown or little known to Russian, European, or Chinese scholars. All the petroglyphs are located on vertical or horizontal open rock surfaces. Two techniques were used—painting and carving. The most common paint was ocher of various shades: from red-brown or maroon to bright orange; in rare cases, black paint was used. The distribution areas of the two techniques largely coincide with those of the ethno-cultural groups occupying various parts of the region: paintings were distributed mostly in areas of mountain taiga, whereas most carvings were found in the mountain steppe. Figurative images and abstract signs are discussed in detail. Most figurative images are either anthropomorphic or zoomorphic. Abstract signs include dots, circles, crosses, and other geometric figures. Petroglyphs of Dongbei show numerous parallels with those of Mongolia, Trans-Baikal, Korea, and the Amur region.

Keywords: Petroglyphs, East Asia, Northeast China, Dongbei, cultures, religions, ethnic groups.