3,500-YEAR-OLD ROCK ART DISCOVERED DURING VOLUNTARY CLEANUP IN KAZAKHSTAN

Environmentally, cleaning campaigns are a good thing. But there's more to be excited about for archaeology enthusiasts, thanks to one such mission in Kazakhstan. About 100 petroglyphs from the Bronze or Iron ages, some 3,500 years ago, were discovered by volunteers conducting a cleanup in the Zhambyl (or Jambyl) region.

The rock art was discovered, and local archaeologists were called in to study it. Petroglyphs are ancient engravings made thousands of years ago by chipping away at a rock face. The ones that were discovered recently in Kazakhstan show both animals and hunters, including argali, a kind of wild sheep, and double-humped camels. The rock art was located in an area measuring between 66 and 82 feet long by 5 to 6.6 feet high, according to archaeologist Sauran Kaliyev, who was interviewed by the Astana Times.

Still, it seems that scholars have been aware of this location for some time. In an interview with Live Science, Kazakh archaeologist Viktor Novozhenov, who is affiliated with the Saryarka Archaeological Institute and was not involved in the cleanup, stated that the site is "not at all new."

The archaeologist went on to say that neither the site nor the rock art had been properly inspected or documented in a peer-reviewed publication. The primary barrier to this is the insufficient funding required to accurately document these petroglyphs. He acknowledges, "We don't have enough experts and funds for needed analyses and [fieldwork]."

For this reason, when Kazakh archaeologists find new rock art, they would rather not reveal its location until it can be properly documented. One of the biggest obstacles to researching such sites is not just the need for resources but also the possibility of vandalism or other human interference.

Local authorities will keep checking the site for the time being. Kuanysh Daurenbekov, director of the Directorate for the Protection and Restoration of Historical and Cultural Monuments, states, "We intend to designate it a site of national or international significance to be included in the list of state-protected sites. We will continue our research and conduct a state examination."