XINHUA – Two rock paintings created around 3,000 to 4,000 years ago have been discovered in Gansu Province, northwest China, confirmed local authorities.
The paintings were found on the side of a hill on the east bank of the Yellow River, about two kilometres southeast of Yuwanquan Village in Pingchuan District, Baiyin City.
One of the paintings was 2.4 metres (m) tall and 3.9m wide with six depictions featuring bighorn sheep, deer and a dashing hound.
The other painting, which was found about five meters away, was 2.2m tall and 2.3m wide and featured five images. Three of the images were damaged due to weathering while the other two were complete. The one at the bottom right was particularly striking, depicting a man holding a whip to drive a pot-bellied sheep.
Researchers from the cultural relics survey team of Pingchuan told Xinhua that this is the first time that an image of a pot-bellied sheep was found in rock paintings there.
