Preface I

Patterns painted or carved on the rock which is called rock art,were created before humans know how to read or write. Rock art in the whole world contains stories of early human activities. It depicts every aspect of early human economic and social activities and embodies man's talents in abstraction,generalization and imagination.Rock art is a great epic wrote on rocks.Starting from the earliest hunting—gatherers,rock art depicts human's production,life, belief and major social problems in different phases of human history.Rock art not only represents human's early artistic creativity,but also contains the earliest evidence of human migration,and unveils the popular concepts and motivations of communication at that time.Through this kind of art,we can find out the substance of human nature:such as knowledge,culture,art,imagination,religions,etc.

According to the statistics of UNESCO in 2003,over 100,000 pieces of prehistoric works of art were found and recorded,which include figurines,carved stones and bones,and decorated animals horns and woods collected in museums and art galleries around the world, and kept in private collection. While most rock art pieces have been dispersed in 700,000 sites over the world.It is estimated that there are more than 20 million patterns and symbols.Till today,rock art accounts for 99% of known prehistoric art,and the total amount may be far beyond our estimation.Although our work of discovery is surely not sufficient,we know that the eldest piece of rock art was created about 40, 000 to 50,000 years ago based on the scientific reports we have received,and scientific methods such as using carbon-14 to date ancient artifacts and prehistoric climatological data and archeological analysis.

Rock art is found around the world.It is rock art that brings us to the early time of human history,enables us to travel in the prehistoric world and helps us to find the lost civilization.Rock art is mainly found in places where humans have lived, which is true in Asia, Africa, Europe, America and Oceania. At the same time, sites of rock art are usually remote and unfrequented places.Though local people may be aware of their existence,they are not clear about rock art history. Rock art is a kind of lost civilization. To find which, we cross the turbulent rivers and treacherous shoals, climb steep cliffs and traverse Gobi desert. While exhausted, a magical and peculiar picture unfolded before our eyes:we see ancient ancestors'hunting,nomadizing,sacrifice,cheers,dancing,and wars among tribe……Unfold ed scenes bring us to ancient times and the long history suddenly has been telescoped into one evanescent moment.

It seems that nowadays,art has become arty-farty and decorative in people's daily life,which is not that important.However,for ancient people,art is indispensable.Early humans of the world resorted to art for the survival,praying,worship,expressing emotions and recording events.They dance or sing,they paint or carve.Rocks were indeed used as canvas in early times,patterns were used to record the world history in ancient times.

It was in China that the earliest rock art was found.Rock art is found in ancient classical literatures."Han Feizi", a book written in the third century B.C.,recoded that Zhao Zhufu asked people to"cave footprints"in Bowu(southwest of Pingshan County,Hebei Province).This record illustrates that the custom of carving footprints continued in central China during the Warring States Period;and footprints rock art have relationship with important events concerning important persons.In the following dynasties,there are also a lot of records of rock art in literature,espcially in local chronicles of different dynasties..

The rock art of China mainly concentrates in minority border areas.On this vast land of China,rock art has been discovered from both sides of the Taiwan Straits to the east,the Kunlun Mountains to the west,the Hulun Buir Prairie to the north and Hong Kong and Macau areas to the south.Till today,rock art is found in over 100 counties(banners)of more than 20 provinces(including Taiwan,Hong Kong and Macau)of China,while the total sites and pieces of rock art have yet not been counted in full scale.Findings of China's rock art in the 20th century,with vast amount and wide distribution,are really big events in the history of Chinese culture.

Since the discovery of Helanshan rock art in 1970s,workers in rock art field of Ningxia have conducted lots of researches, measuring, recording, arranging and protection work during the past three decades. Meanwhile, with the support of officials from all levels,special management and research institutions were established,rock art books and journals were published and exhibitions were held in many cities of China.The convening of two annual meetings of International Rock Engraving Committee of UNESCO in the years of 1991 and 2000 made Helanshan Rock Art influential in both China and abroad.The present Yinchuan World Rock Art Museum is also the first Rock Art Museum in China,which will be an important platform to improve national cultural quality.Rock art enables us to have a new understanding about history and rediscover ourselves as well as our culture root. Rock art study is a global mission, which requires us to have a global view.Yinchuan World Rock Art Museum can provide scholars and audiences with a broader prospect.The world has a huge amount of rock art,and audiences can get a brief knowledge of rock art in the world,as well as national and world rock art studies,especially to have some basic information about Helanshan Rock art research.This is also what I expected.

Chen Zhaofu

July 31,2014