An Evaluation of the Detection Study of the Petroglyphs in the Region of Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan

Abstract

The rock paintings (petroglyphs) are seen in different regions and in many parts of the world. They spread around the world, from Southern America to Africa, from Australia to Europe and to Asia. The different symbols and depictions on the rock paintings give various clues about the ethnographic lives as well as the relations of cultures with their surroundings as an indicator of their beliefs. Today, in research on petroglyphs, the meanings of symbols and the origins of the cultures they belong to are mostly discussed within the scope of different topics such as chronological order. In Central Asia, petroglyphs are found in many regions of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. On the northwestern of the city Cholpon-Ata situated on the northern shore of the Issık Lake in Kyrgyzstan found approximately a thousand petroglyphs in various sizes. Today, only a part of this area is enclosed by wire and used as an open air museum and is protected by a watchman sent by a museum in Cholpon-Ata. These monuments, which are proof of ties with past cultures, have unfortunately started to dissolve in the destruction of time, human and nature. Although the petroglyphs in this region are legally protected, they are gradually disappearing due to various factors arising from tourism activities, vandalism, natural life, climatic conditions and the geological structure of the stone. The main purpose of this study is to document these monuments witnessing history, to make basic determinations to create an archive, to bring them to the literature and to contribute to the history, culture and promotion of the country.