Cliff paintings substantiate Altay as place of human skiing 10,000 years ago, experts say

Contents of ancient cliff paintings in northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have been verified as human hunting while skiing and, therefore, archeologists prove the Altay region to be a place of skiing some 100 to 200 centuries ago.

Wang Bo, a noted researcher with the Xinjiang Autonomous regional museum, said he had noticed a picture of four people chasing cattle and horses, and three of them stepped onto a long rectangular board with poles in hand. Hence, he held these instruments are skis and ski poles, whereas the people in the picture were seen hunting wildlife.

He reckoned the cliff paintings belong to the Old Stone Age.

The way of skiing shown in the painting is likened to the locals' skiing practice at present, said Shan Zhaoqian, a technical adviser of the Skiing Association of China, adding that Altay residents have inherited longstanding skiing activities from their ancestors.

They held that cliff paintings in Altay had been the earliest archaeological evidence to show how humans had skied in the early days and suggest skiing had originated in Altay.

With frequent, plentiful snowfalls in winter, the Altay mountainous landscape with abundant forest resources provides ideal for skiing, experts said.

Source: Xinhua