Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China - May 22, 2025 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Aerial shots of Bortala Prefecture cultural relics census team members climbing mountains, Tianshan Mountains, Sayram Lake afar
2. Various of archeological team members working, taking notes at ancient rock paintings site
3. Various of rock paintings
4. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Dorj, head of field survey, Bortala Prefecture cultural relics census team (starting with shot 3):
"The discovery of the rock painting this time fills a gap in cultural relic findings among the 32 cultural relic sites around the Sayram Lake ancient tombs, which is a national-level key protected cultural relic unit. It is also a makeup for the overall cultural relic findings from the Sayram Lake ancient tombs. The findings have improved the integrity of historical and cultural relics of our Sayram Lake ancient tombs, and also provides some evidence of the production and life of ancient humans in the lush grasslands of the Sayram Lake."
5. Rock paintings

Archeologists in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have discovered a site of rock paintings dating back around 2,500 years on the steep northern cliffs of the Sayram Lake, a high-altitude alpine lake in Xinjiang's Tianshan Mountains.

The rock art -- spotted at two sites on an almost-vertical precipice along the lake's northern bank -- comprises 30 distinct carvings that depict animals including Siberian ibex and argali sheep, human figures, and hunting scenes.

Experts say the images of lush pastures suggest the area was once rich pasture land supporting ancient herding communities.

The discovery was made by the Bortala Prefecture cultural relics census team conducting a field survey deep in the Tianshan Mountains for China's fourth national cultural relics census.

The artwork employs techniques combining chiseled outlines and incised lines, blending single-line silhouettes with double-contoured fills -- a style characteristic of Bronze Age nomadic cultures.

In particular, the "asymmetrical reverse-curved compound bow" held by a figure in the rock art has been verified through archaeological comparison and dating data to be approximately 2,500 years old, serving as an important piece of evidence for the eastward spread of the Eurasian steppe culture during the Bronze Age.

Radiocarbon dating and stylistic comparisons confirm the bow's design aligns with artifacts from 900-700 BCE, providing tangible evidence of cultural interactions between Central Asia and East Asia during this period.

"The discovery of the rock painting this time fills a gap in cultural relic findings among the 32 cultural relic sites around the Sayram Lake ancient tombs, which is a national-level key protected cultural relic unit. It is also a makeup for the overall cultural relic findings from the Sayram Lake ancient tombs. The findings have improved the integrity of historical and cultural relics of our Sayram Lake ancient tombs, and also provides some evidence of the production and life of ancient humans in the lush grasslands of the Sayram Lake," said Dorj, head of the field survey of the archeological team.

Sayram is a UNESCO-listed alpine lake known for its scenic beauty and historical significance.