Digital preservation brings Altay’s history alive: experts

Grassroots heritage conservationist Zoya Baqit (rear center) provides on-site explanations at a stone relics site in Altay cityn [Photo: China Daily]

Cultural heritage specialists in northwest China are increasingly turning to digital technology to preserve ancient relics scattered across the remote landscapes of Xinjiang’s Altay prefecture, a report this week by China Daily reveals.

Among the advocates is Zoya Baqit, a grassroots conservationist and deputy to the 14th National People’s Congress, who works at the Altay Regional Museum. Since joining the museum in 2021, Baqit has focused on studying and protecting immovable cultural relics across the region, while also serving as a museum docent. Her work centers on safeguarding Altay’s extensive archaeological heritage and using digital tools to make it more accessible.

According to China’s third national cultural relics survey, Altay contains 692 immovable relic sites, many located in isolated mountainous terrain. Baqit has paid particular attention to stone relics, especially the region’s rock art. Nearly 1,000 petroglyphs and rock paintings have been identified at 125 locations across Altay, dating from the Paleolithic period to the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911).

The artworks portray scenes of early life, including hunting and herding. One notable discovery in the Dundebrak Cave near Altay city, believed to date back roughly 12,000 years, depicts hunters moving on short skis similar to modern fur-lined skis, with some figures holding a single pole.

The image has prompted researchers to suggest that Altay may represent one of the earliest birthplaces of skiing.

Museum director He Huilai, cited by China Daily, noted that rock art in Altay often appears along river valleys rich in water and grassland, typically carved into cliffs or cave ceilings near traditional herding routes. Such locations indicate areas where ancient people lived, hunted or grazed livestock over long periods.

However, preserving these relics physically is challenging. Reinforcing cliff faces and mountain rock formations requires complex engineering and significant resources.

Instead, Baqit and her colleagues have prioritized digital preservation. Using high-precision three-dimensional scanning and digital rubbing techniques, the team is documenting representative rock art without direct physical contact, preventing damage while capturing detailed visual records.