Two rock paintings created around 3,000 to 4,000 years ago have been discovered in Gansu Province, northwest China, confirmed local authorities.

The paintings were found on the side of a hill on the east bank of the Yellow River, about 2 km southeast of Yuwanquan Village in Pingchuan District, Baiyin City.

One of the paintings was 2.4 meters tall and 3.9 meters wide with six depictions featuring bighorn sheep, deer and a dashing hound.

The other painting, which was found about five meters away, was 2.2 meters tall and 2.3 meters wide and featured five images. Three of the images were damaged due to weathering while the other two were complete. The one at the bottom right was particularly striking, depicting a man holding a whip to drive a pot-bellied sheep. Researchers from the cultural relics survey team of Pingchuan told Xinhua that this is the first time that an image of a pot-bellied sheep was found in rock paintings there.

"We were all excited to see these paintings," said researcher Guo Mingchun. "It was like receiving a big gift from the ancients."

Multiple rock painting sites have been discovered since the 1970s in various parts of Gansu. "Gansu ancient rock paintings are often created using chiseling, grinding and other techniques, which is of great value to the study of our ancient ancestors' social life, history and culture," said Gao Qi'an, a researcher in Dunhuang studies.

Researchers have noted rock paintings found in Gansu are mostly located in the remote mountains or river valleys, so that their primitive features are preserved. However, factors like their remote location and natural exposure make protection difficult.

To preserve the historical information in the rock paintings, Gansu has established a rock art digital image database. In 2023, the province completed high-precision data collection of 72 rock art relics.