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Gulmit, continued |
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Irrigation system The Hunzan irrigation system is a marvel in appropriate technology. |
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The irrigation system in Hunza is essential to life in the valley. The difference between the irrigated and non-irrigated land is stark (above, far right). The channels also make for nice walks, especially when they are semi-concealed (above, center). The villagers use buckets or siphon hoses to bring water from the channel to their fields. One young guy marveled at how his ancestors built this system without the help of iron tools. I guess they just used sticks and their hands. I have no idea how old it is but it is hard to imagine Hunzan civilization developing without it. |
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Sacred Rocks The last interesting thing we saw in Hunza were the "sacred rocks." I'm sorry to say that I learned almost nothing about them. Muslims in Central Asia are pretty sensitive about religious symbols (presumably as a reaction to Hinduism and, of course, in response to Koranic teaching) which may explain why there was no substantive information about the carvings nor any attempt to protect them from vandalism. I saw some similar carvings over in Baltistan with a sign claiming they were 2000 years old -- seems unlikely to me. It was obvious that most of the drawings were of ibex. I suspect the carvings were a talisman to attract the goats to the area for hunting. |
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Above is picture a "real" stuffed ibex. Considering how many stuffed ibex we saw, it is no wonder the animal is endangered. |
