Rock painting recently found in the Yunnan Province of China, one of the least accessible areas of the world, are attributable to the period of the Shan Kingdoms. Little is known about this culture and the author utilizes the rock art to illuminate its social, economic, and cultural aspects. He also avails himself of historical Chinese records in this interpretation of prehistoric art. Because this paper is the first to be published outside China about this rock art region it represents an important addition to the world literature on rock art research. -- AATA