Giant rock carvings of camels in Saudi Arabia dating back more than 7,000 years
Rock carvings of camels and other camels unearthed in northern Saudi Arabia date back at least 7,000 years, which is much older than they were estimated at the time of their unveiling a few years ago, according to an international study.
These 21 relief sculptures, carved into three rocky outcrops in the Al-Jawf Desert, are a life-size beauty.
In 2018, archaeologists estimated it to be from the beginning of our era, given its similarities with other Nabataean carvings at the nearby site of Petra in Jordan.
A research program launched in the context of cooperation between the Saudi Ministry of Culture, the German Max Planck Institute for Science and Human History and the National Institute for Scientific Research in France relied on a set of techniques to accurately date these works, especially since their condition has deteriorated sharply over the years, according to a statement issued About the Max Planck Institute.
Scientists concluded that some of these carvings were carved in the sixth millennium before our era, using stone tools in the middle of a savannah that was scattered with trees and lakes, which later turned into a desert.
The curators of this study, whose details were published in the "Journal of Archaeological Science" on this site, see an example of "an era in ancient history in which shepherd groups in northern Saudi Arabia marveled at rocks and made huge stone structures."
The researchers suggested that the efforts made to complete these rock carvings required laying scaffolding and bringing stone tools 15 kilometers from the site and required collective work that could be part of the annual rituals of one of the Neolithic societies.
There may be significant symbolism for some of the camel carvings that have indications of a breeding cycle linked in turn to those of the wet and dry seasons.
Scientists consider that this site had a special symbolism for its residents, who have not yet determined its identity, with multiple interventions over a long period to refine the sculptures.
"Neolithic groups have regularly returned to the site, which indicates that its symbolism continued over several generations," said lead curator of this research, Maria Gagnyan of the Max Planck Institute.
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