Iranian rock engravings of up to 40,000 years old

I thought about the Mahdi

Petroglyphs have recently been found in the mountainous areas inhabited by the Bedouin tribes of Iran.

And since the invertebrate animal decorations were somewhat unclear there, a team of entomologists and archaeologists from Iranian universities conducted in cooperation with a university from Taiwan between 2017 and 2018, a survey in order to determine what several rock inscriptions are likely to symbolize the types of arthropods Located in Iran.

As a result, some amazing decorations that enable researchers to identify their potential identity have been discovered, and the research paper, published in the Journal of orthoptera research on March 13 of this year, showed one of these insect invertebrate inscriptions of an insect. Mantis "or" Mantis ".

Inscriptions thousands of years ago
The researchers found an arthropod-patterned image 14 cm long and 11 cm wide on a 30-degree diagonal rock near the village of Serkopia in the Temariyya region of the central province of Iran. This rock drawing was made using hammer and engraver.

Since international sanctions against Iran prohibit the use of methods for dating carbonated, scientists have conducted a time survey in which they were able to estimate the potential time of these inscriptions approximately four thousand to forty thousand years ago.

The team used classification methods to identify the depicted object. They analyzed morphological characteristics, and compared the drawing to arthropods, known for their diffusion in that region and their behavioral characteristics.

They also compared motifs with ancient figures and animal models in Iran and other countries to find possible similarities.

Mantis and the forces of nature
It was found that the examined inscription represented a six-legged creature, and therefore was identified as the Mantodea, a predatory insect that hunted and caught prey such as flies, bees and even small birds.

The properties of the inscription are represented by a large triangle head with a vertical extension, large eyes, open front legs, annular medium legs, and curved hind legs.

Rock art is an important source of data as an integral part of human history, and is a form of non-verbal visual communication. Petroglyphs have been used since prehistoric times to express opinions and feelings.

Rock inscriptions often appear in similar contexts, such as cave walls and rock shelters, or on external rocks.

The engraved images vary to visualize everything, from simple geometric shapes (lines, circles, triangles or squares) to elements that can be recognized in one way or another from the local environment, such as humans, animals, plants, or tools.

The enlarged rock inscriptions of animals were divided into four categories, animals hunted for food, animals for food or work or as pets, symbolic animals for sorcery etc., and finally animals depicted only for purposes of artistic decoration.

Here, the mantis inscription indicates that humans have linked the mantis with supernatural powers since ancient times. The shape of the bowed front legs as if it were in a prayer position was appreciated and inspired by the Sufi.