A rock shelter discovered in the southern Sinai desert contains designs and inscriptions dating back 10,000 years, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in two statements.
This rock shelter, located on the Umm Arraq plateau, was discovered during an archaeological survey conducted by a team of Egyptologists. They were assisted by a local resident named Sheikh Rabih Barakat, who guided them to the scene, the statement said.
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The shelter is approximately 330 feet (100 meters) long, 10 feet (3 meters) deep, and has a ceiling height of up to 5 feet (1.5 meters). The oldest rock art dated based on its style was found near the entrance and dates from approximately 10,000 to 5,500 BC, the statement said. It depicts a variety of scenes, including a huntsman with a bow and at least two hounds.
Scenes from later periods include people carrying weapons on horseback, and there are also inscriptions dating back to ancient and medieval times. Rock art also includes geometric images made of X’s, squares, ovals, crescents, and more complex shapes. The archaeological team is currently analyzing the design.
One of the statements said the refuge is located near ancient copper and turquoise mines and may have been “used throughout the ages as a viewing platform and place for gathering and rest.”
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John Darnell, a professor of Egyptology at Yale University who has conducted extensive research in the Sinai Mountains but was not involved in the new discovery, said ancient Egyptians may have left traces on rock walls as they mined for resources in the Sinai Mountains.
“Sinai was an important region for ancient Egypt, a source of mineral wealth, an area of symbolic importance, and the home of the goddess Hathor, the ‘Turquoise Queen,'” Darnell said. The discovery “will certainly help us better understand the interactions of ancient peoples.” [Egyptians] the desert environment and the people who live in and move through it. ”
Darnell noted that the images released so far “appear to be indicative of a late Antique to possibly medieval period,” or approximately 500 to 1500 AD, and that the rock art includes camels, humans, and Nabataean inscriptions.
The Nabataean people were a people who flourished in the region from about 400 BC to 200 AD and are best known for founding the city of Petra in Jordan. Mr Darnell said he was looking forward to seeing images of early rock art discovered at the site.
Live Science contacted the archeology team but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
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