Rare rock drawings discovered at a site in southern Sinai, Egypt
Cairo, February 13 / WAM / The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities revealed a new archaeological site in South Sinai that includes rock inscriptions and drawings initially dating back to the period between 10,000 and 5,500 years BC and depicting scenes of various animals that reflect the nature of life in those early times.
The ministry said in a statement that the site, known as the Umm Arak Plateau, is located in a desert area near Serabit el-Khadim, and is considered one of the most important rock art discoveries in the country in years.
The site includes a naturally formed rock shelter made of sandstone that extends on the eastern side of the plateau with a length of more than 100 metres, and its depth ranges between two and three metres, while the height of its roof ranges from about one and a half to one and a half metres.
The Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sherif Fathi, said that the discovery “represents new evidence of the succession of civilizations on this important spot in the land of Egypt over thousands of years.”
Hisham Al-Laithi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, stated that the discovered site includes multiple layers of inscriptions extending from prehistoric times until the Islamic periods, making it “an open natural museum that documents the development of human artistic and symbolic expression from prehistoric times until the Islamic periods, which gives the site exceptional scientific importance.”
The inscriptions include drawings executed in red ink, along with engraved drawings and shapes showing hunting scenes and various animals.
The Ministry also said in its statement that the archaeological survey work also resulted in the discovery of “a number of tools and pottery shards, some of which date back to the Middle Kingdom, while others date back to the Roman era, which confirms the continued use of the site over thousands of years.”
-Khala-qar
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