26/11/2025
For the incense Route Expedition the rock art we encountered in the Hima region was a revelation.
Southern Arabian petroglyphs are ancient rock carvings primarily found in Saudi Arabia’s Najran region, with sites like the Himā Cultural Area being significant examples. These petroglyphs, which date from the Neolithic period to pre-Islamic times, depict daily life, hunting, and animals, providing crucial insights into the region’s history and culture, and are recognized as globally important archaeological sites.
The petroglyphs provide a visual record of human life, showing hunting scenes, social activities, and religious rituals. They also reflect the environmental changes in the region, including the transition from a wetter, savanna-like environment to a drier desert landscape, a process that occurred around 16,000 to 13,000 years ago. Early carvings illustrate a vibrant ecosystem, with animals like giraffes, elephants, ostriches, and wild cattle, some of which are now extinct in the region. Later art reflects the domestication of animals like camels and horses, which became crucial for transportation and trade.
Thank you, , , for making this important expedition possible.
