Al Jassasiya petroglyphs in Qatar comprise a total of 874 rock carvings, the earliest thought to date from Neolithic times (2500 years ago).
They stretch across an area of 700 meters wide and consist of various designs and patterns such as cups in rows, rosettes, ships and foot marks.
Their meaning and creators have still remained a mystery. As the area was once well known for international pearl trade, it can explain why the site has so many carvings depicting ships.
It is supposed that the holes were made for board games and/or storage of pearls. The circular carvings have frequently been likened to cup marks and they are similar to patterns found in Europe.
The petroglyphs were discovered in 1957.
Text and photo by Merike Joosep
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