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Proceedings/Recueil Des Communications Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies Année : 2022

The Camel Site reliefs — an investigation of the site’s original layout and use

Résumé

The Camel Site, near Sakākā, is a monumental rock art site in northern Arabia with twenty life-sized reliefs of camels and equids. A chronological assessment showed that the site was in use in the sixth millennium BC, and was repeatedly revisited over a prolonged period, perhaps spanning several centuries. Using aerial photography and 3D models, we reconstructed the original layout of the site. Our results show that the site was probably designed to be approached via one of two main viewpoints that allowed maximum visibility of the reliefs, and that the location of individual reliefs was chosen for best visibility in the afternoon sun. Reliefs were carved across two tiers, up to a height of c.9 m, giving the site a monumental character. Analysis of individual reliefs, including the use of high-resolution 3D models of eroded reliefs, shows that the reliefs can be grouped by stylistic/ technological criteria and that styles changed over time. Reliefs of equids may be linked to a pre-Neolithic tradition of depicting wild equids in the rock art. Faunal remains recovered at the site included remains of equids found alongside lithic artefacts and beads of various materials. Evidence of possible on-site processing and cooking of equids suggests that the symbology of equids, and perhaps camels, probably extended beyond their depiction in the reliefs.
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Dates et versions

hal-03974398 , version 1 (05-02-2023)

Identifiants

  • HAL Id : hal-03974398 , version 1

Citer

Maria Guagnin, Guillaume Charloux, Mathew Stewart, Pascal Mora, Abdullah M. Alsharekh, et al.. The Camel Site reliefs — an investigation of the site’s original layout and use. Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 51 (Supplement), Archaeopress, pp.105-128, 2022, Revealing Cultural Landscapes in Northwest Arabia. ⟨hal-03974398⟩
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