Archaeologists Identify Meaning of 12,000-Year-Old Rock Art

Declan Gallagher
Sat, October 4, 2025 

A new study, published in the journal Nature Communications, has identified the meaning behind 12,000-year-old rock art found in Saudi Arabia’s Nefud desert.
Researchers Identified Nearly 200 Engravings

Researchers positively identified 60 rock art panels in addition to 176 engravings located in areas which were previously unexplored. Of the engravings, 130 images are life-sized depictions of animals such as aurochs, camels, donkeys, gazelles, and ibex. Some of the engravings are as long as nine feet and as tall as six feet. Scientists determined that the images were used to mark water sources in the exceptionally dry and harsh environment, which shows the remarkable resourcefulness of ancient people.

Michael Petraglia/Sahout Rock Art and Archaeology Project

Michael Petraglia/Sahout Rock Art and Archaeology Project
Artifacts Were Also Recovered from the Site

Luminescence dating confirmed that the rock art was 12,000 years old, while further analysis of the site uncovered a collection of artifacts from the same era. These included a tool which researchers hypothesize was used to make the engravings, as well as tiny arrowheads and beads. Also discovered was a small bead which appears to have been crafted from seashells.

Through the engravings, researchers were able to determine that the ancient community was part of a wide-reaching trade network which all used the same stone tools and wore the same jewelry. Without exception, the artwork was placed adjacent to seasonal lakes which are estimated to be roughly 15,000 years old. These provide the first-known evidence of surface water flowing back into Saudi Arabia after a period of extreme dryness. This then offered an opportunity for the region’s dwellers to settle inland. The decision was subsequently made to mark the path to water with a variety of engravings of animals which were synonymous with flowing springs, such as camels.