Saudi desert: life-size camel carvings found

[Still Waters]

Researchers working in a remote spot in northern Saudi Arabia have found around a dozen reliefs and sculptures of camels and donkeys carved into a rock formation. As Ruth Schuster at Haaretz reports, the works in the “Camel Site” as it’s become known as, have been tentatively dated to around 2,000 years ago, but researchers are not certain which culture produced them.

The art includes 11 unharnessed camels and two equids—donkeys, mules or horses—grazing in natural environments. Notably, the carvings are distinct from other rock art found in the region, and they show a level of skill unseen in other carvings seen the Saudi desert. The site includes a rare depiction of a camel meeting a donkey, an animal that does not appear very often in rock art in the area. 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/life-size-camel-carvings-found-saudi-desert-180968169/

https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/MAGAZINE-2-000-year-old-life-size-camel-art-found-in-heart-of-saudi-arabian-des-1.5812024

[Likely Guy]

This is my new favourite thread.

[.ZZ.]

Amazing, 2000 years old!

They haven't changed much.

[Dark_Grey]

Carving reliefs is incredibly difficult to do. It's even more impressive when done by older cultures with stone tools

[Likely Guy]

6 hours ago, .ZZ. said:

Amazing, 2000 years old!

They haven't changed much.

Camels age amazingly graceful.

[Likely Guy]

6 hours ago, Dark_Grey said:

Carving reliefs is incredibly difficult to do. It's even more impressive when done by older cultures with stone tools

Clearly done by an advanced culture who revered camels.

[Piney]

14 hours ago, Dark_Grey said:

Carving reliefs is incredibly difficult to do. It's even more impressive when done by older cultures with stone tools

They had a lot more time on their hands to perfect it. I would spend months tweaking a traditional "active" mask or ball club and I'm sure my ancestors did the same on those nights or days when you couldn't leave the wigwam because of bad weather. 

[Dark_Grey]

12 hours ago, Likely Guy said:

Clearly done by an advanced culture who revered camels.

...or Camel cigarettes. Those ancient cultures would routinely smoke two packs a day, according to some stone tablets.