Petroglyphs at Musayqirah, Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is full of petroglyphs and rock painting sites, most of which remain relatively unexplored. These particular ones are on a huge isolated rock at the foot of an escarpment some 150 kms west of Riyadh on the road to Mekkah. I don't know what the locals know it as but I've seen it called 'Graffiti Rock'.

The rock stands on a desert plain that was a lush green area around 3,000 years ago in the neolithic period when the paintings were thought to have been made. The variety of animals record what must have been a very productive time for the locals.

For anyone planning to visit, the rock is at N 24° 18' 56.4" E 45° 38' 23.9" and can be seen from the road about 3 km to the north. It is accessible with a 2WD by taking the (partly) tarmac road just past the small village.

I did the trip in a morning from Riyadh but it looked like a really nice place to camp and I may revisit.

'Graffiti Rock'

Ibex - But there must be something to just repeating them. An inventory?

Neolithic Wikipedia?

Neolithic woman tells her husband to stop pointing arrows at the dog.

Horses were domesticated in Arabia before Neolithic times.

Not really sure what this is. Lizards?

My favourite - A family of ostriches.

Another ibex.

... and another ostrich.

After photographing the paintings I climbed the escarpment which gave really cool views of the area.

View of the rock from the escarpment.