Journal Article

The Rock Art of Wadi Al-Jifr in Eastern Oman

Al-Jahwari, Nasser Said, Elmahi, Ali Tigani

2015

Overview

This paper presents an extensive archaeological and analytical study of the rock art of Wadi al-Jifr in Eastern Oman, viewing it as a visual archive that records human activities, beliefs, and identity across millennia. Nasser Said Al-Jahwari and Ali Tigani ElMahi argue that these engravings are not merely artistic expressions but symbolic communications reflecting the evolving relationship between humans and their natural environment. Through systematic field surveys and stylistic documentation, the researchers catalogued a wide range of rock carvings-hunting scenes with wild animals, depictions of camels, cattle, and horses, as well as geometric and abstract motifs suggestive of rituals or ownership marks. Stratigraphic and stylistic variations reveal multiple phases of artistic production, indicating continuous human presence and interaction in the area from prehistory to more recent historical periods. The study situates Wadi al-Jifr within a broader cultural network linking Arabian Peninsula rock art traditions, emphasizing its role in tracing early human mobility and social organization. The authors conclude by stressing the need for preservation and digital documentation of this fragile heritage to safeguard it against natural erosion and modern encroachment, and to position it within the global corpus of cultural heritage studies. Abstract Written by Dar AlMandumh, 2025, Using AI

• Publisher: جامعة دنقلا - كلية الآداب والدراسات الإنسانية
• Subject: الاثار الانسانية / الحفريات الصخرية / الفنون الصخرية / سلطنة عمان