Petroglyph C13 Khatm Al Melaha, Kalba, Sharjah

sketchfab

Human: Natural Version with Paint, Petroglyph C13 Khatm Al Melaha, Kalba, Sharjah. One Syrian Wild Ass. Likely Neolithic or earlier. [Fossati 2019 Messages from the Past: Rock Art of the Al-Hajar Mountains (Oman)]. Khatm Al Melaha is a prime archaeological site situated on the coast of the Oman Sea near Kalba in Sharjah, UAE, boasting one of the largest rock art collections in the UAE. A total of over 175 stones with intricate petroglyphs were meticulously documented and nearly 400 distinct motifs were identified. Each rock bearing a glyph was assigned a unique ID number and GPS coordinate for precise location tracking. In an impressive feat of documentation, a staggering 25,455 terrestrial photographs, 5,244 drone photographs, 44 drone videos, and 182 pinpoint GPS points (+/- 1 cm) were captured in a single day. Radiance Scaling in Meshlab, materials lighting in Substance Painter, and changing conditions in Sketchfab all played crucial roles in identifying the enigmatic petroglyphs. Some carvings proved nearly invisible to the naked eye until these advanced techniques were employed. Only when a clear line was discernible using one of these methods did drawings proceed. Reality Capture and Substance Painter were instrumental in bringing the ancient rock art to life, allowing for detailed analysis and preservation of this valuable cultural heritage.