Petroglyph G10, Khatm Al Melaha, Kalba, Sharjah

sketchfab

Gazelle and circles etched into ancient stones at Khatm Al Melaha, Sharjah, UAE. One Neolithic relic or earlier, as suggested by Fossati in Messages from the Past: Rock Art of the Al-Hajar Mountains (Oman). Khatm Al Melaha stands out as a prominent archaeological site along the Oman Sea coast near Kalba in Sharjah, UAE. This site boasts one of the largest collections of rock art in the UAE. Over 175 stones bearing petroglyphs were meticulously documented and roughly 400 distinct motifs were pinpointed. Each stone with glyphs was assigned an ID number and a precise GPS coordinate. In a single day, an impressive total of 25,455 terrestrial photographs, 5,244 drone photographs, 44 drone videos, and 182 GPS points (accurate to within 1 cm) were captured. Using advanced techniques such as Radiance Scaling in Meshlab, materials lighting in Substance Painter, and altering environmental conditions on Sketchfab, the petroglyphs were skillfully identified. Some carvings remained invisible until viewed under these specialized conditions. Detailed drawings were only undertaken when a clear line could be detected using one of these methods. Reality Capture technology and Substance Painter proved invaluable tools for deciphering the ancient symbols at Khatm Al Melaha.