Petroglyph G7, Khatm Al Melaha, Kalba, Sharjah

sketchfab

Southern Arabia's Petroglyph G7 at Khatm Al Melaha, Kalba, Sharjah, boasts an intriguing abstract design that bears a striking resemblance to an ostrich. This Neolithic or even earlier creation is not unique to the region, as similar motifs are also prevalent in Oman and the UAE. According to Fossati's "Messages from the Past: Rock Art of the Al-Hajar Mountains (Oman)" published in 2019, a thorough documentation process revealed over 175 stones adorned with petroglyphs. In total, nearly 400 distinct motifs were identified throughout this archaeological site. Each rock bearing a glyph was meticulously assigned an ID number and a precise GPS coordinate. The sheer scale of the documentation effort is astounding, with a staggering total of 25455 terrestrial photographs, 5244 drone photographs, 44 drone videos, and 182 GPS points recorded with remarkable precision (+/- 1cm) within a single day. This exhaustive data capture provides an unparalleled glimpse into the reality of this ancient petroglyph site.