Thamudic Petroglyphs

Wadi Rum, Jordan

There are thousands of Thamudic drawings and inscriptions in the Wadi Rum area. They are scratched onto the rock surface, not painted (that is, they are petroglyphs, not pictograms). The Thamud, a nomadic Arab tribe, migrated to Wadi Rum in the early Christian era, where they became associates of their far more cosmopolitan Nabataean neighbors.

This scene includes most of the typical elements of Thamudic rock art: a hunter with bow and arrow (right), ibex, a camel, and a rider on horseback (bottom).