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Rock Art Research 2016 - Volume 33, Number 2, pp. 000-000. M. ALZOUBI et al.
KEYWORDS: Rock art – Hunting scene – Safaitic inscription – Al-cAusajī – Bādiya – Jordan
SAFAITIC INSCRIPTIONS AND POSSIBLE
HUNTING SCENES FROM THE NORTH-EASTERN
Mahdi Alzoubi, Sultan Al-Maani and Hussein Al-Qudrah
Abstract. Petroglyphs accompanying many Safaitic inscriptions are considered as a direct
-
c
Introduction
Ṣafā
basalt desert south-east of Damascus in Syria (Oxtoby
Apart from the inscriptions and petro-
data in order to understand the culture of
southern and north-eastern regions of the
country contains a countless number of an-
Al-c
Ḥ
c
Figure 1. Map of the research area.
Rock Art Research 2016 - Volume 33, Number 2, pp. 000-000. M. ALZOUBI et al.
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epigraphers from the Queen Rania Faculty of Tourism
Safaitic hunting activities
ṣyd
indications referring to the names of the hunted animals
Hunting generally plays an important role in the
life of the nomads and it can be both a main source of
sources of meat for food in addition to the meat of
f hrḍw hfṭ ṭcmt mn ṣd;
ḍ
s¹ bn yṣḥḥ w ṣydʿr mn- ngdʾs son
of Yṣḥḥ
constituted an important part of religious life of people
in ancient Arabia has been studied by many scholars
others refer to animal slaughter dedicated to Safaitic
the hunting scenes are considered rich sources for
Hunting techniques
Safaitic people used to hunt different kinds of
glyphs seem to detail the techniques used by the
• Pit trap
• Hunting dogs
ḍarw meaning
• Catching with a rope
• Hunting in groups: Safaites also practised hunting
group used to consist of four or more armed hunters
• Animal kites
(Childress
The kites hunting technique is based on the idea of
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Rock Art Research 2016 - Volume 33, Number 2, pp. 000-000. M. ALZOUBI et al.
Discussion
nineteen decorated rock boulders bearing petroglyphs
Rock No. 1
lḥwr bn s’r bn ṯbrt
bn smc ḏ hṣl whrdy nqm[t] m ḏ’slfḤ
Ṯbrt son of Smc from the tribe of Hṣ
Figure 2. Hunting kites seen from the air.
Figure 3. Rock No. 1 and our rendering of it. Figure 4. Rock No. 2 and our interpretation of it.
Rock Art Research 2016 - Volume 33, Number 2, pp. 000-000. M. ALZOUBI et al.
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second inscription reads: lymlk bn ḥwr bn s(’r bn?) ...;
Mlk son of Ḥ
Based on inscriptions secured from the site and
Rock No. 2
Jlḥ
Rock No. 3
This basalt boulder again emphasises the fact that
l j[d]y bn rn bn khln hḥyt;
Figure 5. Rock No. 3 and our rendering.
Figure 6. Rock No 4. Figure 7. Rock No. 5.
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Rock Art Research 2016 - Volume 33, Number 2, pp. 000-000. M. ALZOUBI et al.
seems to contradict the modern interpretation of the
Rock No. 4
riding animal; l cbṯ bn nġft hcr
cBṯ
Rock No. 5
The imagery on this rock seems to represent a large
depicting the technique of hunting animals by using nets
Rock No. 6
also bears an inscription that reads: l njš bn mḏy bn cqrb
bn ṯ’r hḫṭṭḏy bn
cqrb bn Ṯ
Rock No. 7
Figure 8. Rock No. 6.
Figure 9. Rock No. 7.
Figure 10. Rock No. 8.
Rock Art Research 2016 - Volume 33, Number 2, pp. 000-000. M. ALZOUBI et al.
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that reads: l ḫl’l bn ’ṯc bn cbd hdr
belongs to ḪṮc bn c
Rock No. 8
reading: lškmŠkm
Rock No. 9
The petroglyphs and the Safaitic inscription on this
related to an inscription surrounding the animal and
l ḥllt bn l bn mld bn bnġfr
hṯrḤllt son of Fll son of Mld son
Rock No. 10
l jmḥ bn ġdy hḥyt
ḥ
ḥ
Rock No. 11
can be read as: l šc’c
Figure 11. Rock No. 9.
Figure 12. Rock No. 10. Figure 13. Rock No. 11.
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Rock Art Research 2016 - Volume 33, Number 2, pp. 000-000. M. ALZOUBI et al.
Rock No. 12
The petroglyphs on this rock are interpreted by us
the rock: l ysr bn kf hḥyt
Rock No. 13
l jš(l)
bn b’s hdmyt
Rock No. 14
l ḫl’l
bnṯc bn cmd hḥytḪ
Ṯc son of c
Rock No. 15
Figure 14. Rock No. 12 and our interpretation of it.
Figure 15. Rock No. 13 and our interpretation of it.
Figure 16. Rock No. 14 and our interpretation.
l hwd bn cfn bn ḍf bn sḫl h bkrt
cfn son of Ḍf son of Sḫ
Rock Art Research 2016 - Volume 33, Number 2, pp. 000-000. M. ALZOUBI et al.
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Rock No. 16
We interpret the complex arrangement of petroglyphs
by a Safaitic inscription that unfortunately does not
l qršms
bn scdl bn byn w hlt cwr mcwr hḫṭṭ
Sc
Rock No. 17
Rock No. 18
Rock No. 19
prominent horseman holding a lance and pursuing a
Figure 17. Rock No. 15.
Figure 18. Rock No. 16 and our rendering of it. Figure 19. Rock No. 17.
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Rock Art Research 2016 - Volume 33, Number 2, pp. 000-000. M. ALZOUBI et al.
Conclusion
The recordings of these nineteen rocks illustrate a
c
information the data on hunting depend mainly on
hḥyt
Hussein Al-Qudrah
-
ism and Heritage
Department of CRM
mahdi@hu.edu.jo maani@hu.edu.jo
hus_alqudrah@yahoo.com
Figure 20. Rock No. 18 and our
rendering of it.
Figure 21. Rock No. 19 and our
rendering of it.
Rock Art Research 2016 - Volume 33, Number 2, pp. 000-000. M. ALZOUBI et al.
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REFERENCES
ṭ al Rac
B
Le Musén
The Harrah and the Hamad: excavations
and explorations in eastern Jordan.
Pars quinta:
inscriptiones saracenicas continens
Lost cities and ancient mysteries of Africa
and Arabia.
phenomenon and its global range through a multi-proxy
Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory
Jawa: lost city of the Black Desert
Kites and other archaeological
structures along the eastern rim of the Harrat (Lava Plain) of
Jordan, signs of intensive usage in prehistoric time, a Google
Earth images study
Bulletin of the Council for British Research
in the Levant
Safaitic inscriptions
Hunting in pre-Islamic Arabia in light
Arabian Archaeology and
Epigraphy
Some inscriptions of the Safaitic Beduin
Inscriptions from fty
Safaitic cairns
Arabica
RAR 33-0000
