21. A Stylistic, Spatial and Cultural Assessment of the Bovid Petroglyphs from Humayma

Abstract

During the summer of 2014, more than 150 petroglyphs were discovered in the sandstone ridges west of the ancient town Hawara (modern day al-Humayma). The site, located in southern Jordan’s Hisma desert, boasts a diverse occupational history spanning from the Neolithic period to the present and representing many diverse cultural groups. The petroglyphs discovered west of the site depict various imagery, including animals, humans, and footprints. Among the animals, various representations of bovids were discovered, including ibex, gazelle and oryx. This study analyzed the bovid petroglyphs, focusing on their spatial relationships with one another and the environment, as well as the various stylistic depictions observed and potential genus identifications. A cultural assessment was also completed to examine the animals’ role through time, and other petroglyph representations discovered in the region were examined to pursue potential meanings for the newly discovered bovid petroglyphs. The petroglyphs depicted different artistic styles and could be sorted into categories based on artistic design and themes. The themes included solitary animals, interacting animals, predator/prey relationships and human hunting. The occurrence of the categories was analyzed across three study areas and in relation to the environment allowing potential explanations for their meanings to be proposed, each linked to the cultural groups that theoretically produced these petroglyphs.