UMM QRAIEH, A STONE WITH ROCK ART SOUTHWEST OF PETRA
Keywords:
Umm Qraieh, rock art, ibex, Thamudic, al-Rajif.Abstract
This paper presents and discusses the archaeological evidence for Ancient rock art and
Thamudic inscriptions from a site in al-Rajif south of Petra in southern Jordan. The site is
a large sandstone called Umm Qraieh “Mother of reading” by the local people in the vil-
lage of al-Rajif. Human and animal figures, inscriptions, footprints and other symbols
were engraved on the upper surface of the stone during multiple periods. The paper in-
cludes a reading of the deciphered inscriptions and a discussion concerning rock art in
general and the significance of Umm Qraieh in particular.
