Iconographic and archaeometric studies on the rock art at Musayqira, Al‐Quwaiyah Governorate, central Saudi Arabia

Rock art at Musayqira, Saudi Arabia, spans multiple historical periods—Late Neolithic to Islamic—with distinct artistic traditions reflecting shifting socioeconomic and ecological conditions. Iconographic analysis revealed diverse human and animal depictions, while archaeometric measurements using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) estimated varnish accumulation rates, providing age estimates for the petroglyphs. However, some art was incised in fracture fill rather than true varnish, complicating interpretations. The study combines iconographic data with archaeometric techniques to shed light on the temporal layers of this UNESCO World Heritage Site's rock art.

Andreae, M. O., Al‐Amri, A., Al‐Jibrin, F. H., & Alsharekh, A. M. (2021). Iconographic and archaeometric studies on the rock art at Musayqira, Al‐Quwaiyah Governorate, central Saudi Arabia. Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, 32(S1), 153–182. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/aae.12191