List of petroglyph sites

This list contains notable petroglyphs, or rock engravings, around the world.

Africa

A petroglyph in Bidzar, Cameroon

Algeria

Cameroon

Central African Republic

  • Bambari, Lengo and Bangassou in the south; Bwale in the west
  • Toulou
  • Djebel Mela
  • Koumbala

Chad

  • Niola Doa

Republic of the Congo

Egypt

  • Qurta, on the east bank of the Nile River in the upper Nile valley, has Nubian Sandstone formations featuring the first and earliest known examples of petroglyphs in the region of North Africa, dating back to 19–15,000 years BP[1][2]
  • Wadi Hammamat in Qift, many carvings and inscriptions dating from before the earliest Egyptian Dynasties to the modern era, including the only painted petroglyph known from the Eastern Desert and drawings of Egyptian reed boats dated to 4000 BCE
  • Inscription Rock in South Sinai, is a large rock with carvings and writings ranging from Nabatean to Latin, Ancient Greek and Crusader eras located a few miles from the Ain Hudra Oasis. A second rock sites approximately 1 km from the main rock near the Nabatean tombs of Nawamis with carvings of animals including Camels, Gazelles and others. The original archaeologists who investigated these in the 1800s have also left their names carved on this rock.
  • Giraffe petroglyphs found in the region of Gebel el-Silsila. The rock faces have been used for extensive quarrying of materials for temple building especially during the period specified as the New Kingdom. The Giraffe depictions are located near a stela of the king Amenhotep IV. The images are not dated, but they are probably dated from the Predynastic periods.

Ethiopia

Gabon

  • Ogooue River Valley
  • Epona
  • Elarmekora
  • Kongo Boumba
  • Lindili
  • Kaya Kaya

Libya

Morocco

Lion Plate at Twyfelfontein in Namibia (2014)

Namibia

Niger

Nigeria

  • Igbara Oke Petroglyphs[4]
  • Birnin kudu rock site[5]

South Africa

Tunisia[7]

Zambia

Asia

Armenia

Petroglyphs at Ughtasar, Armenia

Azerbaijan

Petroglyphs at Gobustan, Azerbaijan

China

See also: Cliff inscriptions

Georgia

Hong Kong

Rock carving on Cheung Chau Island, Hong Kong

Eight sites in Hong Kong:

India

Petroglyphs in Ladakh, India
Goddess Lajja Gauri, portrayed squatting and with legs facing outward

Iran

Further information: Rock art in Iran
IRAN ROCK ARTS
Map of petroglyphs and pictographs of Iran

During recent years a large number of rock carvings has been identified in different parts of Iran. The vast majority depict the ibex.[21][22] Rock drawings were found in December 2016 near Golpayegan, Iran, which may be the oldest drawings discovered, with one cluster possibly 40,000 years old. Accurate estimations were unavailable due to US sanctions.[23]

The oldest pictographs in Iran are seen in Yafteh cave in Lorestan that date back 40,000 and the oldest petroglyph discovered belongs to Timareh dating back to 40,800 years ago.

Iran provides demonstrations of script formation from pictogram, ideogram, linear (2300 BC) or proto Elamite, geometric old Elamite script, Pahlevi script, Arabic script (906 years ago), Kufi script, and Farsi script back to at least 250 years ago. More than 50000 petroglyphs have been discovered, extended over all Iran's states.[24][22][25]

Israel

Japan

Petroglyph found in Awashima shrine (Japan)

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Hunting scene in Koksu, Kazakhstan
Tamgaly petroglyphs in Kazakhstan
Buddhist carvings at Ili River, Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Petroglyphs at Cholpon-Ata in Kyrgyzstan

Laos

South Korea

Macau

Malaysia

Mongolia

  • Petroglyphic Complexes of the Mongolian Altai, UNESCO World Heritage site, 2011[28][29]
  • Petroglyphs found in the area of Bayan-Ovoo.[30]

Pakistan

Philippines

Petroglyphs on a rock wall found in the Sierra Madre mountain range, Rizal, Philippines

Saudi Arabia

  • Petroglyphs at Wadi Qarn.
    Petroglyphs at Wadi Qarn.
  • Petroglyphs at Mada'in Salih.
    Petroglyphs at Mada'in Salih.
  • Petroglyphs of musical instruments.
    Petroglyphs of musical instruments.
  • Petroglyphs of animals, Tabuk.
    Petroglyphs of animals, Tabuk.
  • Hieroglyphic inscriptions, Tabuk.
    Hieroglyphic inscriptions, Tabuk.
  • Islamic inscriptions, Qasim.
    Islamic inscriptions, Qasim.
  • Thamudic inscriptions.
    Thamudic inscriptions.
  • "Graffiti Rocks", about 110 km SW of Riyadh off the Mecca highway
  • Arwa, west of Riyadh
  • al Jawf, near al Jawf
  • al Jawf, Camel Carving Site
  • Jubbah, Umm Samnan, north of Hail
  • Janin Cave, south of Hail
  • Yatib, south of Hail
  • Milihiya, south of Hail
  • Jebel al Lawz, north of Tabuk
  • Wadi Damm, near Tabuk
  • Wadi Abu Oud, near al Ula
  • Shuwaymis, north of Madina
  • Jebel al Manjour & Ratt, north of Madina
  • Hanakiya, north of Madina
  • Shimli
  • Bir Hima, north of Najran
  • Tathleeth, north of Najran
  • Al-Magar, in Najd

Taiwan

Thailand

Vietnam

Yemen

Europe

  • Carving "The Shoemaker", Brastad, Sweden
    Carving "The Shoemaker", Brastad, Sweden
  • Petroglyph in Roque Bentayga, Gran Canaria (Canary Islands).
    Petroglyph in Roque Bentayga, Gran Canaria (Canary Islands).
  • Petroglyph at Dalgarven Mill, Ayrshire, Scotland.
    Petroglyph at Dalgarven Mill, Ayrshire, Scotland.
  • Bronze Age petroglyphs depicting weapons, Castriño de Conxo, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia.
    Bronze Age petroglyphs depicting weapons, Castriño de Conxo, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia.
  • Labyrinth, Meis, Galicia.
    Labyrinth, Meis, Galicia.
  • Cup-and-ring mark, Louro, Muros, Galicia.
    Cup-and-ring mark, Louro, Muros, Galicia.
  • Deer and cup-and-ring motifs, Tourón, Ponte Caldelas, Galicia.
    Deer and cup-and-ring motifs, Tourón, Ponte Caldelas, Galicia.
  • Petroglyphs in Zalavruga, Belomorsk, Karelia, Russia
    Petroglyphs in Zalavruga, Belomorsk, Karelia, Russia

England

Finland

  • Hauensuoli, Hanko, Finland

France

  • The sorcerer, Vallée des Merveilles, France
    The sorcerer, Vallée des Merveilles, France
  • The tribe master, Vallée des Merveilles, France
    The tribe master, Vallée des Merveilles, France

Ireland

Italy

  • Grosio - Rupe Magna
    Grosio - Rupe Magna
  • Grosio - Rupe Magna
    Grosio - Rupe Magna
  • Grosio - Rupe Magna
    Grosio - Rupe Magna

Northern Ireland

  • Leftmost of three central stones, Knockmany Chambered Tomb, Co. Tyrone
    Leftmost of three central stones, Knockmany Chambered Tomb, Co. Tyrone
  • Central of three central stones, Knockmany Chambered Tomb, Co. Tyrone
    Central of three central stones, Knockmany Chambered Tomb, Co. Tyrone
  • A stone on the right of the passage, Knockmany Chambered Tomb, Co. Tyrone
    A stone on the right of the passage, Knockmany Chambered Tomb, Co. Tyrone
  • Sess Kilgreen
  • Sess Kilgreen Chambered Tomb, Co. Tyrone
    Sess Kilgreen Chambered Tomb, Co. Tyrone
  • Sess Kilgreen Chambered Tomb, Co. Tyrone
    Sess Kilgreen Chambered Tomb, Co. Tyrone

Norway

See also: List of rock carvings in Norway

Portugal

  • Various zoomorphic creatures, including in particular, a horse
    Various zoomorphic creatures, including in particular, a horse
  • Paleolithic rock engravings breaking the natural rock formation
    Paleolithic rock engravings breaking the natural rock formation
  • Various zoomorphic creatures, including in particular, a Bull
    Various zoomorphic creatures, including in particular, a Bull

Scotland

Spain

Millenarian rock carvings, Laxe dos carballos at Campo Lameiro, Spain, showing a deer hit by several spears

Russia

Petroglyph Park near Petrozavodsk–Lake Onega, Russia
Mammoth on the basalt stone in Sikachi-Alyan, Russia
White Sea petroglyphs, Republic of Karelia, Russia

Sweden

Turkey

Ukraine

Wales

Central and South America and the Caribbean

Argentina

Talampaya National Park, La Rioja Province, Argentina
Petroglyph on Tunduqueral hill at Uspallata, Argentina

Aruba

Brazil

The oldest reliably dated rock art in the Americas is known as the "Horny Little Man." It is petroglyph depicting a stick figure with an oversized phallus and carved in Lapa do Santo, a cave in central-eastern Brazil and dates from 12,000 to 9,000 years ago.[34]

  • Capivara National Park, Piauí, Brazil
    Capivara National Park, Piauí, Brazil
  • Ivolandia, Goiás, Brazil
    Ivolandia, Goiás, Brazil
  • Costao do Santinho, SC, Brazil
    Costao do Santinho, SC, Brazil

Chile

Colombia

Costa Rica

Dominican Republic

Grenada

Montserrat

Nicaragua

Paraguay

Fertility symbols, called "Ita Letra" by the local Panambi'y people, in a natural shelter in Amambay, Paraguay

Peru

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Suriname

Trinidad and Tobago

  • Caurita
    The only known Amerindian petroglyph in Trinidad

Venezuela

North America

Canada

Mexico

Near Parras, Coahuila

United States

For a more comprehensive list, see List of petroglyphs in the United States.
Petroglyph on western coast of Hawaii
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
A color picture of some petroglyphs on a tan sandstone cliff face
Modern Hopi have interpreted the petroglyphs at Mesa Verde National Park's Petroglyph Point as depictions of the Eagle, Mountain Sheep, Parrot, Horned Toad, and Mountain Lion clans, and the Ancestral Puebloans who inhabited the mesa

Oceania

Australia

References

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