The archeological mission affiliated to the Ministry of Antiquities (MA) has completed documenting colored petroglyphs found inside a cave situates 60 km south east to Serabit el-Khadim area in the western section of the Sinai Peninsula.
That cave also situates 30 km north to St. Catherine.
Dr. Mustafa Waziri, General-Secretary of the Higher Council for Antiquities, said the cave locates in a precipitous area named Al-Zaraneh.
The cave consists of sandstone and its depth reaches 3 m, width 22 m and height is 3.5 m.
Experts pointed that cave is the first one of its type in the area.
It was found perchance after a desert adventurer was strolling the area of South Sinai and he informed the authorities about it.
Dr. Ayman Ashmawy, head of the Egyptian Antiquities at the MA, revealed that the colored petroglyphs were found on the ceiling of the cave and on some stones fallen off the upper part of the cave.
The mission also found big quantities of animal droppings in the cave. This means the cave was used earlier as a shelter by the local Bedouins and their animals against cold, storms and rain.
Dr. Hesham Hussein, General Director of North Sinai Antiquities and head of the mission, told reporters that the discovered petroglyphs depicting various scenes which dated back to many epochs.
The petroglyphs were sorted to different groups. The first collection was drawn on the oldest layer of the ceiling of the cave. This collection could be dated to 5500-10.000 years BC.
They were colored in deep red and depicted animals like five slim donkeys or mules.
Also the prehistoric artists drew human palms, which known as the Hand Prints, on the ceiling and on a stone in the middle of the cave. The second collection of drawings may be dated to the Cooper Age. It comprises images of women and animals.
The third and last collection may be dated to AD age and it depicted people in sedans on camels.
Dr. Hussein added that the mission will survey the area where the cave found.
He pointed out the mission began working last year and it documented a number of valleys in Serabit el-Khadim area.
Contributed by Ahmed Moamar
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