DOI issue:
Egypt
DOI article:Krzyżaniak, Lech: Dakhleh Oasis: research on petroglyphs, 2000
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41368#0253
DAKHLEH OASIS
EGYPT
Site 30/450-E4-7 is particularly
deserving of a brief description here in
view of the excellent artistry of its
petroglyphs and the rarity of the depicted
scenes when compared to the totality of
known sites from the Dakhleh Oasis. The
site contains what looks like two separate
scenes. One of these appears to be the
image of a “goddess” facing an adult and
one young giraffe. The other scene depicts
what is probably an adult giraffe
accompanied by two young giraffes, all of
them facing one or two “goddesses” (Fig. 1,
lower row). While this scene is engraved
on an almost vertical rock face, the
adjoining flat and practically horizontal
rock surface bears the depiction of yet
another “goddess” (Fig. 1, upper row). The
giraffes and female-shaped human figures
from this site clearly belong to the rock art
tradition of the Eastern Dakhleh, described
first by Winkler as the “Early Oasis
Dwellers”,4) although they are not exactly
similar to the petroglyphs discovered by
the project in the Dakhleh in previous
seasons.
As regards the other sites of similar
chronology found in the Mud Pan area, the
well executed petroglyphs of antelopes
from site 30/450-E7-2 should be
mentioned here (Fig. 2).
Petroglyphs of the two sites of dynastic
age found in the Mud Pan area clearly focus
on domestic animals. Among these, cattle
predominates. The largest number of
petroglyphs of this period has been recorded
in the relocated site 30/450-E4-6, where
several large, flat, upright-standing stones
Fig. 2. Site 30/450-E7-2. Petroglyph depicting a row of antelopes
(Drawing E. Jaroni, E Kuciewicz)
4) H.A. Winkler, Rock-Drawings of Southern Upper Egypt II, The Egypt Exploration Society (London 1939), 27-30.
251
EGYPT
Site 30/450-E4-7 is particularly
deserving of a brief description here in
view of the excellent artistry of its
petroglyphs and the rarity of the depicted
scenes when compared to the totality of
known sites from the Dakhleh Oasis. The
site contains what looks like two separate
scenes. One of these appears to be the
image of a “goddess” facing an adult and
one young giraffe. The other scene depicts
what is probably an adult giraffe
accompanied by two young giraffes, all of
them facing one or two “goddesses” (Fig. 1,
lower row). While this scene is engraved
on an almost vertical rock face, the
adjoining flat and practically horizontal
rock surface bears the depiction of yet
another “goddess” (Fig. 1, upper row). The
giraffes and female-shaped human figures
from this site clearly belong to the rock art
tradition of the Eastern Dakhleh, described
first by Winkler as the “Early Oasis
Dwellers”,4) although they are not exactly
similar to the petroglyphs discovered by
the project in the Dakhleh in previous
seasons.
As regards the other sites of similar
chronology found in the Mud Pan area, the
well executed petroglyphs of antelopes
from site 30/450-E7-2 should be
mentioned here (Fig. 2).
Petroglyphs of the two sites of dynastic
age found in the Mud Pan area clearly focus
on domestic animals. Among these, cattle
predominates. The largest number of
petroglyphs of this period has been recorded
in the relocated site 30/450-E4-6, where
several large, flat, upright-standing stones
Fig. 2. Site 30/450-E7-2. Petroglyph depicting a row of antelopes
(Drawing E. Jaroni, E Kuciewicz)
4) H.A. Winkler, Rock-Drawings of Southern Upper Egypt II, The Egypt Exploration Society (London 1939), 27-30.
251