UMM QRAIEH, A STONE WITH ROCK ART SOUTHWEST OF PETRA

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 village 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 includes a reading of the deciphered inscriptions and a discussion concerning rock art in general and the significance of Umm Qraieh in particular.