Lying on the east coast of Qatar, this place constitutes a magnificent piece of archaeology: there is a suspected stone site over a hundred years old, which contains 900 inscriptions.
Most are hollow signs of indefinite looks, varying in designs and outward appearances; some are symbols, some patterns, while others take on boat-like shapes. According to NDTV, on Friday, 25/10/1014, Ferhan Sakal, Head of Excavation and Fieldwork at Qatar Museum, announced that the engravings at Al Jassasiya site differ from any others of their kind.
Especially those with ships, the petroglyphs are quite clear from above and remarkably show a very high level of artistic skill.
Some researchers said that these carvings might have been used as board games, like mancala or other similar traditional ones-congklak. Others say such carvings had ritual purposes or were used for the sorting of pearls. Sakal admitted it is hard to determine the exact purpose of the carvings, so those theories can be either right or wrong.
Even their age is unknown. It is supposed that the carvings have been made either in the Neolithic age or at the end of the Islamic era. According to Sakal, the exact age of these petroglyphs is difficult to determine. Equally, a study estimated that these carvings were of not more than a few centuries old.
This demands further research to be dated precisely. Other carvings, such as those of ships, provide insight into Qatar’s fishing industries and pearl diving. These ship carvings form clear lines and designs, some of them even with anchors, a reflection of traditional practices of a people who deal with the sea. Scholars argue that this could imply that the large number of ship carvings in Al Jassasiya could be representative of ancient belief in the idea of ships as carriers towards life beyond death.
The special carvings of Al Jassasiya should be visited with enough water and sunscreen protection, considering limited shade at the site.