Egypt, the land of the Pharaohs, the Sphinx, and the Mummies never ceases to fascinate archaeologists. It has yielded civilisation treasures attracting tourists worldwide. Four hundred miles from Cairo lies the village of Qurta. Here an archaeological expedition lead by Dirk Huyge, curator of the Egyptian Collection at the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels, Belgium has discovered rock face drawings and etchings dating back 15,000 years ago.

Chiselled into the sandstone cliff faces at Qurta, the drawings are being described as startlingly similar to the iconic Stone Age paintings at Lascaux (France) and Altamira (Spain). They indicate the history of Egyptian art, religion, and culture dates back longer than previously thought. Over 160 figures have been found. Most depict wild bulls and the biggest is nearly six feet wide.

Salima Ikram of the American University in Cairo, who was part of the expedition notes:

The style is riveting. The art is unlike anything seen elsewhere in Egypt

This is the second time that Qurta has revealed its historical treasures to the world. In 1962, a Canadian expedition led by Philip Smith discovered the drawings and suggested that they may belong to the Palaeolithic Age. This idea did not sit well with the scientific community which has always believed that art was born in Europe. This expedition however appears to have strengthened Smith’s assertions.

The team’s findings will be published in the September issue of the journal Antiquity.

Via: ToI
Read: National Geographic

Picture: National Geographic News