| Egyptian Journal of Archeological and Restoration Studies

Authors:
Alghazawi, R. & Al-Manaser, A.
Cultural Resources Management & Museology dept., Queen Rania Faculty of Tourism & Heritage, The Hashemite Univ., Zarqa, Jordan

Abstract:
This research is concerned with a chosen assemblage of rock art stone artefacts in the Mafraq Archaeological museum. The objects, which have been collected over the decades and are now displayed in an open gallery space, provide the public with a window into the area's long history. The study examines the patterns and inscriptions carved onto the stones, their connection to the initial discovery sites, their archaeological and cultural meanings, and how the pre-Islamic artists captured details of their daily life and surroundings in art. The most common themes are horses and camels, which highlight their central role in the lives of Black Desert societies. The study also, nevertheless, refers to the erosion of interpretive context by taking artefacts out of their deposition context. It concludes by suggesting that rock inscriptions and drawings should be conserved in their natural setting, and that open-air museums should be created to maintain the intrinsic link between inscriptions and geographical and cultural context.

Keywords:
Mafraq antiquities museum Cultural heritage Black desert art Rock art Basalt inscriptions

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