Human figures are of extreme interest, although their full meanings continue to elude us. Neolithic hunters in Ha’il province were tall, slender individuals with novel heads shaped like stovepipes with an angular symbol on top, probably connoting a headdress or a hairstyle. No features are portrayed on the individuals’ faces. The men are clothed only in a sheath in the pubic region that was held in place by two strings that tied in back. Some of the men wore either a bracelet or rattle on both ankles. At Jubbah, a large image of a seated man appears to have a circular object on his chest. Similar ones, as well as lunate ones, can be found in the Najran area on a panel that is thought to represent the Moon Goddess and perhaps her worshippers. Perhaps these were torcs or pendants.
Early depictions of women are extremely rare and also lack facial features. They are wearing dresses with V-necks, a sash at the waist, and in two examples, epithets or ties at the shoulders.
In the Najran region, women or goddesses are quite common. They are nude, with braids over their faces, and their arms held away from their bodies with elbows bent and hands held up in the air. These female figures are shown with standing males, as well as armed cavalry. It is difficult to know if possibly they represent the warriors’ own women offering their support, or perhaps, in a more sinister light, war booty from the enemy’s side. Most likely, they symbolize one or more of the three major goddesses worshipped in ancient times (see Warfare section). The men in battle are shown at times with possible helmets, chest armor, full body armor, weapon belts, and other equipment for engagement.
Dancing
Dance is one of the oldest activities of human cultures; and we are fortunate to have it preserved on Saudi petroglyphs dating back to the Neolithic. People today readily recognize the dancing figures because of the similarity to recent performances. Lines of figures are shown very close to one another with their arms bent at the elbow and hands up. Smaller scenes sometimes show two or three individuals facing each other standing a short distance apart and apparently dancing with their arms raised.
