Sinai 10 millennia of art discovered at rock shelter

CAIRO, 13th February, 2026 (WAM) — A desert plateau in South Sinai has revealed an extraordinary secret: a massive rock shelter containing a continuous record of human artistic expression spanning ten millennia.

An Egyptian archaeological team from the Supreme Council of Antiquities has documented the site at Umm Erak Plateau, located roughly five kilometres northeast of the Temple of Serabit el-Khadim.

The sandstone shelter, extending more than 100 metres, features ancient drawings dating between 10,000 and 5,500 BCE, including red-pigmented depictions of animals, reflecting life in early prehistory.

Dr Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, described the site as a “natural open-air museum” that documents the evolution of human symbolic and artistic expression from prehistory to Islamic periods.

In addition to rock art, archaeologists found flint tools and pottery fragments dating to the Middle Kingdom and Roman era, suggesting the site was used over thousands of years.

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said the discovery is a significant addition to Egypt’s archaeological map and highlights the rich cultural heritage of the Sinai Peninsula.