Rock art sites depicting the Ostrich 
in the Central Hijaz, Saudi Arabia 
Brian S. Meadows & Desmond Stewart 
The Ostrich Struthio camelus syriacus has become extinct in the Arabian 
peninsula during the present century. There is limited information on its 
former distribution and abundance within the peninsula. However, rock 
art can give an indication of past distribution or, at least, local knowledge 
of the species. 
In Saudi Arabia the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums in 
the Ministry of Education recently carried out a synoptic survey of rock 
art sites in the Kingdom that should prove a valuable source of information 
(al Kabawi et al, 1989). In addition the authors, during extensive travel 
in the central Hijaz from a base at Yanbu, have located eleven rock art 
centres (most of these include several actual sites) and several of these 
were apparently overlooked by the survey. Eight out of the eleven 
centres depict drawings that represent ostriches (Table 1). 
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