It has been assumed by archeologists and historians that the petroglypth method of writing and communication preceded writing in general, and that once writing systems were developed that the use of petroglyphs ceased. In the minds of many, petroglyphs were used exclusively by prehistoric man (or creatures) who were limited in their abilities to communicate.
Interestingly enough, this is only a theory, for there are many fascinating facts about petroglyphs that many historian have failed to grasp. First, petroglyphs and petroglyphic writing can be found over most of the face of the earth. Much of this form of writing is found in deserts, but not exclusively so.
Petroglyphs are found on every continent, and they are surprisingly similar. Also, the use of petroglyphic communication has continued right up until the 20th century. The photo below is of a petroglyph made by the Ute tribe in North America in 1911. It shows the wreck of locomotive Consolidation No. 10, on the Uintah Railway. So, in this case, the petroglyph is not ancient. Much can be learned about how petroglyphs can be read by referring to petroglyphs that were written about known events.
More petroglyphs can be found on the page: Early Dhows in Pre-Islamic Petroglyphs https://nabataea.net/explore/founding_of_islam/early-dhows-in-pre-islamic-petroglyphs/
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In the last few years great efforts have been made to read petroglyphs and understand how they were used. In essence the individual parts of the picture are read like one would read ‘sign language’ used by the deaf. If you are interested in pursuing this topic further, a good place to start is The Rocks Begin to Speak, by LaVan Martineau, KC Publications, Las Vagas, Nevada, 1973. (The two photos above were taken from pages 124 and 126 of this book).
A Nabataean camel caravan. Note the difference between the camels at the top and the loaded camel at the bottom.
A horse rider behind a loaded camel.
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Loaded camels traveling away from a fortification, with the camel drivers walking.
Ibexes with long horns
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