Scientists have found mysterious symbols in the desert of Qatar

Qatari archaeologists have discovered new petroglyphs on the rocks of Al-Jassasiya (Qatar). However, they cannot answer either the exact purpose of these symbols, or the time of their creation, writes CNN.

Scientists have found a total of about 900 rock paintings arranged in various patterns. Some look like symbols, others look like images of sailing ships and bowls. Some of them can only be seen from a bird's eye view, they are so big.

According to the scientists, "these carvings show a high degree of creativity and observation on the part of the artists who created them."

Scientists have yet to figure out their exact purpose, but they have a few guesses. Some of them believe that the petroglyphs could have been used for mancala, a board game popular in antiquity. However, some of the holes are too small to contain any stones, this version is dismissed by their opponents.

Others do not exclude that they were created for divination, sorting and storage of pearls, or as systems for calculating the time of ebb and flow.

There is no clarity in the time of their creation. The range of assumptions stretches from the Neolithic to late Islam. Researchers agree on only one thing: these symbols appeared on the rocks at different times.

Al-Jassasiya is the largest rock art site in Qatar and one of the largest in the Persian Gulf. It was opened in 1957.