Ancient Rock Carving Depicts a Dog on a Leash

A roughly 8,000-year-old carving of dogs etched into a sandstone cliff in the Arabian Desert has been discovered. Intriguingly, one of the dogs appears to be on a leash. This suggests that humans already knew how to control dogs thousands of years ago.

The carving depicts a hunter armed with a bow and arrows accompanied by 13 dogs. Each dog has a different coat pattern. Two are shown on leashes, which are attached to the hunter's waist.

The carving was discovered at Shuwaymis in northwestern Arabia. About 1,400 rock carvings of humans and animals have been found at Shuwaymis and in the Jubbah region, 200 kilometers away.

Hunter-gatherers arrived in the region about 10,000 years ago, and pastoralism began between 7,000 and 8,000 years ago. Numerous stone carvings depicting livestock such as sheep and goats, as well as women's bodies, have been found.

Depictions of early hunting dogs have also been discovered. The dogs are medium-sized, with short ears and tightly curled tails, resembling modern Canaan Dogs. Some are shown hunting wild donkeys, gazelles and other animals.

Further research is needed to determine the exact age of the carvings depicting leashed dogs, but they are thought to possibly be the oldest known record of dogs on leashes. The previously known oldest record of a leashed dog is estimated to date back 5,500 years.