In Arabia the transition to a Neolithic economy is thought to be characterised by a shift to
mobile pastoralism, rather than the traditional icons of the Neolithic such as sedentism and
crop cultivation. However, in the absence of detailed archaeological research, the Early
Holocene prehistory of central, northern and northwestern Saudi Arabia remains largely
unknown. Here we use the engraved rock art recorded on 254 panels in Shuwaymis, Ha'il
Province, and in particular depictions of hunting and herding scenes, to identify evidence on�…