Japanese Archaeologists Discover Oldest Known Islamic Inscriptions
WASHINGTON, March 3 (IslamOnline) - A team of Japanese archaeologists have discovered what might be the oldest known Islamic carvings in the world on a rock wall located in Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.
The Japanese team, from the Middle Eastern Culture Center in Japan, say their latest finding is five years older than an inscription currently held to be the earliest. The previous inscription is located on the outskirts of Mecca and dates to around 660 A.D.
The current finding in Sinai reads "Sana 35 Sana," referring to the 35th year after Hijra, or the Islamic calendar.
The team has so far found 1,680 inscriptions at the site located on a mountain in southwestern Sinai. The team believes traveling pilgrims on their way to Mecca for Hajj engraved the inscriptions.
Team leader Mutsuo Kawatoko said, "Nothing conclusive can be said at this point until after the writing style and other elements have been verified."
"The discovery of several inscriptions with dates is very rare. From these specified dates, we can understand the movements and activity of the people at the time," said Kawatoko.
