Petroglyphs-Part 4

The petroglyphs appeared without fanfare. In fact, a few of us walked on them before we realized that we had arrived at the mysterious leftovers of another time in history. Surprisingly, they were well preserved and quite vivid in detail. Series of little cups in organized formations were dug into the rocks and scattered throughout the sight. Some formed double lines and others looked like daisies.

The most predominant petroglyphs etched into the stone took the shape of various types of sailing vessels; most with oars jutting far out from the body of the boats. They resembled primitive fish with fanlike fins. A caravan of scorpions seemed to march their way from one side to the other of a large jebel. Just about everyone offered an opinion about what the carvings represented – a game, pearl or fishing boats – but no one really knew. Even archeologists cannot say for sure who or why they carved pictures into the coarse limestone surfaces. And most of us had nothing more than a mild curiosity about the legacy of the artists. Newcomers in the group needed to feel welcomed and known, friends had catching up to do and after about a half an hour, our curiosity about the petroglyphs and each other succumbed to the rising temperature, sending us back to our bikes for the sweltering return to Doha.

On the ride back to Doha, with the heat chasing us, I considered the creators of the petroglyphs. Did they know that they were leaving behind a clue as to who they were and where they came from? Did they care? Or, were they simply passing the time carving symbols that represented their lives while exploiting the country’s resources by fishing the seas, diving for pearls, or settling in for a season or two until they achieved what they needed and the wickedness of the desert drove them away? We will never really know for sure.

I considered, too, as the heat rose and the wind swirled, what might the legacy of the expats be in Qatar in 700 years? We are all in the country for one reason – oil and gas. If Qatar was devoid of natural resources, we would not be here and only the indigenous Bedouin tribes would wander about living the pastoral life of herders and fishermen. But, for now, there is oil and gas. Armies of men from a hundred different countries, invited - some say bought - by the Qatari government, use their expertise to mine Qatar’s abundant natural resources. And hundreds of thousands of us are here to support the oil and gas industry employees. Merchants, secretaries, educators, maids, restaurateurs, manufacturers, medical personnel, pilots, hotel and hospitality staff, and any number of other western professions are in Qatar solely to make the lives of the oil and gas men and their families easier. Along with glorious salaries, we are a bribe to make sure the extractors have everything needed to endure the desert so they can successfully exploit the country's precious commodity with colossal machines, that during the day resemble a Mad Max world and at night, when backlit by artificial light, resemble the futuristic scenes in Terminator: Rise of the Machines.