Al Jassasiya is one of a dozen rock-carving sites in Qatar. Rock carvings, so called ‘petroglyphs’, can be found around the coasts of Qatar. But the largest number of carvings can be found at this major petroglyph site, north of Doha, on low imestone ridge.

First discovered in 1957, the site was systematically studied in 1974 when almost 900 carved single figures and compositions were catalogued. These rock carvings consist mainly of cup marks in various arrangements, including rows, rosettes and stars, but also of carvings, such as boats, footprints and enigmatic symbols and signs. It is believed that the cup marks are used for playing ancient board games. One of these board games may have been ‘mancala’. The game was known in Qatar as Al Haloosa or Al Huwaila. While it has previously been suggested that the earliest of these rock-carvings might date back to the Neolithic period, new evidence makes it likely that they are not more than a few hundred years old.