Al Naslaa (4,000-year-old Rock Formation), Tayma Oasis, Saudi Arabia.

Al Naslaa is 4,000-year-old Rock Formation has a Mystery Laser-like Cut through its Center. The Al Naslaa rock formation is a rock formation located 50 km south of the Tayma oasis in Saudi Arabia. It has been split down the middle into two parts, both of which are balanced on their own tiny pedestal. The cause of the split is unknown, but is posited to be due to natural causes including windblown sand and periodic rain.

The rock is approximately 6 metres high and 9 metres wide, and is covered on its south-east face with numerous petroglyphs

Al Naslaa is remarkable not only for its shape, position, and age but also for the exact split that divides one side of the formation from the other. While it appears to be a normal fracture in the sandstone’s foundation, the break is so precise and straight that it appears as if the rock was split apart with a laser. Furthermore, the two incredibly hefty sides of the structure appear to balance on little more than thin bits of rock, almost as if they are floating in mid-air.

The boulder split most likely because the earth beneath one of the two supports moved slightly. It’s possible that it was formed by a volcanic dike of a weaker material that crystallized before everything was unearthed. It might also be a pressure crack from the past. It dates back over 4,000 years, and no one truly knows how it came to be.

The Tayma oasis in Saudi Arabia is famous for its rock art and its historic legacy. It was a major trade route in antiquity and was once the dwelling place of a Babylonian king, Nabonidus. It is referenced in both Assyrian and Biblical sources as a trading post and is also known for abundant rock art made as much as 4000 years ago. One particularly interesting feature of the Tayma region is the Al Naslaa rock formation - a sandstone block connected to what looks like an eroded natural pedestal. The rock is split through the middle by a clean and straight crack which looks almost as if the rock was sliced with a laser. Surprisingly though, this feature is natural, formed by faulting or jointing activity.

Most of the Arabian Peninsula is made up of limestone, sandstone, and shale, which overlie the west Arabian crystalline shield and a southern crystalline complex. These overlying sedimentary deposits formed in shallow sea environments. In the present-day Arabian desert, windblown sand as well as periodic rains have carved the sandstone and limestone bedrock, creating many unusual rock shapes - some of which look quite extraordinary.

The block is also archaeologically significant because of an exquisite example of rock art that resembles a horse or camel that is engraved onto it. The block is in situ and the lower section of the block resembles what is called a ventifact. Ventifacts are geologic formations created by abrasion from windblown sand beating against a rock surface. This can create rocks with unusual shapes and very smooth surfaces.

The White Desert of Egypt is famous for ventifacts that resemble giant stone mushrooms emerging out of the landscape. It is not clear if the Al Naslaa rock formation is a ventifact, though the bottom part connecting it to the ground does resemble one. The upper part of the block has a very smooth surface on one side, but the shape of the complete rock looks too angular and blocky to be a true ventifact. It could, however, be a ventifact that is still in the process of forming.

Geologists who have examined the fracture say that it was probably formed when the ground beneath it was offset, causing the rock to split apart. It has also been suggested that it could be an old fault line. The rock material near faults tends to become weakened and erodes more easily. As sand blew into the cracks of the rock over the ages, this material may have been more rapidly eroded than the surrounding sandstone, resulting in the fracture.

The fracture may have also formed from jointing of the rock. In geology, joints are fractures formed by rock being pulled apart along zones of pre-existing weakness through some sort of pressure. Joints can be very straight and look almost artificial. In certain climates, ice can form in the cracks created by the joints and cause the fractures to widen until rocks are pulled apart. There are a couple of other cracks parallel to the one that split the rock that may be joints. The major crack could be related to them and just be in a more advanced stage.