RIYADH: An international boomerang tournament is being held in Hail in commemoration of a recent discovery of evidence showing that the hunting implement may have been invented in Arabia.
“The Prince Abdulaziz bin Saad International Boomerang Tournament” begun on Thursday and brings together competitors from the US, Europe and Brazil, as well as Saudi Arabia’s Boomerang Club.
Saudi researcher Mishari Al-Nashmi recently published findings of rock engravings in the mountains of Al-Masma, Joba and Arnan, depicting hunting scenes from the Neolithic era using curved tools resembling the Australian boomerang.
In collaboration with Professor Qusay Al-Turkiye, a Saudi archaeologist based in Australia, it was confirmed that these engravings date them as older than the Australian boomerang models, which were previously believed to be the original source.
Al-Nashmi said: “Together with Professor Qusay Al-Turkiye, we successfully gathered comprehensive insights into the Australian boomerang.
“Our extensive research led to a groundbreaking discovery: This tool was not exclusive to Australia, but was, in fact, known in the Hail region for millennia.
“The rock engravings, which depict various forms of the boomerang, serve as undeniable evidence that the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula possessed knowledge of this tool long ago.”
“The repeated discovery of boomerang models in various regions such as Europe, Australia and Saudi Arabia indicates that this tool was used for multiple purposes in ancient cultures.
“It is clear that the diverse uses of the boomerang required the development of different shapes, designs and sizes, suited to specific purposes such as hunting, games, music and digging,” Al-Nashmi said.
Al-Nashmi, who also vice president of the Boomerang Club in Hail, added: “It is also likely that these designs did not transfer between different peoples but were locally crafted within each region, maintaining similar goals.”
“We are confident that this discovery underscores the profound depth of civilization and the storied history of the Hail region,” Al-Nashmi said.
Professor Al-Turkiye added: “The rock engravings portray skilled hunters wearing masks shaped like birds or ibexes, using hunting tools that flew with remarkable precision to capture deer, birds, and even wild cattle.
“These details underscore that the Arabian boomerang was not just a hunting instrument, but a significant component of a highly developed culture.”
The tool is globally known as the “boomerang,” a term derived from the Dharuk language of one of the Australian indigenous tribes, the Turuwal people.
However, Saudi researchers revealed that its linguistic roots trace back to the Akkadian word “taqntu/taqttu,” meaning to kill or hunt, which appears in cuneiform inscriptions dating to the fourth millennium BCE.
The Arabic name “Al-Arjoon” refers to the tool’s curved shape, reminiscent of the frond of a palm tree, giving it a local identity that has redefined its global recognition.
The event unfolds over four days under the patronage of the governor of Hail, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saad, and includes tests of accuracy, distance and technique.
Athletes challenge one another to throw the boomerang in a way that ensures it returns with a precise curve, drawing inspiration from the techniques of ancient hunters.
The championship also coincides with a rock art exhibition at Rata, one of the archaeological sites in the Hail region, featuring rare specimens of a range of ancient boomerangs.
In his speech at the opening ceremony, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saad said that the event was “a tribute to a profound human legacy.”
“Hail once again confirms its status as the cradle of civilizations, demonstrating its ability to revive its heritage in a manner that resonates globally.”
The prince embraced the idea of turning the discovery into a living heritage, establishing the Hail Boomerang Club, led by Nasser Al-Shammari, who designed a boomerang specifically for the championship.
In collaboration with the International Federation of Boomerang Associations, the event was co-organized by world champion Logan Broadbent from the US and Roger Perry, president of the Boomerang Association of Australia.
Perry said: “The world will discover that this sport is not just a game, but a story of humanity using nature to craft its tools, and Hail has written a new chapter in this story.”
