A set of prehistoric rock inscriptions were discovered near the Tombs of the Nobles in Aswan during excavations by Germany's University of Bonn, Antiquities Minister Mamdouh el Damaty said.

Speaking of its significance, the minister said the discovery is clear evidence that the area was inhabited by prehistoric people.

The inscriptions are the oldest ever to be unearthed at the location, Damaty said.

Meanwhile, head of the ministry's antiquities sector Mahmoud Afifi said more than 15 prehistoric inscriptions were found.

They are drawings of wild animals such as cows, ibexes and deer, with some showing religious rituals involving ostriches and giraffes, Afifi said.

Head of the German expedition in the area Amr el Hawary said the drawings represent hunting-related practices and are evidence of prehistoric people's dominance over the wildlife, the main source of human food at the time.