Archaeologists in Saudi Arabia have discovered the remains of hundreds of ancient “standing stone circles” dating back around 7,000 years.
Through aerial surveys, 345 stone circles were identified in the Harrat ‘Uwayrid lava field near AlUla city. The circles range from 13 to 26 feet in diameter and originally had stone walls and doors.
Excavation of 8 circles uncovered around 500 pounds of stone tools and animal bones from sheep, goats and cows inside. Seashells from the Red Sea also pointed to early trade networks.
The artifacts and structural resemblance to earlier homes in Jordan suggest the circles were used as domestic dwellings, not just for rituals.
At the time, the environment was wetter and people gathered wild plants but had not yet adopted farming. Concurrent “mustatil” stone structures seem to have had ritual purposes like cattle sacrifice.
The discovery provides evidence of migrations into the region around 7,000 years ago from populations in eastern Jordan and Syria experiencing growth from improved hunting technologies.
Source: Live Science
