Ancient Saudi Arabia had monumental buildings, not just barren lands: Study

During the Neolithic period, the people who lived in north-western Saudi Arabia have remained a mystery.

It has been said that the period saw a shift in the humans who started controlling food production and started to settle in communities along with domesticated animals and practised agriculture.

Also Read:Saudi Arabia's petrodollar deal with US expires with no new agreement in place

Add WION as a Preferred Source

However,new evidence suggeststhat this picture of struggling people,who constantly travelled on barren lands,needs to be changed.

What did the researchers find about Saudi Arabia?

A team of Australian researchers published a study on monumental buildings in the journalLevant, which are called "standing stone circles."

The new findings are helping people in rewriting about those who lived in the land of Saudi Arabia between 6,500 and 8,000 years ago.

The evidence hints at the things they ate, the tools they used and the jewellery they wore. It becomes clearer how the people in those times figured out complex ways to survive on the land for millennia.

How the project was carried out by researchers?

Nearly 431 standing stone circles present in the AlUla and Khaybar regions of north-west Saudi Arabia were studied by the team of researchers, as part of the ongoing project.

Among those 431 structures, 52 were surveyed in detail and 11 of them were also excavated.

The new findings were made after analysing some buildings present on the Harrat 'Uwayrid,a volcanic plateau which wascreated more than a millennia ago.

Watch:Indian national in Saudi Arabia to be freed from prison, Abdul Rahim to return to Kerala

The researchers said that the standing stone circles explained how the mobile pastoralist communities were in ancient times.

The team also recovered remnants of people who stayed in these buildings for more than 1,000 years.

A range of modern and traditional techniques was used by the researchers to manage the practical limitations of working in remote and rugged landscapes.

Based on the tools and animal remains discovered, it appearsthat the people used animal skins to enclose the top of the structure,like a roof.

They also found evidence of stone tool-making, eating and cooking along with lost and broken tools which are used for processing animal hides.

(With inputs from agencies)