Archaeologists have examined a site in Saudi Arabia that, despite its inhospitable location, contains evidence of early human activity.
The area is Harrat Khaybar, which is located north of Medina in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia.
This is one of the largest volcanic fields in Saudi Arabia, teeming with evidence of volcanic activity.
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But that's not the only evidence which is present at the site, with there also being strong indications of early human activity there.
We're not just talking a few bits and pieces here either.
Thousands of structures believed to be between 4,000 and 7,000 years old have been found in Harrat Khaybar and neighbouring area AlUla.
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Studies have included aerial photography, and has documented some 350 examples of structures called 'mustatil', Arabic for rectangle, in the Khaybar and AlUla regions.
To the bedouin, the ancient structures are known as the works of 'the old men'.
The volcanic environment and harsh conditions have even led to the description of the site as the 'gates of hell', as when active the area would have been very inhospitable.
Dr Hugh Thomas of the University of Western Australia has studied the area, and thinks that study of the area could 'completely' change our view of the Middle East.
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In 2022, he told Arab News: “A lot of the archaeological focus in the region in the past has been on the Fertile Crescent, running through Jordan, Israel and up into Syria and beyond, and little archaeological attention has been paid to this early material of Saudi Arabia.
“The reality in that in the Neolithic period these areas were significantly greener, and there would have been really sizeable populations of people and herds of animals moving across these landscapes.”
Meanwhile, Professor David Kennedy, also from the University of Western Australia, wrote that there is no clear indication of what these structures may have used for.
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He wrote: “Identification, mapping and preliminary interpretation imply an early date in the sequence of the works—perhaps the very earliest—but no obvious explanation of their purpose can be discerned."
One theory is that they were ritual structures, but so far archaeologists have found it difficult to find a practical reason for their construction.
Dr Thomas said: "With the artefacts that are inside, and also the construction techniques that are involved in creating them, there is no practical function for these structures, other than ritual, that would make any sense.”
If you are curious to see what it could look like, then the 'Gates of Hells' in Turkmenistan gives you a pretty good idea.
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