Prehistoric dwellings give clues to early Arabian culture
While little is known about the Neolithic people of northwest Arabia, recent excavations in the region have showcased their cultural complexity as well as their connections with the Levant. Publishing in the journal Levant, an international team of archaeologists presented the first detailed description of long-term Neolithic homes in the region, showing that northern Arabia had a much higher level of occupation than previously assumed. The study also shed new light on what these Neolithic people ate, the tools they used, and who they traded with.
Part of a multiyear regional project in the Harrat ‘Uwayrid, between the Hijaz mountains and Nefud desert, the team identified hundreds of domestic structures known as standing stone circles. Dating to the sixth and fifth millennia BCE, these structures consist of concentric rings of massive upright stone slabs placed end to end, with another single stone slab in the center of the structure. According to one of the researchers, timbers would then be placed between the rows of stones, leaning in towards a central pillar, with the roof of the dwelling placed over top.
While most of the houses ranged from 13 feet to 26 feet in diameter, some complex examples reached diameters as large as 80 feet. Despite some of the excavated circles being in use for a thousand years, they were not year-around dwellings but seasonal structures, built by the nomadic people of the region who likely returned to the site year after year.
The finds discovered inside the circles that the team excavated shed even more light on the people who used them. Among the faunal remains are many domesticated animals, including sheep and goats but also cattle. These domestic animals were likely introduced directly from their Levantine neighbors, as they are not indigenous to the area.
Animals, however, were not the only thing imported from the Levant. Among the stone tools discovered in the circles, a number are very similar to Levantine styles, especially the arrowheads, which are nearly identical to Levantine examples. It is not known if these arrowheads were traded items or were made locally using adopted technology. Indeed, even the stone circles are comparable to the domestic structures of hunter-herder groups found hundreds of miles away in Jordan.
In addition to the Levant, these Neolithic people also appear to have traded for items— including decorative shells and jewelry—that came from the Red Sea, 75 miles to the west. Indeed, trade may have allowed the people of the Harrat ‘Uwayrid to flourish in this period, as the introduction of domestic animal species provided them with the flexibility to withstand the region’s highly variable weather conditions.
Not all aspects of Neolithic life in North Arabia were influenced by the Levant. One particularly local expression of culture is the presence of monumental stone structures known as mustatils. Dating from the same time, these open-air sanctuaries, which could reach hundreds of feet long, contain similar finds to those of the stone circles and likely served the religious and cultic needs of the local nomadic peoples.
In the Beginning: Religion at the Dawn of Civilization
The History of Israelite Religion
Pagan Yahwism: The Folk Religion of Ancient Israel
Not a BAS Library or All-Access Member yet? Join today.
Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update.
Dig into the illuminating world of the Bible with a BAS All-Access Membership. Get your print subscription to BAR and your online access to the BAS Library—as well as FREE online talks and Travel/Study discounts. Start your journey into the biblical past today!