The Institute for Archaeological Research in Al-Ula, announced an important archaeological discovery in northwestern Saudi Arabia: monumental complex structures called mustatils.
Although the existence of the mustatils was previously known, over 1,000 mustatils are roughly twice as old as previously thought.
An unprecedented aerial and ground survey by a team of scientists from the University of Western Australia has allowed remote sensing and helicopter exploration of vast areas of the region.
After discovering the ancient structures from the air, the team of scientists then examined about 40 of them directly on the ground. Excavations of one building were also carried out.
Radiocarbon dating of the horn and tooth of cattle, which were found in the chamber of a mustatil at Al-Ula, and which, along with others, were apparently used as ritual offerings, revealed the date of the late Neolithic, sixth millennium BC.
Mustatils are a kind of low walls, reminiscent of a fence, made of stones, or rather, their heaps.
They are elongated rectangles. “On average, they were 161 meters long and 142 meters wide. Most of these formations were located in low areas near water resources in the northeastern part of Saudi Arabia.
Few other objects of material culture were found nearby, and in order to establish the age of the find, a carbon analysis was carried out. An unexpected discovery surprised the researchers – the mustatils turned out to be older than the pyramids and were created more than 7000 years ago. The sheer scale of these structures makes them some of the most impressive examples of prehistoric monumental architecture.
Archaeologists believe that many of the mustatils originally had platforms installed at both ends of the “rectangle”. On one of these platforms, they found a prehistoric painting with geometric patterns that had not previously been found in rock art.
The authors of the work were unable to find any evidence that could provide a clue to the purpose of the buildings, although some suggest that the mustatils could have been stone enclosures for animals. However, the long walls turned out to be very low, and they have no obvious entry points, which does not favor this version.
The monuments may have been a place for rituals, but it is not clear which ones. Scientists noted that much more research is required to determine the purpose of the structures.