New archaeological excavations have revealed repeated phases of human occupation of Umm Jirsan lava tube within the Harrat Khaybar, north-western Saudi Arabia, starting from at the very least the Neolithic via to the Chalcolithic/Bronze Age (10,000-3,500 years in the past).
Pictures of Umm Jirsan Cave and its inside sections. Picture credit score: Stewart et al., doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299292.
Intensified discipline analysis in northern Arabia over the past decade has highlighted the richness and variety of the area’s archaeological and paleontological data.
Human occupation in northern Arabia in the course of the Pleistocene was sporadic and seemingly linked to intervals of improved local weather, although by the Holocene folks had been capable of extra persistently settle the area via dry intervals.
“Our findings at Umm Jirsan present a uncommon glimpse into the lives of historic peoples in Arabia, revealing repeated phases of human occupation and shedding mild on the pastoralist actions that when thrived on this panorama,” stated Dr. Mathew Stewart, an archaeologist at Griffith College and the Max Planck Institutes of Geoanthropology.
“This web site possible served as a vital waypoint alongside pastoral routes, linking key oases and facilitating cultural change and commerce.”
Rock artwork and faunal data attest to the pastoralist use of Umm Jirsan and surrounding areas, portray a vivid image of historic lifeways.
Depictions of cattle, sheep, goat and canines corroborate the prehistoric livestock practices and herd composition of the area.
An isotopic evaluation of animal stays from the lava tube signifies that livestock primarily grazed on wild grasses and shrubs, whereas people maintained a weight-reduction plan wealthy in protein, with a notable improve within the consumption of C3 vegetation over time, suggesting the emergence of oasis agriculture.
“Whereas underground localities are globally vital in archaeology and Quaternary science, our analysis represents the primary complete examine of its variety in Saudi Arabia,” stated Professor Michael Petraglia, an archaeologist at Griffith College, the College of Queensland and Smithsonian Establishment.
The findings underscore the immense potential for interdisciplinary investigations in caves and lava tubes, providing a singular window into Arabia’s historic previous.
“Umm Jirsan was possible not a everlasting residence, however as an alternative a beneficial stopping level for folks touring between oasis settlements,” the authors stated.
“Lava tubes and different pure shelters had been beneficial assets for communities surviving in a difficult atmosphere, and with additional investigation, they current a key supply of archaeological details about the historical past of human occupation in Arabia.”
“Exploring Arabia’s hidden previous, our examine uncovers millennia of human occupation inside and across the Umm Jirsan lava tube, shedding mild on historic existence and variations to environmental change on this harsh desert atmosphere.”
The workforce’s paper was revealed on-line within the journal PLoS ONE.
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M. Stewart et al. 2024. First proof for human occupation of a lava tube in Arabia: The archaeology of Umm Jirsan Cave and its environment, northern Saudi Arabia. PLoS ONE 19 (4): e0299292; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299292
