Recent archaeological research study in Arabia has unveiled significant insights into the cultural and historical advancement of the region through the study of caverns and lava tubes, highlighting ancient way of lives and the worldwide significance of Arabias historical heritage. Credit: Green Arabia ProjectBones and artifacts indicate a timeline of herding and agriculture in northern Arabia.A research study recently published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, exposes that a huge lava tube in Saudi Arabia has functioned as an essential shelter for human beings who herded animals for a minimum of the last 7,000 years. This research was conducted by Mathew Stewart from Griffith University, Brisbane, and his colleagues.Research in northern Arabia over the last decade has actually highlighted a diverse Holocene historical record. The timing of human occupations and their connections with the close-by Levant stay improperly understood, primarily due to poor preservation of organic remains in the regions dry conditions. To prevent this problem, Stewart and coworkers focused investigations on caverns and other underground settings where ancient products are sheltered from sun, wind, and high fluctuations in temperature level. In this research study, they analyze a historical site from a lava tube called Umm Jirsan located in the volcanic field of Harrat Khaybar in Saudi Arabia, approximately 125km north of Medina.Species recognizable in the rock art of Umm Jirsan. (A) sheep (Panel 8); (B) goat and 2 stick figures with tools on their belts (Panel 8); (C) long-horned livestock (Panel 6), photo improved using the ybk setting on DStretch; (D) ibex with ribbed horns and coat markings (Panel 4). Bottom: tracings of examples A-D. Credit: Stewart et al., 2024, PLOS ONE, CC-BY 4.0 Within the lava tube are artifacts, rock art, and skeletal remains that record repeated human profession over at least the previous 7,000 years. The lava tube appears to have actually been an essential resource for pastoralists keeping and herding animals, as evidenced by rock art and animal bones representing domesticated sheep and goats. Isotopic analysis of human remains reveals an increase over time in C3 plants such as cereal and fruit in the diet, potentially connected to a rise in sanctuary farming in the Bronze Age.The authors conclude that Umm Jirsan was likely not a long-term home, however rather a valuable stopping point for people taking a trip in between oasis settlements. Lava tubes and other natural shelters were valuable resources for communities surviving in a difficult environment, and with more examination, they provide an essential source of historical info about the history of human occupation in Arabia.The authors include: “Exploring Arabias hidden past, our study uncovers centuries of human profession within and around the Umm Jirsan lava tube, shedding light on ancient way of lives and adjustments to environmental change in this severe desert environment.” Reference: “First proof for human occupation of a lava tube in Arabia: The archaeology of Umm Jirsan Cave and its environments, northern Saudi Arabia” by Mathew Stewart, Eric Andrieux, James Blinkhorn, Maria Guagnin, Ricardo Fernandes, Nils Vanwezer, Amy Hatton, Mesfer Alqahtani, Iyad Zalmout, Richard Clark-Wilson, Yahya S. A. Al-Mufarreh, Mahmoud Al-Shanti, Badr Zahrani, Abdulaziz Al Omari, Faisal Al-Jibreen, Abdullah M. Alsharekh, Eleanor M. L. Scerri, Nicole Boivin, Michael D. Petraglia and Huw S. Groucutt, 17 April 2024, PLOS ONE.DOI: 10.1371/ journal.pone.0299292.
