Marking the sacral landscape of a north Arabian oasis: a sixth-millennium BC monumental stone platform and surrounding burials

Olivia Muñoz; Marianne Cotty; Guillaume Charloux; Charlène Bouchaud; Hervé Monchot; Céline Marquaire; Antoine Zazzo; Rémy Crassard; Olivier Brunet; Vanessa Boschloos; Thamer al-Malki

doi:10.15184/aqy.2020.81

Marking the sacral landscape of a north Arabian oasis: a sixth-millennium BC monumental stone platform and surrounding burials

Olivia Muñoz, Marianne Cotty, Guillaume Charloux, Charlène Bouchaud, Hervé Monchot, Céline Marquaire, Antoine Zazzo, Rémy Crassard, Olivier Brunet, Vanessa Boschloos, Thamer al-Malki

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

Abstract Prehistoric stone structures are prominent and well-studied in the Levantine desert margins. In northern Arabia, however, such structures have received less attention. This article presents the results of investigations of a 35m-long stone platform, first constructed in the mid sixth millennium BC, overlooking the oasis of Dûmat al-Jandal in northern Saudi Arabia. Excavation of the platform has yielded bioarchaeological and cultural remains, along with evidence for several phases of construction and intermittent use down to the first millennium BC. Analysis of the platform and nearby tombs highlights the persistent funerary and ritual use of this area over millennia, illuminating nomadic pastoralist lifeways in prehistoric Arabia.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	601-621
Number of pages	21
Journal	Antiquity
Volume	94
Issue number	375
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2020.81
State	Published - 2020
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Pastoralism

Funding Agency

Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.15184/aqy.2020.81

Cite this

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title = "Marking the sacral landscape of a north Arabian oasis: a sixth-millennium BC monumental stone platform and surrounding burials",

abstract = "Abstract Prehistoric stone structures are prominent and well-studied in the Levantine desert margins. In northern Arabia, however, such structures have received less attention. This article presents the results of investigations of a 35m-long stone platform, first constructed in the mid sixth millennium BC, overlooking the oasis of D{\^u}mat al-Jandal in northern Saudi Arabia. Excavation of the platform has yielded bioarchaeological and cultural remains, along with evidence for several phases of construction and intermittent use down to the first millennium BC. Analysis of the platform and nearby tombs highlights the persistent funerary and ritual use of this area over millennia, illuminating nomadic pastoralist lifeways in prehistoric Arabia.",

keywords = "Pastoralism",

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year = "2020",

doi = "10.15184/aqy.2020.81",

language = "English",

volume = "94",

pages = "601--621",

journal = "Antiquity",

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publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

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T1 - Marking the sacral landscape of a north Arabian oasis: a sixth-millennium BC monumental stone platform and surrounding burials

AU - Muñoz, Olivia

AU - Cotty, Marianne

AU - Charloux, Guillaume

AU - Bouchaud, Charlène

AU - Monchot, Hervé

AU - Marquaire, Céline

AU - Zazzo, Antoine

AU - Crassard, Rémy

AU - Brunet, Olivier

AU - Boschloos, Vanessa

AU - al-Malki, Thamer

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Abstract Prehistoric stone structures are prominent and well-studied in the Levantine desert margins. In northern Arabia, however, such structures have received less attention. This article presents the results of investigations of a 35m-long stone platform, first constructed in the mid sixth millennium BC, overlooking the oasis of Dûmat al-Jandal in northern Saudi Arabia. Excavation of the platform has yielded bioarchaeological and cultural remains, along with evidence for several phases of construction and intermittent use down to the first millennium BC. Analysis of the platform and nearby tombs highlights the persistent funerary and ritual use of this area over millennia, illuminating nomadic pastoralist lifeways in prehistoric Arabia.

AB - Abstract Prehistoric stone structures are prominent and well-studied in the Levantine desert margins. In northern Arabia, however, such structures have received less attention. This article presents the results of investigations of a 35m-long stone platform, first constructed in the mid sixth millennium BC, overlooking the oasis of Dûmat al-Jandal in northern Saudi Arabia. Excavation of the platform has yielded bioarchaeological and cultural remains, along with evidence for several phases of construction and intermittent use down to the first millennium BC. Analysis of the platform and nearby tombs highlights the persistent funerary and ritual use of this area over millennia, illuminating nomadic pastoralist lifeways in prehistoric Arabia.

KW - Pastoralism

U2 - 10.15184/aqy.2020.81

DO - 10.15184/aqy.2020.81

M3 - Article

SN - 0003-598X

VL - 94

SP - 601

EP - 621

JO - Antiquity

JF - Antiquity

IS - 375

ER -

Marking the sacral landscape of a north Arabian oasis: a sixth-millennium BC monumental stone platform and surrounding burials

Abstract

Keywords

Funding Agency

UN SDGs

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