A wall about 4,000 years old that enclosed more than 1,000 hectares of territory and included 180 bastions has been discovered in Saudi Arabia, around the Khaybar oasis. It is one of the largest and oldest fortifications in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, according to a statement issued by the French National Center for Scientific Research.
The oases of the northern Arabian deserts were inhabited by sedentary populations from the fourth to the third millennium BC. The Khaibar oasis dates back to that period and, together with Tayma, is the largest in Saudi Arabia.
Although it was known that the area was inhabited in ancient times, the constructions from that time were discovered recently, as the buildings were covered or partially destroyed by later settlements.
Over the past centuries, almost 60% of the fortification was completely destroyed, but the remaining vestiges were enough for scientists to restore the overall picture. The structures stretched over 14.5 kilometers and were between 1.7 and 2.4 meters thick, according to field studies and remote sensing data. Likewise, the walls would have been up to five meters high.
The team of scientists estimates that the construction was built between 2250 and 1950 BC. C., based on radiocarbon dating of samples collected during excavations.
Likewise, they detail that the raising of the wall at that time is due to transformations in the lifestyle of the people of the Arabian Peninsula caused by climate change.
It was then that part of the nomadic population opted for a sedentary lifestyle, as can be seen in previously discovered archaeological sites, the authors indicate in the study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.
#giant #4000yearold #fortification #discovered #oasis #Arabian #desert #Diario #Página
