Satellite image of ancient lake showing location of archaeological sites. The lake size is blue and archaeological sites are coloured red. Image courtesy of Nick Drake.
Posted on 05/03/2012 3:57:55 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Satellite images have revealed that a network of ancient rivers once coursed their way through the sand of the Arabian Desert, leading scientists to believe that the region experienced wetter periods in the past...
Over the course of five years the researchers will study the landscape features and excavate sites of likely archaeological interest, using the network of water courses as a map. They will use the latest dating techniques to pinpoint the ages of fossils of animals, plants and different stone tool technologies and compare the similarities and differences displayed in the region's rock art.
The team's main focus will be the Arabian Desert, but the work will also cover the wider Peninsula. One key question they will attempt to answer is when the first early modern humans are likely to have first arrived in the Arabian Peninsula from Africa and perhaps surrounding regions. They will also look for evidence that suggests how early modern humans were able to survive, or not, in arid and extreme conditions.
Project leader Professor Michael Petraglia, Co-Director of the Centre for Asian Archaeology at Oxford University's School of Archaeology, said: 'From NASA images taken of the Arabian Desert we can see physical landscape features that are visible from space that denote a whole network of former river valleys and lake basins. These lines and dips in the sand provide us with a map of the region upon which we will focus our research activity. The presence of water is an accurate indicator of where early humans and animals migrated to or settled.
(Excerpt) Read more at phys.org ...
Satellite image of ancient lake showing location of archaeological sites. The lake size is blue and archaeological sites are coloured red. Image courtesy of Nick Drake.
The Bahrainis had pearls there for years, FRESH water pearls, that is, ODD sized and shaped. Cost a friggin' fortune because the awl bidness is killin' off the pearls. Imagine, Arab pearl divers, all men, of course.
The gulf used to have hamur (big white fish) and TONS of delicious shrimp. The Saudis used to build these triangular fish traps and just let the tides do their "fishing."
The Secret of Baalbek: Eden
Immanuel Velikovsky
http://www.varchive.org/ce/baalbek/eden.htm
Of Aden in South Arabia, Arab historians of the Middle Ages narrated from older traditions that it was an unusually fruitful land, well-watered. One who started on his travel upon the land on a donkey with an empty basket on his head found the basket full of fruit before he reached his destination. Then in a catastrophe (called “bursting of the dam”) apparently of global dimensions, this country became a desert.
Of ancient channels of great rivers in Arabia I brought references of modern explorers in Earth in Upheaval. The area Arabia Felix is today a forbidden land.
Marib was the city of the area, once so fruitful, according to legend.
On some pages 1. tried to follow the legend to the Arab autochthonous tradition of Moses (Mosaikaia), Aharon, and Miriam and the “Bursting of the Dam” ; it was not just the Dam — I offered a philological explanation — it was a cataclysmic event. Eden (Paradise) was located in Aden.
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Maybe now they are getting to be able to map them more accurately.
Thanks!
and of course we all know about the huge project in Libya to pump water out of the desert. I guess at one time or another there has been running water everywhere.
This guy suspects that Eden is where the Persian Gulf is now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qPLjwjjPxA&feature=relmfu
Well, surprise, surprise. NOT. I live in the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs area) of Southern California, also known as the Sonoran Desert or Colorado Desert. At one time, it was underwater. One can dig and find sea shells.
Quite a few years ago, I purchased a new home on a mesa above San Diego Stadium. So, it was about 50 to 75 feet above sea level. Every place I dug in the yard when planting my garden, I found sea shells.
Looks like footprints on the beach :)
Everything was great there before Global Warming
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I wonder how the average reader is supposed to glean any useful information from postage stamp, minuscule illustrations with illegible detail?
Some valleys of Southwestern Arabia are to this day quite well watered, green, and productive. I believe that this area on the Red Sea, North of the Yemeni Border is what the Romans called “Arabia Felix.” There were also “Arabia Deserta,” and “Arabia Petraea,” (Where Petra is)
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