Network of Walled Oases Identified in Arabian Desert

Archaeology Magazine ^ | July 2, 2025 | editors / unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

New research in northwest Saudi Arabia has identified the existence of a network of previously unknown fortified enclosures, La Brújula Verde reports. Known as Walled Oasis Complexes, these settlements consisted of large defensive walls encircling desert oases that helped shelter and protect crops, water sources, and herds of goats and sheep. Relying on satellite imagery and ground reconnaissance, the study located four previously unknown complexes at Dumat al-Jandal, Hait, Huwayyit, and Khaybar dating back thousands of years. The discovery changes the perception of Arabia as a desert dominated by Bedouins and demonstrates that there were complex sedentary societies as many as 5,000 years ago. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Antiquity. To read about large stone complexes scattered throughout northwest Saudi Arabia's deserts, go to "Around the World: Saudi Arabia."

---

TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: arabia; bronzeage; dumataljandal; godsgravesglyphs; hait; huwayyit; khayba; neolithic; saudiarabia; walledoasiscomplexes

[SunkenCiv]

Khaybar Oasis, Saudi Arabia

© AFALULA-RCU-CNRS, 2024

[SunkenCiv]

[tumblindice]

🎵Midnight at the oasis
Send your camel to bed 🎶

What did she mean by this?

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Control the water, control the road, control the trade.

[Carry_Okie]

SAUDI ARABIA: An aerial survey recorded more than 1,000 enigmatic rectangular complexes scattered throughout the deserts of northwest Saudi Arabia. First appearing around 7,000 years ago, these huge structures, known as mustatils, are among the earliest known large-scale stone monuments found anywhere, predating even Egypt’s pyramids and Stonehenge. Scholars are unsure why they were constructed, but suggest they were used for religious ceremonies, since the remains of horned animals, especially cattle, are known to have been ritually deposited within them.

Well isn't that precious. The timing of the beginnings of these settlement at 5KBCE closely matches the Cain and Abel story as I have translated it. Again, correlating with the beginnings of farming in Fayum in 5,300BCE.

[SunkenCiv]

😎

[ZOOKER]

🎵Midnight at the oasis
Send your camel to bed 🎶

What did she mean by this?

The answer is further along in the song ---

And you won't need no camel
Oh, no
When I take you for a ride