When researchers are searching
for remnants of structures and settlements constructed by ancient peoples they
typically focus on areas that are hospitable to human life.
This new discovery in Saudi
Arabia, according to BGR.com, goes firmly against that notion, with
archaeologists revealing the existence of hundreds of stone “gates” situated in
and around ancient lava domes, in an area that is little more than a hellish
landscape devoid of vegetation and water.
The structures, which measure
anywhere from 40 feet to nearly 1,700 feet in length, are crude in their
construction, built of rough rocks that have withstood thousands of years of
wear and tear. What’s most interesting is that it appears that the lava fields
these structures were built upon was still active at the time, with hardened
lava appearing to have flowed over some of the gates.
Gates are found almost
exclusively in bleak, inhospitable lava fields with scant water or vegetation,
places seemingly amongst the most unwelcoming to our species,” David Kennedy of
the Western University of Australia, who led the research, wrote. Kennedy noted
that the structures “appear to be the oldest man-made structures in the
landscape,” and that at the moment “no obvious explanation of their purpose can
be discerned.”
The discovery was made using
satellite imagery, and the researchers used their birds-eye view to identify
nearly 400 of the gates in the same area. Along with the odd walls, other clearly
manmade structures were spotted including what appear to be animal traps and
wheel-shaped objects that are yet to be identified. The current best guess as
to the age of the construction is somewhere in the neighborhood of 9,000 years.
The next step for researchers is
launching some kind of expedition to investigate the site and perhaps come up
with some kind of an explanation as to why the structures exist and what they
were used for. It’s an incredible discovery, but the structures — and their
precarious location — are so mysterious that there’s bound to be an even
greater story waiting to be told.
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