The findings of two recent excavations funded by the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) show that the Neolithic people of northwest Arabia engaged in "complex and sophisticated ritual practices" in the late 6th millennium BCE.
The team led by Dr Wael Abu-Azizeh excavates the chamber that contained “an exceptional discovery” of skull and horn fragments. Credit: Muhammad Al-Dajani / RCU
The exceptional finds open unknown opportunities for a fuller understanding of the social, cultural and spiritual backdrop of the ancient peoples of north-west Arabia.
Researchers stress that the practice was likely communal in nature and that it is possible that individuals traveled expressly to mustatils, prehistoric stone structures, to perform the ritual. If so, this would be one of the earliest documented pilgrimage rituals. The pastoral nomadic nature of the group, whose members may have constructed the mustatils as a means of social bonding and/or a territorial marking, is further supported by the larger presence of domestic species among the animal gifts.
Large rectangular open-air constructions called mustatils with low stone walls. Researchers have located more than 1,600 of them in north Arabia through aerial scans. Although the purpose of the structures was first unknown, excavations since 2018 have shown a ritual importance and given further information about the activity.
The outcomes of the two investigations have just been published after peer assessment. A group of experts lead by Dr. Rebecca Foote, Director of Archaeology at RCU, authored the book "Revealing Cultural Landscapes in North-West Arabia," which includes a study conducted by Dr. Wael Abu-Azizeh of the Archéorient Laboratory and France's Lyon 2 University. The study, which was directed by Dr. Melissa Kennedy of the University of Sydney in Australia, was published in the PLoS One journal in March.
Abu-Azizeh research
For Oxford Archaeology, Dr. Abu-Azizeh started an excavation in 2018 that resulted in the discovery of the "Horn Chamber" in a mustatil at site IDIHA-0000687 northeast of AlUla, dating to between 5300 and 5000 BCE. The chamber, which is smaller than typical mustatils at 3.25 by 0.8 meters, is located at the western end of a mustatil that measures 40 by 12 meters.
At top is a general view of the SU100 platform; at bottom are details of the horn chamber. Credit: Wael Abu-Azizeh et al 2022 / RCU
He and his crew found a remarkable find of horn and skull parts within the "Horn Chamber," which had a layer 20 to 30 cm thick covering the chamber's floor. According to their description, this is "a unique and unprecedented assemblage in the context of north Arabian Neolithic."
The majority of the horns and skull fragments, or about 95%, came from domestic animals including goats, sheep, and cattle. The remaining 5% came from wild animals such gazelles, Nubian ibex, and aurochs (a now-extinct predecessor of domestic cattle). The assemblage was resting on a thin layer of twigs that had been spread across the chamber's sandstone floor in advance of the rite.
The scientists come to the conclusion that a single ceremony is likely when the horns and pieces of skull were left there. They suggest that pastoral nomads gathered and carried the offerings as part of the ceremonial performance in their preliminary reconstruction of the ceremony. They passed through a small antechamber with hearths and a short doorway to enter the solemn little Horn Chamber where they presented this trophy on behalf of their social group. The assemblage of enshrined gifts revealed a unifying identity for the larger social community.
According to the researchers, "by the quantity of remains, the diversity of species represented, and the unusual state of preservation, this assemblage constitutes a unique and unprecedented discovery in the archaeological record of the region. This deposit is interpreted as a testimony of complex and sophisticated ritual practices…"
Kennedy research
At site IDIHA-0008222, east of AlUla, the second investigation, led by a group from the University of Western Australia at the time and under the direction of Dr. Kennedy, started excavation of a mustatil in 2019. They also discovered a chamber with horns and fragments of a skull dating to between 5200 and 5000 BCE, though not in as large of an amount as Abu-Azizeh's crew. These bones appeared to have been deposited in three or four phases over a generation or two as opposed to all at once, which is another difference.
Many of the skull fragments and horns came from goats, but most were from cattle. This discovery is "amongst the earliest attestation of domestic cattle and goat in northern Arabia."
The outline of the Kennedy team’s mustatil is at the forefront of this image of the landscape east of AlUla. They describe the location as “essentially hidden in the sandstone canyons”. Credit: Hugh Kennedy, AAKSA / RCU
An upright stone that stands in the center of the shrine is thought to have acted as the ritual's focal point. Around this standing stone, which was 0.8 meters high, the majority of the horns and skull fragments were left there. According to the researchers, this stone is a betyl, which is defined as "a mediator between humankind and the divine, acting as a proxy or a manifestation of an unknown Neolithic deity/deities or religious idea, to which the faunal elements were deposited as votive offerings." One of the earliest known betyls on the Arabian Peninsula would be this one.
The continuous use of the shrine over a number of years, according to the scholars, "represents one of the earliest examples of 'pilgrimage' or shrine revisiting currently identified in the Arabian Peninsula."
They make the intriguing claim that the mustatils' positioning may have had an ecological basis. The Middle Holocene Period saw an increase in the aridity of the Arabian climate, which necessitated mobility and permitted herding. The mustatils themselves may have been situated close to water sources, such as wadis, and the ritual may have been performed to ensure fertility and the continuation of rainfall. The authors claim that this is an important area for future study.
RCU has started one of the biggest archaeological research programs in the world, according to Dr. Rebecca Foote, director of archaeology and cultural heritage research. Twelve ongoing surveys, excavations, and specialized projects in AlUla and Khaybar are expanding our knowledge of the area's historical ecology, land use, and human habitation. Funerary avenues, mustatils, ancient cities, inscriptions in ten languages, rock art, and sophisticated agricultural methods are just a few of the rich cultural landscapes that are being uncovered. The first AlUla World Archaeology Summit will strengthen AlUla's position as a major center of archaeological activity.
In this overview of the Horn Chamber Mustatil (at IDIHA-0000687), SU300 marks the eastern wall of the mustatil, SU200 marks a stone cairn and SU100 marks the 7x2.5m platform containing the horn chamber. The cliff overhang protected the horn chamber from exposure to the elements, which accounts for the exceptional state of preservation. Credit: Wael Abu-Azizeh et al 2022 / RCU
World Archaeology Summit in AlUla
As RCU will hold the first AlUla World Archaeology Summit from September 13–15, 2023, AlUla's status as a center of archaeological activity will continue to grow.
The Summit serves as a forum for developing cultural heritage management and archaeology at the intersection of these two fields. In addition to enhancing the archaeological community and assisting in the preservation of shared history, this gathering of leaders from academia, government, non-governmental organizations, business, and young people who represent the next generation of archaeologists will also open up a larger discussion about what and how archaeology, and more broadly cultural heritage, can contribute to transformative changes in society.
Regarding the AlUla Royal Commission
In July 2017, a royal decree established the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) to protect and develop AlUla, a region in northwest Saudi Arabia with exceptional ecological and cultural significance. In order to develop AlUla as an attractive place to live, work, and visit, RCU's long-term plan specifies a responsible, sustainable, and considerate approach to urban and economic growth. This strategy protects the region's natural and historic heritage. This includes a wide range of activities in archaeology, tourism, culture, education, and the arts, demonstrating a dedication to achieving the goals of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 program, which prioritizes economic diversification, local community empowerment, and cultural preservation.
