New research has unveiled that over 7,000 years ago, individuals resided within the nearly mile-long lava tube Umm Jirsan, located near the city of Medina in Saudi Arabia’s Harrat Khaybar volcanic region.
As reported by Gizmodo, this tube, which is considered the longest in the country, currently serves as a habitat for wild animals.
Matthew Stewart, a zooarchaeologist from Griffith University in Australia and the lead author of the study, emphasized the significance of these findings, stating, “The discoveries introduce a new category of archaeological site in the area, one where organic materials such as bone and deeply layered sediments are exceptionally well-preserved.”
Published in the journal PLoS One, the study highlights how this location once accommodated humans and their domesticated animals. Stewart explained, “We didn’t anticipate finding archaeological evidence at Umm Jirsan. Initially, our main interest lay in examining the extensive bone deposits that had been previously documented.”
The findings revealed hundreds of thousands of bones representing at least 40 species, dating back from the Neolithic to the Victorian Era. Stewart mentioned to Gizmodo that animals likely utilized the lava tubes for shelter since their formation millions of years ago.
The lava tubes, estimated to be approximately 1,500 years old, still possess volcanic activity potential, as indicated in the report. Additionally, the research suggests that while the site was not a permanent settlement, it was utilized as shade and a convenient location for herders. Furthermore, rock art depicting cattle, sheep, goats, and possibly ibexes was also discovered, shedding light on ancient human-animal interactions in the region.
