A new study has shed light on the extraordinary discovery of a small Bronze Age town found by archaeologists in Saudi Arabia's Khyber Oasis.
In the study published Oct. 30 in the journal PLOS One, researchers said the town spanned approximately 3.7 acres of land “including a central area and a nearby residential area surrounded by protective walls.” Experts estimate that around 500 people call the town known as “al-Natah” home. The town was abandoned between 1500 and 1300 BC, but the reason for this migration is unknown.
“This is an important question that I can't really answer at the moment,” said archaeologist Guillaume Charloux of the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). Live Science. “We have very few clues about the final phase of the occupation.”
In the settlement, scientists found partial remains of at least 50 houses apparently built from “earthen materials”. Archaeologists also discovered a significant amount of pottery and grinding stone scattered throughout the community. They found a large necropolis in the central area of the town, marked by high circular tombs known as “stepped tower tombs”.
Charloux et al., 2024, PLOS One, CC-BY 4.0
Charloux et al., 2024, PLOS One, CC-BY 4.0
Charloux et al., 2024, PLOS One, CC-BY 4.0
Based on the findings, the study determined that the Bronze Age people living in this region experienced slower urbanization than some of their peers.
“Settlements in Northern Arabia were in a transitional phase of urbanization between the third and second millenniums. [B.C.]This period, known as “low urbanization,” was a transitional period between animal husbandry and more modern urban settlements, the researchers wrote.
“While urbanization in Mesopotamia and Egypt began in the 4th millennium BC, our study tends to show that social complexity increased later in northwestern Arabia,” Charloux said. he added.
Archeology professor Robert Andrew Carter, who was not involved in the research, said the discovery was a major step forward in understanding Bronze Age people.
“We have only a sketchy understanding of the Bronze Age and the origins of urbanism.” [Hejez area of western Saudi Arabia]remarked Carter. “This study goes a long way in providing primary data and advancing our theoretical understanding.”