Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #AlUla
Most recents (3)
The @aaksa_project regularly discusses the mustatil and burials located in #AlUla & #Khaybar. But where did the people who built these structures live? Our project has also been focusing on domestic structures from this time period as part of our work for @RCU_SA. Thread! 1/13 
When you fly over the region, or look at satellite imagery, the tombs and mustatil are clear. This is because they are massive and regularly sit on slopes or the tops of mountains. But the domestic structures are visible too... you just need to know what you are looking for. 2/13
Our colloquial term for these structures are 'camps', which we will use from here on out. Camps are located across the region and can vary in shape, size and complexity. They can be simple circular enclosures, or large groups of 'cells', a bit like honeycomb. 3/13
There are many different types of stone structures in #KSA and it is easy to be confused by all the different shapes and what they were used for. In this thread, we will present the main types of structures our project has documented, the names we use, and some basic information.
Mustatil- these large structures are generally rectangular(ish) in shape and consist of two thick platforms at either end connected by 2-5 long walls. These are ritual structures dating to the #Neolithic i.e 7000 years ago. #MustatilMonday.
Kite- A kite is a large animal hunting trap. They are found in a range of different shapes and sizes, from simple V-shape constructions to much more elaborate structures, like those found around #Khaybar. These date from the #Neolithic onwards.
'The mustatils: cult and monumentality in Neolithic north-western Arabia' is out today. This work is part of the University of Western Australia's @UWAresearch work in #AlUla and #Khaybar as part of @RCU_SA archaeological program. Download here: dx.doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2… Thread 1/
2/ We have recorded over 1000 of these structures, covering an area of 200,000km². This is remarkable when we consider these Neolithic structures are 7000 years old! So, what is a mustatil?
3/ Mustatil are complex monumental structures consisting of two thick ends (base and head) connected by 2 or more long walls to create a series of courtyards, that look like big rectangles (mustatil, in Arabic) from the air. Mustatils range in length from 20m to over 600m.
