Scientists solve the mystery of stone structures in the Arabian Desert: they served as animal traps
Small walls of stone known as mustatils were used by the Arabs as traps for wild animals. The first reported case of V-shaped structures was recorded by British air force pilots in the 1920s. For more than a century, experts have been pondering the purpose of these structures.
This was reported by HB.
One theory was that they were hunting traps. Recent satellite imagery and research conducted by drones in the Uwairid Desert in Saudi Arabia confirm this assumption. Some of the V-shaped structures ended in a pit, others in a sharp descent, and others in a fence.
The shape of the mustatil structure directly indicated its purpose: animals were driven or directed to a certain area surrounded by the walls of the structure, the researchers say.
All three versions suggest that desert structures were once used to kill herds of wild animals or trap them.
It is known that the deserts of Saudi Arabia more than 8000 years ago had a different nature: they were green and full of animals.
Additional excavations are needed to reveal all the details to establish what kind of animals were driven into these traps. However, the fact that similar hunting methods were used in other parts of the Arabian Peninsula shows the popularity and effectiveness of this survival strategy.
Some rock paintings of the time depict hunting with the help of mustatils. And some looked as if they were intended for breeding wild animals, the world's first attempt at domestication.
As a reminder, a relic from the time of Caligula was found in Lake Nemi in Italy.
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