Archaeologists begin to uncover Arabia's Bronze Age 'tomb boom'

Research reveals how burial structures became bigger and more elaborate from 3000 BCE

A pendant tomb, made up of a head containing the burial tomb and a 'tail'. Photo: Donald Boyer

While the pyramids of Egypt are probably the Middle East’s most spectacular tombs, the Arabian Peninsula has a wealth of monumental burial structures.

New research has highlighted how north-west Arabia alone is home to tens of thousands of such constructions – although mysteries remain regarding who built them and why tomb fashions changed over time.

A study based on the analysis of drone photographs has described how some of these structures were pendant-shaped with elaborate “tails” stretching off from the tomb.

Writing in Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, researchers in Australia and Saudi Arabia note that as far back as the sixth millennium BCE, monumental tombs were built across the Arabian peninsula.

However, these early constructions tended to be simple cairns or cist burials, which involve stone-lined rectangular chambers.

It was during the Bronze Age, lasting from about 3000 BCE to 1200 BCE, that most of the large and elaborate burial structures were built.

Remarkable resting places

During this time some people were buried in the striking pendant structures, with the tomb in the head and a tail that could be more than 100 metres long. Others were buried in tower tombs.

“A significant number of these pendant burials are located along ‘funerary avenues’, pathways that are flanked by thousands of tombs that connect many of the oases of the region,” the researchers wrote.

“However, in comparison to the funerary landscapes of greater south-western Asia, comparatively little work has been undertaken on the development and evolution of these structures across the Bronze Age of north-west Arabia.”

A dense ‘funerary avenue’ flanked by Bronze Age tombs, leading out of Al Wadi Oasis near Khaybar in north-west Saudi Arabia. Photo: Royal Commission for AlUla

Dr Hugh Thomas, a lecturer in archaeology at the University of Sydney and the first author of the new study, told The National that it remained uncertain “why these structures began to appear in the Bronze Age”.

“It does appear that a lot of change [was] happening across the Arabian Peninsula, and also more locally,” he said.

At around the time of the tombs' construction, he said, major archaeological sites such as Tayma, an oasis town in the south-western Nafud desert, and Qurayyah, another oasis town, were settled. It all suggested that at this time “something significant happened”, Dr Thomas said, but it is unclear what.

“Not a lot is known about the people who built these elaborate Bronze Age tombs,” he said. “They are found close to settled areas, such as the Khaybar Oasis, and also in the remote hinterland regions.

“So it appears that all of the local population, no matter where they lived, were part of this burial tradition. But who they were, what they called themselves: these are all things we don’t know yet. Hopefully future archaeological work will find this out.”

The “sheer number” of tombs indicated that the structures were not reserved for the elite of society.

“Tens of thousands of tombs are also located well away from these areas, in more remote areas,” he said. “These were likely built by people who moved across the landscape with their herds of animals.”

Comparison of tombs in remote areas to those near the oases, found differences, particularly in the artefacts found inside.

Simpler objects, such as beads and jewellery, are more common in hinterland tombs, while more elaborate goods, including pottery and weaponry, were inside tombs close to settled oases such as Tayma or Khaybar, Dr Thomas said.

Almost all of the tombs the archaeologists have studied had been disturbed or, often, reused during later periods. They have not identified a Bronze Age tomb that had not been disturbed.

Shedding light on ancient history

“They are massive structures, highly visible on the landscape,” he said. “It seems likely that many were reopened within years of being constructed.”

The research, sponsored by the Royal Commission for AlUla, which supports the preservation of the region in north-west Saudi Arabia, highlights another interesting feature: around the 19th century BCE, things changed and constructions became much smaller.

The researchers are trying to determine whether there was a major societal upheaval that caused communities to stop building monumental tombs.

Another possibility, Dr Thomas said, is that funerary practices changed and people lost their desire for grandiose resting places.

Then, around the 12th century BCE, there was another major transition, because tomb building in the area stopped.

“It is at this time that Bronze Age cultures across the Levant and the Mediterranean began to collapse,” Dr Thomas said.

“It may be that this is further evidence for massive societal change at this time. But our understanding of this region is still in its infancy compared to places like Greece or Jordan, so hopefully as new archaeological evidence begins to be published, we can be more sure about what led to the creation and cessation of these enigmatic funerary structures.”

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