Extensive Desert Lava Tubes Sheltered Humans for 7000 Years

April 27, 2024 10:50 PM

Extensive Desert Lava Tubes Sheltered Humans for 7000 Years, Archaeologists Find. Formed after volcanic activity, the underground caves periodically hosted early humans and their livestock in Saudi Arabia, facilitating cultural exchange.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries (10 comments total)

Amazing
posted by The River Ivel at 1:07 AM on April 28

What a find! Well worth going through to the PLOS paper - looking forward to reading that when I've a bit of time. There's a lot of achaeological work going on throughout the MENA region.
posted by unearthed at 2:09 AM on April 28

I like the detail that the tubes also sheltered striped hyenas who, on the basis of bones left behind, maybe liked to snack on a human or two. 7000 years is also an incredibly long time to live in one place.
posted by rongorongo at 2:55 AM on April 28

the underground caves periodically hosted early humans and their livestock in Saudi Arabia, facilitating cultural exchange.

What kind of cultural exchange did early humans have with their livestock? Did they teach us to play the guitar or something?
posted by panama joe at 3:48 AM on April 28 [4 favorites]

If need be, the article can be read at 12ft.io.

http://www.saudicaves.com/jirsan/

Much more about the lava tubes. 40 meters wide at one place! Wolves! Helpful dog who refuses to go into excess danger! Workshop for stone tools!
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 6:21 AM on April 28 [3 favorites]

What kind of cultural exchange did early humans have with their livestock? Did they teach us to play the guitar or something?

Where do you think horn sections came from?
posted by GenjiandProust at 9:37 AM on April 28 [11 favorites]

wow this is really amazing and I did not know that that region had so much volcanism, and so recently. if this one excavation is indicative, there is a serious wealth of knowledge to be gained in those caves!
posted by supermedusa at 10:47 AM on April 28

That was nice of them.
posted by BWA at 11:36 AM on April 28

It's very cool that, for all our knowledge, there are parts of our world we've barely touched. I do wonder what sort of damage we will cause when we find there is some commercial/military use for the caves, but maybe I'm just paranoid.
posted by dg at 4:16 PM on April 28

Reckon most of the useful capitalist mines are pretty well scouted out and they absolutely destroy any archeological evidence they ever find in those, since reporting it might mean stopping the work and destruction. I also get that terrible feeling when any new area is explored or thing discovered. This world's economy just affords no room for nice things for long before the pressures compel people to destruction and short-sighted gains funnelled to very few.
posted by GoblinHoney at 10:58 AM on April 29 [1 favorite]