Fragments of pottery vessels, flint tools, and bone remains were discovered in Jordan by archaeologists from the Jagiellonian University under megaliths dating back to about 5,000 years. Perhaps they were not only burial places for community members but also designated a ritual space, researchers believe.
The aim of the work was the so-called dolmens field located near the village of Shawbak. Dolmens are tomb structures consisting of boulders placed vertically in the ground and a large block of rock that was placed on them. These types of structures are also referred to as megalithic. People built them in different parts of the world between the Neolithic and Bronze Ages.
The creators of the structures from about 5,000 years ago, located on a rocky hill, were probably the migrating people moving around the Arabian Peninsula. Perhaps they came back to them from time to time.
“In one of the dolmens, we found a burial and a few items probably put together with the deceased. We hope that the laboratory tests will allow us to precisely determine when the deceased was buried, and the genetic tests planned by us will bring us closer to answering many questions about gender and health condition, or the origin of the person buried here. Perhaps thanks to this we will solve the puzzle of Jordanian megaliths,” says Dr. Piotr Kołodziejczyk, who leads the research, quoted in the university’s press release.