Ngokutsho ScienceAlert ingxelo, ngo-2019, iqela lamazwe ngamazwe lezenzululwazi elikhokelwa ngu-archaeologist uMelissa Kennedy weYunivesithi yaseNtshona Australia yemba ilitye lesanti le-140 elide le-Mustatil kufuphi ne-Al-'Ula, enyakatho-ntshona ye-Saudi Arabia, ebizwa ngokuba yi-IDIHA-F-0011081. Izibiyeli ezingaqondakaliyo, ezixande zazisetyenziswa ngabantu baseNeolithic kwizithethe ezingaziwayo. Ukwembiwa kuye kwatyhila amakhulu amaqhekeza eentsalela zezilwanyana, ezidityaniswe kwicwecwe elime nkqo lelitye elitolikwa njengelingcwele. Oku kubonisa ukuba ilitye lelitye lilitye elingcwele elimele uthixo okanye oothixo babantu ababehlala kuloo mmandla kwiminyaka engamawaka eyadlulayo.
I-Mustatils yinto ekhethekileyo yokufumanisa kwintsimi ye-archeology. Ezi zakhiwo zifumaneka kuphela kumntla-ntshona weSaudi Arabia kwaye zaqala ukufunyanwa ngoo-1970 ngokufota emoyeni. Ezi zakhiwo zikhangeleka zingaqhelekanga zenziwe ngamatye kwaye zinemilo yoxande, kunye nobude obuninzi kunobubanzi bayo. Iindonga zesakhiwo zakhiwe ngamatye abekwe phezu kwelinye, ngaphandle kokusebenzisa udaka okanye isamente, ngendlela eyaziwa ngokuba ngamatye omileyo. IiMustatils zinokwahluka ngobukhulu, ezinye zincinci, kwaye ezinye zifikelela kumashumi eemitha ubude.
Kukholelwa ukuba zizakhiwo zakudala ezazakhiwe ngexesha le-Neolithic, elisusela emva kwiminyaka eyi-8,000 eyadlulayo. IiMustatils zisagutyungelwe yimfihlelo, kwaye injongo yazo ayicacanga ngokupheleleyo. Ezinye iingcali zikholelwa ukuba zisenokuba zisetyenziselwa iinjongo zonqulo okanye zemibhiyozo, ngelixa ezinye zicebisa ukuba zisetyenziselwa ukujonga ngeenkwenkwezi okanye njengendawo yokugcinwa kwemfuyo.
Enye ithiyori icebisa ukuba iiMustatils zazisetyenziselwa ukuzingela. Iindonga zamatye zisenokuba zazibangela imiqobo eyayisa izilwanyana kwindawo emxinwa apho zazinokuzingela ngokulula. Le thiyori ixhaswa bubukho bemigibe yezilwanyana zakudala kufutshane ne-Mustatils.
Ezinye iingcali zicebisa ukuba iiMustatils zazisetyenziswa njengamangcwaba okanye amagumbi okungcwaba. Ukufana kwezakhiwo kunye nobukho beentsalela zabantu ezifunyenwe kufutshane neeMustatils ziyayixhasa le nkcazo-bungcali. Nangona kunjalo, ayizizo zonke iiMustatils eziqulethe iintsalela zomntu, ezenza amathandabuzo kule ngcamango. Enoba yayiyintoni na injongo yazo yantlandlolo, ezi zakhiwo zizinto eziye zafunyanwa zisenza siqonde ubomi bamandulo kuloo mmandla.
Kwiminyaka embalwa edlulileyo, abavubukuli abafunda i-Mustatils baye bafumanisa ukuba bakhiwe ngexesha lokunyuka kwemvula kwindawo, enokuthi ivumele abantu abaninzi kunye noluntu oluyinkimbinkimbi. Ezi zakhiwo ngokwazo zilungelelaniswe neempawu zenzululwazi ngeenkwenkwezi, njengokuphuma nokutshona kwelanga nenyanga, nto leyo ebonisa ukuba zazisetyenziselwa uhlolisiso lwenzululwazi ngeenkwenkwezi okanye kwizithethe.
Enye yezona zinto zibangela umdla kuMntla-ntshona weSaudi Arabia bubukho bobugcisa bamatye kufutshane neMustatils. Ubugcisa bamatye bubonisa izilwanyana, abantu, kunye neemilo zejometri, kwaye kucingelwa ukuba zibuyele kwixesha elifanayo njenge-Mustatils. Ubukho bobugcisa bamatye obukufutshane nezakhiwo bucebisa ukuba babeyinxalenye yenkcubeko enkulu, kunye nokubandakanyeka kwimpucuko yamandulo yamaNabatean, eyayilawula ummandla omkhulu ngexesha lenkulungwane yokuqala ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo.
Ukuqukumbela, ukufunyanwa kweMustatils kumntla-ntshona weSaudi Arabia bubungqina bokubaluleka kophando lwezinto zakudala ekuvuleni iimfihlo zexesha elidlulileyo. Kungemigudu ezinikeleyo yoosonzululwazi, abaphandi, kunye noluntu lwasekuhlaleni apho sinokuba nethemba lokufumana ukuqonda okunzulu malunga nelifa lenkcubeko ekwabelwana ngayo kunye nembali etyebileyo yesijikelezi-langa sethu.
Njengoko izinto ezintsha ezifunyaniswa ngolu hlobo ziqhubeka zisenziwa, kucacile ukuba kuninzi ekufuneka kufundwe malunga neeMustatils kunye nabantu abazakhayo. Lixesha elivuyisayo le-archeology kunye nelo elithembisa ukuvelisa ulwazi oluninzi olunomdla kwixesha lethu elidlulileyo.
Uphando luxhaswe ngemali yiKomishoni yaseRoyal ye-AlUla kwaye ipapashwe kwi I-PLOS ONE.
