Amasiko Angaqondakali Avezwa Izakhiwo Zasendulo Zasogwadule Lwase-Arabia

Ngokombiko othile Umbiko weSayensiAlert, ngo-2019, ithimba lamazwe ngamazwe lososayensi eliholwa umvubukuli uMelissa Kennedy waseNyuvesi YaseNtshonalanga Australia lamba i-sandstone engamamitha angu-140 ubude eduze kwase-Al-'Ula, enyakatho-ntshonalanga yeSaudi Arabia, ebizwa ngokuthi IDIHA-F-0011081. Izivalo ezingaqondakali, eziwunxande zazisetshenziswa abantu baseNeolithic ukwenza amasiko angaziwa. Imivubukulo yembule amakhulu ezingcezu zezinsalela zezilwane, ezihlangene eduze kwetshe eliqondile elihunyushwa ngokuthi lingcwele. Lokhu kusikisela ukuthi itshe letshe liyitshe elingcwele elimelela unkulunkulu noma onkulunkulu babantu ababehlala esifundeni eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane edlule.

Imikhuba engaqondakali evezwe izakhiwo zasendulo zasogwadule lwase-Arabia 1 — Amaseli amatshe axhumene atholwe ngaphandle kwesisekelo se-mustatil IDIHA-F-0011081. © Kennedy et al., I-PLOS ONE, 2023

I-Mustatils iwukutholwa okuyingqayizivele emkhakheni wemivubukulo. Lezi zakhiwo zitholakala enyakatho-ntshonalanga ye-Saudi Arabia kuphela futhi zaqala ukutholwa ngeminyaka yawo-1970 ngokuthwebula izithombe zasemoyeni. Lezi zakhiwo ezibukeka zixakile zenziwe ngamatshe futhi zinonxande ngobude, zinobude ngokuvamile obukhulu kunobubanzi bawo. Izindonga zesakhiwo zakhiwe ngamatshe abekwe phezu kwelinye, ngaphandle kokusebenzisa udaka noma usimende, ngendlela eyaziwa ngokuthi i-dry-stone masonry. AmaMustatils angahluka ngosayizi, amanye abe mancane uma kuqhathaniswa, kanti amanye angafika amashumi amamitha ubude.

Imikhuba engaqondakali evezwe izakhiwo zasendulo zasogwadule lwase-Arabia 2 — Izici eziyinhloko zezakhiwo ze-mustatil ezitholwe eSaudi Arabia. Akhiwe amapulatifomu amabili amafushane, awugqinsi, axhunywe izindonga eziphansi ezinobude obukhulu kakhulu, obungamamitha angu-600 (amafidi angu-2,000), kodwa angalokothi abe ngaphezu kwengxenye yemitha (1.64 amafidi) ukuphakama. © Kennedy et al., I-PLOS EYODWA, 2023

Kukholakala ukuthi yizakhiwo zakudala ezakhiwa ngesikhathi se-Neolithic, ehlehlela emuva cishe eminyakeni eyizi-8,000 edlule. AmaMustatils asagubuzelwe yimfihlakalo, futhi inhloso yawo ayikacaci ngokuphelele. Abanye ochwepheshe bakholelwa ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthi zisetshenziselwa izinjongo zenkolo noma zemikhosi, kanti abanye basikisela ukuthi zingase zisetshenziselwe ukuhlola izinkanyezi noma njengendawo yokuvalelwa kwemfuyo.

Imikhuba engaqondakali evezwe izakhiwo zasendulo zasogwadule lwase-Arabia 3 — Indawo kanye nokwakheka kwe-mustatil embiwe. © Kennedy et al., I-PLOS ONE, 2023

Enye inkolelo-mbono iphakamisa ukuthi ama-Mustatils asetshenziselwa ukuzingela. Kungenzeka ukuthi izindonga zamatshe zazakhela imigoqo eyayifaka izilwane endaweni ewumngcingo lapho zazingazingelwa khona kalula. Lo mbono usekelwa ukuba khona kwezicupho zezilwane zasendulo eduze kwamanye ama-Mustatils.

Imikhuba engaqondakali evezwe izakhiwo zasendulo zasogwadule lwase-Arabia 4 — Lapho abavubukuli bathola enye inkomba enelukuluku ekhomba ukusetshenziswa kwetshe lesikhumbuzo emphakathini wasendulo: igumbi lamatshe elincane, elingunxande, lapho abacwaningi bathola khona izinsalela zomuntu, eduze kwekhanda le-mustatil, lapho kwakulele khona igumbi le-betyl. Lona umgodi; ikamelo elincane, elidala lokungcwaba, elakhiwe ngezingcwecwe zetshe lesanti elingasetshenzwa. Yazidilikela yona ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, kodwa yayisaqukethe izinsalela zabantu eziphukile futhi ezichazwe ngokwengxenye. © Kennedy et al., I-PLOS ONE, 2023

Abanye ochwepheshe baphakamisa ukuthi ama-Mustatils asetshenziswa njengamathuna noma amagumbi okungcwaba. Ukufana kwezakhiwo kanye nokuba khona kwezinsalela zomuntu ezitholakala eduze kwamanye ama-Mustatils kusekela le mbono. Kodwa-ke, akuwona wonke ama-Mustatils aqukethe izinsalela zabantu, okwenza ukungabaza kulo mbono. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yayiyini injongo yazo yasekuqaleni, lezi zakhiwo ziwukutholwa okuthakazelisayo okunikeza ukuqonda ngokuphila ezikhathini zasendulo endaweni.

Emashumini ambalwa eminyaka adlule, abavubukuli abafunda i-Mustatils bathole ukuthi bakhiwa ngesikhathi sokuna kwemvula endaweni, okungenzeka ukuthi yavumela abantu abaningi kanye nemiphakathi eyinkimbinkimbi. Izakhiwo ngokwazo zihambisana nezici zezinkanyezi, njengokuphuma nokushona kwelanga nenyanga, okusikisela ukuthi zazisetshenziselwa ukuhlola noma imicikilisho yesayensi yezinkanyezi.

Okunye okuthakazelisa kakhulu okutholwe eNyakatho-ntshonalanga yeSaudi Arabia ubukhona bobuciko bedwala eduze kwaseMustatils. I-rock art ikhombisa izilwane, abantu, kanye nokwakheka kwejometri, futhi kucatshangwa ukuthi ihlehlela emuva esikhathini esifanayo nama-Mustatils. Ukuba khona kobuciko bedwala obuseduze kakhulu nezakhiwo kusikisela ukuthi babeyingxenye yenkimbinkimbi yamasiko enkulu, kanye nokubandakanyeka kwempucuko yasendulo yamaNabatean, eyayilawula ingxenye enkulu yesifunda phakathi nekhulu lokuqala BCE.

Sengiphetha, ukutholakala kwe-Mustatils enyakatho-ntshonalanga yeSaudi Arabia kuwubufakazi bokubaluleka kocwaningo lwemivubukulo ekuvuleni izimfihlo zesikhathi esidlule. Kungenxa yemizamo yokuzinikela yososayensi, abacwaningi, nemiphakathi yasendaweni kuphela lapho esingathemba khona ukuthola ukuqonda okujulile ngamagugu amasiko esabelana ngawo kanye nomlando ocebile weplanethi yethu.

Njengoba kusaqhubeka ukutholwa okusha okufana nalokhu, kuyacaca ukuthi kuningi okusamele kufundwe ngamaMustatils kanye nabantu abawakha. Isikhathi esijabulisayo sesayensi yemivubukulo futhi esethembisa ukuveza imininingwane eminingi ethokozisayo esikhathini esidlule.

Ucwaningo luxhaswe yiRoyal Commission ye-AlUla futhi lushicilelwe ku I-PLOS ONE.

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