MUSTATIL – FAIRGROUND
OF THE STONE AGE?

Among the most enigmatic prehistoric finds in Saudi Arabia are the elongated rectangles that have been given the name Mustatil (Arabic = rectangle). Until now, they were known by the English name "gates" because their shape reminded us of field gates for herds of animals. Nobody knows who built these elongated structures and what they were used for. That the mustatiles could have been ritual sites where groups of people met for social activities, such as sacrificial rituals or festivals, is so far no more than pure speculation. What is certain is that one of these strange rectangles has been dated to an age of 7000 years on the basis of charcoal remains.

This mustatil at Al Moyhiyah is more than 300 m long.
This mustatil at Al Moyhiyah is more than 300 m long.
   

(Geografical coordinates below the pictures.)
25.99928, 39.41102
25.99928, 39.41102
25.99401, 39.40805
25.99401, 39.40805
25.92879, 39.37422
25.92879, 39.37422
25.89602, 39.34181
25.89602, 39.34181
25.89197, 39.34842
25.89197, 39.34842
25.89812, 39.41405
25.89812, 39.41405
25.89532, 39.40954
25.89532, 39.40954
25.8894, 39.4067
25.8894, 39.4067
25.89026, 39.41953
25.89026, 39.41953
25.8876, 39.41614
25.8876, 39.41614
25.88674, 39.38821
25.88674, 39.38821
25.88513, 39.39608
25.88513, 39.39608
25.88167, 39.39027
25.88167, 39.39027
25.88005, 39.39635
25.88005, 39.39635
25.8677, 39.38444
25.8677, 39.38444
25.83057, 39.08676
25.83057, 39.08676
25.98431, 40.5123
25.98431, 40.5123
25.95128, 40.55852
25.95128, 40.55852
25.67793, 39.96411
25.67793, 39.96411
25.63058, 39.473
25.63058, 39.473
25.63157, 39.46399
25.63157, 39.46399
25.62207, 39.36483
25.62207, 39.36483
25.57132, 39.40828
25.57132, 39.40828
25.52438, 39.43283
25.52438, 39.43283
25.5199, 39.43132
25.5199, 39.43132
25.51795, 39.4221
25.51795, 39.4221
25.56865, 39.40362
25.56865, 39.40362
25.2647, 39.42957
25.2647, 39.42957
25.31352, 39.43366
25.31352, 39.43366
25.94913, 40.49083
25.94913, 40.49083
26.18563, 39.84395
26.18563, 39.84395
25.27939, 39.43094
25.27939, 39.43094
25.62121, 39.40538
25.62121, 39.40538
25.12641, 39.57279
25.12641, 39.57279
25.23679, 39.42085
25.23679, 39.42085
25.36339, 39.54164
25.36339, 39.54164
25.24557, 39.46341
25.24557, 39.46341
25.2487812, 39.3530801
25.2487812, 39.3530801
25.6348, 39.44334
25.6348, 39.44334
25.60232, 38.82333
25.60232, 38.82333
26.12203, 39.8846
26.12203, 39.8846
26.69686, 41.57414
26.69686, 41.57414
26.68491, 41.64495
26.68491, 41.64495
26.93834, 41.58805
26.93834, 41.58805
26.69533, 42.49803
26.69533, 42.49803
27.57368, 41.19137
27.57368, 41.19137
27.43333, 40.74061
27.43333, 40.74061
27.41841, 40.49203
27.41841, 40.49203
27.49271, 40.61931
27.49271, 40.61931
27.59171, 40.31506
27.59171, 40.31506
27.12901, 40.04715
27.12901, 40.04715
27.39589, 39.94844
27.39589, 39.94844
26.90041, 39.69754
26.90041, 39.69754
26.75549, 39.5141
26.75549, 39.5141
26.78388, 40.23999
26.78388, 40.23999
23.8569, 40.36656
23.8569, 40.36656
25.72486, 40.22425
25.72486, 40.22425
25.63721, 39.46931
25.63721, 39.46931
25.99805, 39.39124
25.99805, 39.39124
27.02101, 42.41929
27.02101, 42.41929
23.91965, 41.23236
23.91965, 41.23236
26.80423, 40.23745
26.80423, 40.23745
26.29181, 39.69898
26.29181, 39.69898
26.15045, 39.95805
26.15045, 39.95805
23.0531595,41.0833403
23.0531595,41.0833403
26.86666,40.93669
26.86666,40.93669
27.0826608,41.5629649
27.0826608,41.5629649
 
Images courtesy of Google Earth™

These pictures are only a small selection. All the objects I found are included in the following download (Google Earth required): Download more than 600 placemarks >



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