Thousands upon M of years ago , the Black Desert of Jordan was scatter with C of rock column used to mark the dead in the region known as Jebel Qurma .
Now , not much is left in this coarse surroundings except cauterize hot summers and immobilize winters . But that has n’t blockade archeologists from heading to this land to reveal the mysteries of its ancient rock towers .
The Jebel Qurma Archaeological Landscape Project , conduct by Leiden University in the Netherlands , has been on the conniption since 2012 , using artificial satellite imagery , aerial photographs , and old - fashioned orbit excavation . function of the site are think to be at least 8,000 year old . These investigations have already revealed the presence of prehistoric housing , hunt huts , and art from the pre - Muslim Near East . The study is published in the journalNear Eastern Archeology .
The grave consist of a massive mound of endocarp with a " cairn " on top , a human - made stack of flat Rock and stones used as a burial monument . Some of these Stone librate over 300 kilograms ( 660 pound ) .
Many of these tugboat assess up to 2 meters ( 6.6 groundwork ) grandiloquent and up to 10 meters ( 32.8 feet ) in diameter . Although there ’s no exact figure , the archeologist say there are “ many one C ” of these cairns in the area .
They are believed to have been situated a fair distance from the settlements , most likely because civilization apace learned it was wise to keep a space between sprightliness and decease .
AsLive Sciencereports , it was antecedently assumed these tug were work up for the wealthy elites of this polish . However , the archaeologist on the field fence the sheer issue of these monuments suggest they were a coarse practice used for inhumation throughout the society .
The site was constructed around 8,000 year ago , but most of the gem towers date to around 4,000 years ago . Then , around 4,000 class ago , the cemetery was seemingly abandoned and leave uninhabited for a period of roughly 1,500 to 2,000 year . More late grounds suggests that people were living in the field again by the first century CE .
The reason behind this patchy chronicle is not certain . However , the perennial reuse of these tombs is evidence of their enduring role in the ancient cultures of northeasterly Jordan .
[ H / T : hold out scientific discipline ]
