Network of Walled Oases Identified in Arabian Desert - Archaeology Magazine

Several walled oases uncovered in Saudi Arabia shed light on ancient community investment

Evidence suggests the walled oasis phenomenon began around 3000 BC at Tayma and Qurayyah and spread to the Harrat Khaybar region by the end of the third millennium BC.

Network of Walled Oases Identified in Arabian Desert - Archaeology Magazine

DUMAT AL-JANDAL, SAUDI ARABIA—New research in northwest Saudi Arabia has identified the existence of a network of previously unknown fortified enclosures, La Brújula Verde reports. Known as Walled Oasis Complexes, these settlements consisted of large defensive walls encircling desert oases that helped shelter and protect crops, water sources, and herds of goats and sheep. Relying on satellite imagery and ground reconnaissance, the study located …