These loyal companions, the dogs. They have an idea of how they got on our side. Now archaeologists have discovered interesting clues about its history in Saudi Arabia. These would be the oldest domesticated dogs.
Arab dogs
It started when researchers found the dog’s bones at a burial site. It is one of the first monumental tombs on the Arabian Peninsula. It is contemporary with similar tombs found further north in the Levant.
There is evidence that the tomb was first discovered around 4300 BC. Was used. This is a thousand years earlier than previously recorded. It has been found to be buried for at least 600 years during the Neolithic-Chalcolithic era. This shows that the residents may have shared a memory. Not just about people, but also about places and the connection between them.
“What we find will revolutionize the way we look at periods like the Neolithic in the Middle East. There was that kind of memory. People may have known where their relatives were buried for hundreds of years. That is unknown in this region at this time, “said Melissa Kennedy in a statement. She is the assistant director of aerial archeology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is the body that conducted the study. The results will be published in the Journal of Field Archeology .
Family cemetery
The project team consists of Saudi and international members. He concentrated his efforts on two above-ground cemeteries from the fifth and fourth millennia BC. C. They are 130 kilometers apart. So one is in the volcanic highlands and the other in the dry wasteland. The locations were on the ground. It is unique for this period in Arab history and they were placed for maximum visibility.
In the volcanic countries where 26 bone fragments from a single dog were found. It was along with bones from 11 people. Six were adults, one was a teenager, and four were children.
The dog’s bones showed signs of arthritis. The animal lived with humans until middle or old age.
The rock painting in the region provides further clues. The Neolithic residents used dogs to hunt ibex and other animals. They would be the oldest domesticated dogs.
Field research uncovered other notable artifacts. For example, a mother-of-pearl pendant in the shape of a leaf. A carnelian pearl was also found in the arid wasteland.
