Since the 1970s, monumental stone structures now known as mustatils (previously known as ‘gates’) have been documented across Saudi Arabia. However, it was not until 2017 that the first intensive and systematic study of these enigmatic monuments was undertaken, although that study could not determine their precise function. Recent excavations in the town of Al Ula have now determined that these structures fulfilled a ritual purpose, with specifically selected elements of both wild and domestic species deposited around a betyl (‘house of the god’).
Built around 7,000 years ago, mustatils are rectangular, low-walled, stone structures that range from 20 to 600 m in length. Mustatil is the Arabic for rectangle, plural has been anglicized to mustatils.
Since the 1970s, more than 1,600 mustatils have been documented across Saudi Arabia.
However, it was not until 2017 that the first intensive and systematic study of this structure type was undertaken by University of Western Australia’s Professor David Kennedy.
That study was based on remote sensing data and was focused primarily upon the Harrat Khaybar and areas to the east.
Due to the nature of the data-set, Professor Kennedy was unable to hypothesize a precise function for these enigmatic structures. However, subsequent studies based on ground survey and preliminary excavation data revealed that the mustatil served a ritual purpose during the Arabian Late Neolithic.
In 2018, under the auspices of the Royal Commission for Al Ula, the first mustatil was excavated by Wael Abu-Azizeh with Oxford Archaeology, with these excavations revealing offering chambers with in situ ritual faunal deposits.
Over the course of the 2019 and 2020 excavation seasons, Professor Kennedy and colleagues excavated another mustatil — which is 140 m long and is constructed from local sandstone — 55 km east of the modern city of Al Ula.
The researchers’ analysis included identification of 260 fragments of animal skulls and…
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