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11.13.2017

Aerial imagery reveals ancient stone structures in Saudi Arabia

Over the past couple of days, images that have made the rounds on the internet reveal an archaeological wealth of ruins

The Aerial Photographic Archive for Archaeology in the Middle East (APAAME) has allowed for these curious snapshots to be produced and shared. The Jordanian initiative has crawled through the Middle East region and revealed structures so large that they are solely visible from a bird’s-eye view, figures which could remind the viewer of the Nazca Lines discovered in southern Peru.

The millennia-old arrangements pepper desert plains by the thousand, spanning from Syria all the way to Saudi Arabia. In their forms, we see triangular, circular and rhombic designs ranging between 25 and 70 meters in length.

The APAAME’s operation is the first aerial reconnaissance conducted for archaeological purposes and was possible thanks to the support provided by the Royal Commission of the Province of Al-Ula, one of the regions spearheading the opening of Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector, in line with the country’s national strategy, Vision 2030.

What remains to be discovered in this region? These secret structures have far more tales to tell if these visuals are any indication of the potential of the Middle East’s archeological cartographic research efforts.

Source: APAAME et Live Science

Published on 13 November 2017

#archeology