Lakhasly

The Arabian Saudi Peninsula holds mysterious sites with stone-built structures known as cairns, megalithic, or mustatils. The site of Rajajil, located in the Jauf region, features unique stone pillars dating back to the late sixth and early fifth millennium BC, potentially even older. The Saudi American Archaeological Mission conducted excavations in the 1970s, revealing a semi-sedentary village with a ceremonial complex. Recent investigations by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities suggest the pillars were erected on the original sand layer without old foundations underneath. Various studies have proposed different functions for the site, with no clear consensus. Further research aims to connect different hypotheses and piece together the enigmatic history of the Rajajil civilization.
Modern agricultural and building activities damaged an archaeological site, now known as Rajajil. Its standing stone pillars are incorrectly compared to Stonehenge of England.
Rajajil site in Saudi Arabia is situated 10 km southwest of Sakaka, on a sandstone terrace 600 m above sea level. It consists of fifty-four groups of local sandstone pillars arranged in a circular formation, with some pillars still intact. However, due to modern development, the area has faced partial destruction, threatening its archaeological significance.
The erection of megalithic structures in Rajajil required high physical ability from ancient inhabitants with specific viewpoints on the world. Six hypotheses discuss their significance, suggesting religious importance due to circular dimensions, Thamudic signs, and absence of sacrificial remains. Some believe the site served as a communal meeting place for diverse groups. Discoveries of Arabic inscriptions nearby hint at later influences. The site's mystery remains, attracting researchers and curiosity.
The Rajajil site's stone pillars were aligned with the rising sun and Arctic star Capricorn, showing astronomical knowledge during the Neolithic Age. Thamudic signs, like an arrow pointing at the sky, suggest celestial understanding. Though some pillars are damaged, claims of a specific axis alignment aren't proven. There's no evidence of celestial object markings on pillars, and scholars haven't explained how ancient inhabitants acquired astronomy knowledge. Almushawh's study on the site aims to enhance this hypothesis further.
The Rajajil site in the Arabian Peninsula features stone pillars used for burial symbolism, arranged along an eastwards-west axis. These pillars, along with cairns, represent ruined multi-chambered burial rooms with a ceremonial purpose. Comparison with similar sites like al-Midaman and Bani-Murra shows ritual structures surrounding burial sites. The absence of human and animal remains at Rajajil may be due to incineration practices or looting. The stone pillars served as memorials for ancestors, fostering tribal identity and social transactions. The presence of these funerary structures raises questions about the living quarters of the inhabitants. Despite lacking specific engravings identifying ancestors, these sites remain significant for ancestral commemoration and tribal gatherings.
The elite of the Pastoral tribes constructed such stone pillars to symbolize their unification according to the tribal confederation ideology and identity.
This latter opinion has no evidence of tribal identities or celebrations performed on the Rajajil site.
One cannot ignore the Bronze Age necropolis of Tamriyat, northward-east of Sakaka, or the Tabuk Region, where turret tombs punctuate the valley slopes to define the ancient routes.
Many megalithic structures flank communicating routes known as «funerary avenues» between the oases and the hinterland9, This hypothesis is not accepted because the caravans did not need this considerable number of stone pillars in the same place.