this is cool ! :

Saudi Arabia has found traces of a civilization that was domesticating horses about 9,000 years ago, 4,000 years earlier than previously thought, the kingdom said.

"This discovery shows that horses were domesticated in the Arabian Peninsula for the first time more than 9,000 years ago, whereas previous studies estimated the domestication of horses in Central Asia dating back 5,000 years", Ali al-Ghabban, vice-chairman of the Department of Museums and Antiquities, said at a news conference late Wednesday.

The remains of the civilization were found close to Abha, in southwestern Asir province, an area known to antiquity as Arabia Felix.

The civilization, given the name al-Maqari, used "methods of embalming that are totally different to known processes," Ghabban said.


Among the remains found at the site are statues of animals such as goats, dogs, hawks, and a three foot-tall bust of a horse, Ghabban said.

"A statue of an animal of this dimension, dating back to that time, has never been found anywhere in the world," Ghabban said.

He added that archaeologists also found arrowheads, stone tools, weaving tools and mortars for pounding grain, reflecting the development of that civilization.

The remains were found in a valley that was once a riverbed, at a time when the now-arid Arabian Peninsula was more humid and fertile, the official said.

An international team of archaeologists published an article in January that suggested human beings could have been present on the Arabian Peninsula about 125,000 years ago.

http://news.discovery.com/animals/horse-domestication-saudi-arabia-110825.html

http://www.aleqt.com/a/572968_175654.jpg

more info in Arabic
اكتشاف سعودي يؤكد للمرة الأولى أن البشر استأنسوا الخيل قبل الميلاد بـ 9000 عام
http://www.aleqt.com/2011/08/25/article_572968.html

Interesting discovery!

Archeological discovery in Saudi Arabia

http://www.spa.gov.sa/galupload/normal/82996_1314182800_6724.jpg
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques watches an antiquity found in the center
of the Kingdom representing equestrianism in old times (SPA) 23-9-1432H
24 August 2011

King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is briefed about a recent archeological discovery at Almaqar area in the Kingdom’s central part in Makkah, Tuesday. The archeological site indicates that people of the Arabian Peninsula bred horses 10,000 years ago. The King listened to a detailed explanation from Prince Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), and the Saudi scientific team that participated in the discovery. The site is believed to be the oldest in the world in terms of horse breeding. — SPA

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=20110824107920&archiveissuedate=24/08/2011

http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/c269457db846.jpg

http://cdn.physorg.com/newman/gfx/news/hires/2011/archaeologic.jpg

Asir discovery sheds light on 9,000-year-old civilization

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26 August 2011

A Saudi man looks at archeological artifacts displayed during a news conference in Jeddah Wednesday. Saudi Arabia has found traces of a civilization that was domesticating horses about 9,000 years ago, 4,000 years earlier than previously thought, the Kingdom said. — AFP

JEDDAH – Saudi Arabia has found traces of a civilization that was domesticating horses about 9,000 years ago, 4,000 years earlier than previously thought, said Ali Al-Ghabban, Vice-President of Antiquities and Museums at the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities at a press conference here late Wednesday.

The discovery of the civilization, named Al-Maqar after the site’s location, will challenge the theory that the domestication of animals took place 5,500 years ago in Central Asia, he said.

“This discovery will change our knowledge concerning the domestication of horses and the evolution of culture in the late Neolithic period,” Al-Ghabban said.

“The Maqar Civilization is a very advanced civilization of the Neolithic period. This site shows us clearly, the roots of the domestication of horses 9,000 years ago.”

The site also includes remains of mummified skeletons, arrowheads, scrapers, grain grinders, tools for spinning and weaving, and other tools that are evidence of a civilization that is skilled in handicrafts.

The remains of the civilization were found close to Abha, in southwestern Asir province, an area known to antiquity as Arabia Felix.

The Maqar Civilization used “methods of embalming that are totally different from known processes,” Al-Ghabban said.

Among the remains found at the site are statues of animals such as goats, dogs, hawks, and a meter-tall bust of a horse, he said.

“A statue of an animal of this dimension, dating back to that time, has never been found anywhere in the world,” he said.

The remains were found in a valley that was once a riverbed, at a time when the now-arid Arabian Peninsula was more humid and fertile, the official said.

An international team of archeologists published an article in January that suggested human beings could have been present on the Arabian Peninsula about 125,000 years ago.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=20110826108036

http://www.reuters.com/resources/r/?m=02&d=20110825&t=2&i=486088364&w=460&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=2011-08-25T093803Z_01_ALNE77O0QRG00_RTROPTP_0_UK-SAUDI-ARCHAEOLOGY
Saudi archaeological dig to challenge studies that claim domestication of animals took place 5,500 years ago in Central Asia

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/25/uk-saudi-archaeology-idUSLNE77O01R20110825

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Rare artifacts excavated in Kingdom’s Al-Maqar area

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article492876.ece/REPRESENTATIONS/large_620x350/sau_antiques2.jpg
Some of the artifacts that were shown to King Abdullah.

By P.K. ABDUL GHAFOUR | ARAB NEWS

Published: Aug 24, 2011 00:18 Updated: Aug 24, 2011 00:41

JEDDAH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah on Tuesday expressed his satisfaction over the discovery of rare antiques during recent excavations that revealed that people in the Arabian Peninsula were interested in horses 9,000 years ago.

Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, and members of the excavation team briefed the king on the importance of the artifacts that were found in Al-Maqar in the central region of Saudi Arabia.

"The antiquities proved that Al-Maqar was the oldest place in the world so far with people interested in horses," an official statement said, adding that the artifacts also showed the cultural activities of people in the region during the Stone Age.

King Abdullah praised the excavation team and wished them greater successes in their efforts. He also urged the SCTA to publish the results of the excavation that proved that the Arabian Peninsula had precedence in taking care of horses.

Later speaking to reporters, Prince Sultan commended the keenness shown by King Abdullah toward the preservation of the Kingdom's antiquities. He said the excavation of new antiquities reflected the historic and cultural importance of the land of Saudi Arabia.

Prince Sultan underscored the commission's efforts to excavate antiquities in various parts of the country and protect them in a scientific manner. He also disclosed plans to establish new museums in various parts of the kingdom.

"The results of the excavation show that taking care of horses has been an old tradition inherited by Muslims from their forefathers. There is no wonder that during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Caliphs special areas had been allocated for breeding and rearing horses," he pointed out.

Ali Al-Ghabban, deputy chairman of SCTA for antiquities and museums, said the organization began excavations in Al-Maqar after receiving information about the area from a Saudi last year, adding Saudi and international experts took part in the excavation.

He said DNA and C-14 tests proved that the artifacts found during the excavation were 9,000 years old. He said the team had found 80 valuable artifacts from the area. Previous excavations showed people in Central Asia took care of horses 5,000 years ago.

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article492860.ece

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article492877.ece/REPRESENTATIONS/large_620x350/sau_rare-antiques.jpg

Editorial: Knowing your past

26 August 2011

Recent excavations shed new light on the growth of culture in the Arabian Peninsula

The discovery that horses were first domesticated in the Arabian peninsular 9,000 years ago, and not as had been previously believed, in Central Asia only 5,500 years ago, is having a considerable impact in academic circles.

These findings arise from archaeological excavations carried out at Al-Maqar in the central region of the Kingdom, which revealed an advanced civilization that existed in the late Neolithic period.

It should be a matter of some pride that these discoveries are causing historians around the world to revise their view of early history and focus their attention on Arabia. We have always been known for our camels but now it is clear that it was in our lands that the horse was first enrolled in the service of mankind. What makes this even more fascinating is that it would seem that Al-Maqar saw the start of a breed of horse that would evolve into the strong and indomitable Arab stallion, which provided the all important basic brood stock for the emergence of the European thoroughbred.

Professor Ali Al-Ghabban, the vice president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, has rightly said that the results of the Al-Maqar excavations have not only challenged past understandings of the evolution of the horse but have also changed what was known about the growth of culture at the end of the Neolithic period.

Much scientific analysis work remains to be done on the findings of the archaeological dig. It also seems likely that, encouraged by the results so far, further detailed examination of this site will take place. Other local and international archaeologists will undoubtedly be prompted to mount further expeditions to other likely locations.

Though the Kingdom has long fostered a deep interest in its archaeological past, it is only in recent years that the outside world has come to appreciate the riches that have already been revealed and the potential for many more remarkable discoveries.

The major driver for this wider understanding has undoubtedly been the astonishing “Roads of Arabia” exhibition which began a world tour when it opened just over a year ago at the Louvre in Paris. The reaction of historians to hundreds of artifacts that had never before been seen outside of Saudi Arabia was that they were startling, in the light they threw on the high degree of civilization that existed in the Arabian peninsular from the earliest historic times.

One enthusiastic critic went so far as to say that in terms of Middle East archaeological exhibitions, “Roads of Arabia” was second only to the Tutankhamen exhibition.

As archaeologists reveal more of the fascinating ancient history of the Arabian Peninsular, it would be most satisfactory if young Saudis took pride in what is being discovered and decided to get involved themselves. Nearly all archaeological digs rely on the painstaking efforts of enthusiastic amateurs, working under the direction of a trained archaeologist, to carefully scrape away gently to unearth the hidden riches. A fortunate few volunteers could make a big contribution to our historic knowledge while learning more about their country, quite literally from the ground up.

http://arabnews.com/opinion/editorial/article494101.ece

Interesting discovery this will change our conception toward human history! must be shared :D

The Roots of Purebred Arabian Horses



• Al-Magar site is located in a very remote area of central Arabia between Tathleet and Wadi Al Dawaser at about 40km from the town of Gayirah in the province of Tathleet.



• Al-Magar site was first discovered by a Saudi national who collected some archaeological objects scattered on the surface. Another Saudi National reported the site to the Riyadh Governorate (Amara).




• Riyadh Governorate referred the matter to Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities which contacted the person who collected the archaeological objects. He immediately responded by returning all objects and guiding the concerned official to the site location. The Commission rewarded the two persons for their cooperation.




• The Commission commenced further exploration around the site in the month Rabi al-Awal 1431H corresponding to March 2010G.




• In the month Rabi Thani 1431H/March 2010G a scientific team including Saudis, Arabs and international researchers, archaeologists and specialists in prehistoric periods, visited the site. The team was comprised of the following:-
- Prof. Ali Ibn Ibrahim Al Ghaban Vice President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities.
- Dr. Mike Petraglia USA National – School of Archaeology – University of Oxford.
- Dr. Abdullah M. Al Sharekh, Saudi National, Associate Professor – Archaeology , prehistory – King Saud University
- Dr. Abdul Raziq A. Al Muamary, Yemeni National, Associate Professor – Archaeology, prehistory – Sanna University and King Saud University.
- Dr. Majeed H. Khan, Pakistani National – specialized in rock art in the Arabian Peninsulas – Consultant with Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities.
- Mr. Abdul Aziz M. Al Omari, Saudi National, researcher in prehistoric archaeology. Manager of Taif Antiquities Office.
- Mr. Ayed N. Al Hamad, Saudi National, researcher in archaeology. Manager of Beisha Province Antiquities Office.
- Eng. Mohammed M. Babily, Saudi National, non- regular photographer with Commission for Tourism and Antiquities.




• The information and photographs of the site along with the analysis were presented to a group of international experts and analyzers including the following:
- Prof. Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Ansari, professor of Arabian Peninsula History and Archaeology.
- Dr. Sandra Olsen Head of the Anthropology Dept. at Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
- Dr. Arek Kukunawa Manager - Magazine of Prehistory of Ancient Near East and Staff Member of Paris University.




• The site area is distinguished with its special topography located at a junction point between Najid heights and the edges of the eastern mountains. The area is composed of small hills with a number of valleys scattered among them.




• There is a major valley across the area which once was a river running westward forming waterfalls and taking water to the low fertile lands west of Al-Magar which was situated on both banks of the river




• Man lived in this area before the last desertification or before the drastic climatic changes ended with the hot dry conditions and development of deserts . The early settlements in this area was largely attributed to the climatic changes.




• Inhabitants of this site practiced agriculture and animal breeding.




• On the surface there is a large scatter of archaeological objects spread in a large area and include arrow heads , precisely-made stone scrapers similar to that used during the Neolithic period.




• The site is surrounded by other sites extending over a wide area where similar objects were found and typically some of them were connected with the agriculture activity.




• The main route linking south western Arabian Peninsula with its central area was passing near the site . This route became latter - during the past historic periods - the main trade route between Najran and al-Fao.




• The site represents a culture of humman groups that settled at the site long ago. We named this unique culture as AL-Magar Civilization in attribution to the name of the site.




• Several statues of possibly domisticated animals were found on the site which were possibly part of the daily life of the inhabitants.The animal included sheep, goats, hound dogs, ostrichs, falcons, fish and horses.




• The artifacts and objects found at the site showed that the Neolithic period was the last period when human being lived on the site (9000) years ago. All objects and stone tools found on the surface of the site dated back to the said history.


• In order to ascertain and assure the history of the site, four samples of organic burnt materials were taken from AlMagar site and sent to USA specialized Laboratory of C-14 dating. The results showed that the site dated back to 9000 years ago.


• Near the site there are other sites more ancient than AlMagar dating back to the medium Neolithic period.


• Presence of horse statues of big sizes, coupled with Neolithic artifacts and tools dating back to 9000 years ago in the site is considered an important archaeological discovery at the international arena particularly in view that the latest studies indicated that animal domestication was known for the first time 5.500 years ago in central Asia (Kazakhstan). This site demonstrated that horses were domesticated in Saudi Arabia before a long period of the afore-mentioned date.




• The length of a statute of a horse - comprised of neck and chest - found at the site is nearly 100CM which could be the largest sculpture for a horse during that period. Other statues found in Turkey and Syria were of small size, dated latter, and contained no horse statues.


• The features of the horse statue are similar to that of the original Arabian horses characterized with long neck and unique head shape.


• On the head of the above-mentioned statue there are clear signs of a bridle which in turn confirms that inhabitant of AlMagar domesticated horses at that early periods.




• All statues were made of the same local rocks available at the site and it seems that the statues had been fixed on a central building at the southern bank of the river before the mouth point of the river at the waterfall. This central building might had major role in the social life of the site inhabitants.


• Some of the caves near the castle were used as graves by the inhabitants. Remains of buried skeltons were found as well as othe graves covered by mud and hay. Burial methods applying some embalmment technique were traced in the coherent skeltons, a matter considered as an advanced technique for burial.


• In addition to the stone tools, arrowheads, scrapers and spearheads, other objects were also found at the site including stone grain- grinders and stone pestle for pounding grains in addition to gravitation stones used in weaving looms, stone reel for spinning and weaving, soapstone pot decorated by geometrical motifs and stone tools for leather processing which reflect advance knowledge and high skill in handcraft activities.




• In addition to the above-mentioned artifacts, a stone dagger was found at the site bearing the same features and shape of the Arabian genuine dagger used presently in the Arabian Peninsula. This artifact is an important cultural element as the dagger is one of the most important cultural and traditional element among the Arabs which according to this evidence date back to several thousand years and survived up to the present time. No doubt presence of stone dagger in this site before 9000 years would add much to the ancient history of the Arabian peninsula.


• A significant stone piece was found at the site bearing small cut lines on the edges. The parallel lines were set in groups perhaps for accounting, numbering or timing purposes. It seems that this piece has an important role, the fiture studies may reveal its significant usage.




• There are rock drawings at the area adjacent to Al-Magar site. The petroglyphs were created by deep pecking and engraving the darkly patinated rock surface. Ibexes, ostriches and other animals as well as human figures including a knight riding a horse are carefully depicted. Another drawing shows hunting ibexes followed by hound dogs where five dogs surrounding an ibex. The petroglyphs have turned by time to black which indicate that such thee were made during the term when the site was inhibited. Other rock drawing were found among the remains of the central building at Al-Magar site including drawings of horses and human beings.



• The artifacts collected from the surface of Al-Magar site exceed eighty objects, reflected clearly the existence of an advanced civilization during the Neolithic period nine thousand years ago. This civilization could be considered as a revolution in man knowledge and handicraft skills.




• This particular culture was not confined to this site but expected to has been spread in the Arabian Peninsula. This initial hypothetical study may reveal some outstanding components and characteristics by future studies and field works as well as by comparative studies with the findings on other sites inside and outside the Arabian Peninsula.


http://www.scta.gov.sa/Antiquities-Museums/ArcheologicalDiscovery/PublishingImages/Report/18.jpg

• Formation of a scientific team comprising a number of international researchers is underway in order to carry out further researches and studies on the site to reveal more secrets of this civilization


Prof. Ali Ibrahim Al Ghaban
Vice President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities.
Ex- prof. at the University of King Saud

Al-Magar site incarnated four significant Arabian cultural characteristic for which the Arabs are highly proud of. These aspects include horsemanship and horse breeding, hunting with falcons, hunting with hound dogs and using the Arabian dagger as part of the Arabian dress. These cultural inherited characteristics were found at Al-Magar in the central region of the Arabian Peninsula before nine thousand years . This impressive discovery reflects the importance of the site as a centre and could possibly the birthplace of an advanced prehistoric civilization that witnessed domestication of animals, particularly the horse , for the first time during the Neolithic period.


Dr. Abdul Raziq Ahmed Rashid Al-Mamari

Prof. University of King Saud
Ex- Prof. Sanna University

After visiting Al-Magar site it is evidenced that the site has significant importance that contains valuable data for writing the history of Arabian peninsula in general including the climate , environment and the animal world at that time.

Al-Magar is considered as a unique site where unprecedented archaeological artefacts were found which I have never seen at any other site during my twenty years of work at the Neolithic sites in the Arabian Peninsula. These artefacts include in particular the horse statues sculptured on stone which is considered as the first of its kind in the whole Region. Also one of the important advantages of the site, is the possibility of obtaining precise dates for its objects through C14 dating as one of the rare sites in the Arabian Peninsula that have absolute dates.


Dr. Michael Petraglia ( University of Oxford)

The Al-Magar site is obviously a significant and impressive archaeological site, important to the prehistory of Arabia, but also to global history as it can reveal information about the relationship between humans and climate change, how populations became sedentary, how they interacted with natural resources on their landscape, and how they set into motion the domestication of plants and animals (including horse).

The Al-Magar site itself is a very large prehistoric settlement that clearly has different activity areas, including potential house structures, burials, lithic workshop areas, etc.


Dr. Majeed Khan
Consultant Archaeologist

Al-Magar is the first largest Neolithic settlement site so far located in Saudi Arabia. It’s location near a waterfall and in open valley area suggests that it probably represented the earliest domestication of both animals and plants. Large number of various size of grinding stones clearly indicate crushing and grinding of grains.

The location of horse rider and strange unidentifiable figures on the middle Palaeolithic site with lots of Mousterian stone objects scattered all around the rock art site is the most fascinating discovery. We need to date horse rider and the figures on a broken rock at the middle Palaeolithic site.

In the light of present C14 dating that attributed al-Maqar site to 9,000-8,000 years before present and the location of horse head sculptured on a hard stone in addition to other horse heads carved on thin slab like stones, the site represents the first Neolithic settlement in the Arabian Peninsula and provided a solid undeniable evidence of the presence and domestication of horse in Arabia.

It is generally believed (by all European and American scholars) that the horse was initially brought to Arabia from Central Asia or somewhere else. Al-Maqar site denied this hypothetical suggestion and provide solid evidence not only on the presence but domestication of horse in Arabia before several thousand years.

http://www.scta.gov.sa/en/Antiquities-Museums/ArcheologicalDiscovery/Pages/GI-AlmagarSite.aspx

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interesting article on the subject ..


Closing in on the Archaeological Garden of Eden
WRITTEN BY: SF FANDOM HISTORIAN - AUG• 25•11


Scientists in Saudi Arabia disclosed this week the discovery of artifacts from a lost 9,000-year-old culture that has been dubbed the “Al-Maqar Civilization”. Al-Maqar is a region in central Saudi Arabia that, until now, had not attracted much scientific interest.

Evidence of modern human habitation of the Arabian peninsula dates back at least 100,000 years but recent analyses of Neolithic settlements along the coast of the Persian Gulf conclude that there was once a robust Neolithic culture which lived in the now-flooded lowlands around 9-11,000 years ago.

The Al Maqar culture would have been contemporary with the Persian Gulf culture and may even have enjoyed close ties with those communities. The Al-Maqar culture was sophisticated enough to have left behind “mummified skeletons, arrowheads, scrapers, grain grinders, tools for spinning and weaving, and other tools that are evidence of a civilization that is skilled in handicrafts.”

Another of the remarkable claims scientists have made about the Al Maqar culture is that they appear to have domesticated horses. If that is true, then horse domestication has been pushed back by at least a few thousand years. This discovery may support the conclusions of a recent study of the horse genome that suggests today’s domesticated horse breeds arose from an unknown common ancestral group that was domesticated many thousands of years ago.

Modern male domesticated horses all share almost the exact same genetic markers, meaning their ancestry was fixed thousands of years ago after a long process of domestication. If horses were being domesticated by Neolithic humans in Arabia 9,000 years ago then there must be a trail that leads to the Asian steppes where current archaeological theory holds that domesticated horses were first used to pull carts and provide milk for humans.

There are other traces of human migration from the Middle East. DNA studies on pigs show that the earliest domesticated pigs in Europe and the ancestors of east Asian domesticated pigs may have originated in central Asia or Asia Minor. Wild pig species were domesticated in both regions after the introduction of domesticated pigs; in Europe the native pigs replaced the Asian breed(s).

DNA studies also suggest that most European men are descended from Middle Eastern farmers who migrated into Europe starting around 10,000 years ago (specifically to the Aegean region at that time, spreading north and westward from that point over the next several thousand years). Recent research suggests that most British men are probably descended from the more ancient hunter-gatherer population of Europe that was displaced by the Middle Eastern farmers.

Other research supports the British isolation thesis insofar as it suggests that agriculture was adopted by hunter-gatherer groups in the British Isles and Scandinavia rather than brought in by invading farmers. That research suggests that Europe’s oldest fringe populations may be quite ancient, and indeed it is now believed that Neanderthals contributed to the modern human genome in Europe and Asia (but no traces of Neanderthal DNA have been detected in modern African populations).

The archaeological and biological trails mostly lead us back to the Middle East, which is believed to be the birthplace of modern agriculture. Two arguments have been put forth suggesting how agriculture may have arisen in the Levant (what is now Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and the West Bank). One theory says that graneries may have been developed before grains were domesticated to hold wild plants that were harvested. Another theory suggests that figs may have been the first domesticated crop.

These hypotheses have been challenged but it seems that we still don’t have the whole picture. We know there were well organized communities living in permanent structures by 10,000 years ago and most likely 11,000 years ago. These peoples would have required reliable food sources. Were there enough wild grains, nuts, and fruit trees living within walking distance of their villages to support them?

Only 2,000 years separates the founding of Jericho and the approximate dating of the Al Maqar culture. But culture don’t simply pop out of the Earth fully formed. They arise gradually through successive generations of experimentation and subtle change. Change may be forced upon human communities by environmental influences. Indeed, scientists have already documented the rise and fall of 2 cultures in the Green Sahara: the Kiffian, who lived 10-8,000 years ago and the Tenerian, who lived 6,5-4,500 years ago.

Permanent stone structures were already being constructed as far north of Al Maqar as Jericho in Palestine 11,000 years ago. It follows that the Al Maqar culture may have built similar structures. The fact that Jericho had a wall 11,000 years ago also implies there may have been armed conflict between communities (the researchers who analyzed the tower and wall suggest they may have been built for ritualistic purposes but fail to present compelling evidence to show that was the case).

We do not need to theorize that there was warfare among the far-flung Neolithic communities of 10-11,000 years ago but we do know that the Persian Gulf was a dry valley watered by rivers from about 14,000 years ago until about 9,000 years ago when the sea began to encroach upon the valley. It was completely submersed by 8,000 years ago (6,000 BCE) in what was probably an “outburst event”, a sudden flood.

Archaeologists and amateurs alike point to the flooding of the Persian Gulf as a possible source for Noachian legends (although a similar Black Sea transition from fresh water lake to salty sea in the same timeframe has also been proposed). If humans were living in the Persian Gulf valley until 8,000 years ago then an environmental disaster would have caused massive migrations and climactic changes.

Historical cultural migrations are usually accompanied by or causes of significant conflict between peoples. Let us suppose that the Persian Gulf Valley held a sophisticated culture that had mastered agriculture and animal husbandry. Let us suppose that this culture was destroyed by the inundation of the valley 8,000 years ago. Let us further suppose that survivors attempted to settle along the coasts of the newly formed gulf but found themselves competing for resources with neighbors deeper in the Arabian peninsula.

In 1993 Dr. Farouk El-Baz of Boston University suggested that satellite imagery of ancient rivers in Saudi Arabia indicated that the peninsula was well-watered from about 11,000 years ago until about 5,000 years ago. This period obviously coincides or overlaps with the Green Sahara and the dry Persian Gulf Valley.

We don’t know how radical the transition from green Arabia to dry Arabia might have been, but a displaced population moving into the peninsula from the flooded lowlands may have stressed the ecosystem. Is it feasible to suggest that these populations may have been driven north by the combination of competition for dwindling resources and changing climate? Furthermore, if they encountered indigenous, related cultures of similar capability, these migratory peoples would have faced three options:

Pass through the existing civilizations (if permitted)
Settle among and become absorbed into the existing civilizations
Attack the existing civilizations
Sumerian mythology does suggest that they may have come from the south. The problem with a northern migration for the Sumerians is that their civilization rose up along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now southern Iraq. The Persian Gulf lay on their border. They would have had to lived along the coast of the gulf. Of course, the Sumerians also preserved a story of a flood event and spoke of an ancient land they called Dilmun (not to be confused with a later Dilmun that is acknowledged in historical records).

A migration from the Persian Gulf region to the Aegean region around 6,000 years ago seems plausible. Whether tribes simply bumped each other north or an organized migration passed through existing communities cannot be discerned from the available evidence. We also have to consider the impact that the rising Black Sea would have had on communities in its vicinity. At the very least we can conclude that the search for new homes and the competition for resources would have provided reasons for conflict between peoples.

The migration of Middle Eastern farmers into Europe, who subsequently engaged in armed conflict with the hunter-gatherer societies in Europe, may have been spurred by environmental disasters that overwhelmed ancient cultures that may have flourished in lowlands. Although we know very little about the Black Sea culture there is ample evidence to suggest that the dry Persian Gulf Valley culture may have possessed agriculture. Perhaps pigs were domesticated near the Black Sea.


Archaeological and biological evidence suggest that modern humans settled in the dry valley that is now the Persian Gulf.
It is entirely possible that the lands where agriculture and pigs were domesticated now lie under the waves. We have to keep looking but our picture of the Neolithic period in the Middle East and Europe is constantly evolving and we now know that our ancestors were not nearly as primitive and unsophisticated as 19th and 20th century popular imagination had made them out to be.
http://history.sf-fandom.com/files/2011/08/al-maqar-eden-human-migration-01.jpg



http://history.sf-fandom.com/2011/08/25/closing-in-on-the-archaeological-garden-of-eden/

Amazing.