Al-Rajajil , sometimes referred to equally the Standing Men , or Standing Stones , are a collection of around 50 groups of man-made rock columns close the ancient oasis town of Sakakah inwards Al-Jawf province inwards northwestern Saudi Arabia. The stones are arranged inwards groups of iv or to a greater extent than , joined at the base of operations too leaning outwards at random angles. Some of them lead maintain appears to lead maintain fallen over.
Nicknamed the Stonehenge of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , the Al-Rajajil stones are believed to lead maintain been erected to a greater extent than than vi ,000 years ago.
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Archaeologists create non know much close Al-Rajajil , such equally who built them too what their role was. The stones create non seem to fulfill whatever religious role equally no human remains or religious artifacts too offerings were discovered inwards the vicinity of the rock pillars. However , the alignment of the stones seem to propose an astronomical connection. This is non instantly apparent from the Earth grade , exactly aerial images propose a fossil oil alignment to sunrise too sunset.
It is besides possible that the pillars were landmark for a merchandise route. Al-Jouf was a pregnant stopover betoken on several ancient merchandise highways which connected the Arabian Peninsula , Arab Republic of Egypt , Mesopotamia too Syria. One merchandise route , 1 of the oldest province route inwards recorded history , ran from Republic of Yemen too parallel to the Red Sea coast through Madinah , Al-‘Ula too Madaen Salih. It turned northeast to Al-Jouf too and then N toward Damascus too Turkey. By traveling N too northeast to Al-Jouf , too then E inwards this agency , the route avoided the harsh sands of the Great Nafud to the southward too the less passable terrain of Wadi al-Sirhan (Sarhan) to the north. The stones may lead maintain been an indicator of the presence of the cross-road , too the safer route to take.
The standing stones of Al-Rajajil represents an enigma that really few lead maintain heard of.
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Sources: IB Times / Arab News / www.arriyadh.com