Archaeologists have discovered a 4,500-year-old highway in Saudi Arabia, lined with ancient tombs. Aerial surveys and satellite images helped Australian researchers make the important discovery.
The funerary avenue stretches for hundreds, perhaps even thousands of miles. It might even stretch all the way into Yemen. There are at least 18,000 tombs lining the route, and many are surprisingly well-preserved.
The tombs consist of small piles of stone arranged in elaborate shapes, marking the spot where either single individuals or small groups were buried, experts say.
The burials are described as 'pendant' tombs because they resemble circular pieces of jewelry attached to a chain, or 'tail'.
It's thought that the tombs may have been built as memorials ('cenotaphs') or for other, as yet unclear symbolic or ritual purposes.
The next step is to do more radiocarbon dating to learn more about the tombs, which reach back into the Bronze Age.
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