Khaybar North Mustatil Corridor (Harrat Khaybar Northern Margin)
Northern Khaybar Mustatil Line · Khaybar Mustatil North Chain · Harrat Khaybar selenology
Late Neolithic Arabian·North Khaybar pastoral ceremonialists·🇸🇦 Medina Region, Harrat Khaybar 45 km N of Khaybar town, lava–sandstone ecotone, Saudi Arabia
About
About Khaybar North Mustatil Corridor (Harrat Khaybar Northern Margin)
Northern margin corridor (680 m) of Harrat Khaybar lava field 45 km north of Khaybar town, Medina Region. 4 km lava–sandstone ecotone: standard form long rectangle 24-42 m x 12 m with head platform and courtyard divided by transverse wall, head chamber containing betyl orthostat and caprine skull piles (10-28 heads). OSL 5000±120 BCE (Groucutt 2020). Unlike southern Harrat Khaybar's pendant fields, north corridor mustatils align N-S along old shamal wind channeled lava ridge, apparently astronomical to Canopus rise.
Intersite spacing 180-420 m regular. Adjacent to Jibal Hasma phreatomagmatic cones. Recent Heritage Commission lidar (2022) added corridor north spur. Threatened by Khaybar–Al-Ula heritage road.
Why it mattersNorthernmost Khaybar mustatil corridor with Canopus alignment and regular spacing pattern.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Canopus vs shamal alignment
Theories
- 01North Khaybar vs South pendant chronology
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.5000-4500 BCE
- Period
- Late Neolithic Arabian
- Culture
- North Khaybar pastoral ceremonialists
- Builders
- Khaybar lava herders
- Purpose
- Caprine skull offering platform for communal ritual before hunt, aligned to Canopus
- Abandoned
- c.4300 BCE
- Rediscovered
- 2020 Groucutt Khaybar North; 2022 Saudi Heritage lidar
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
2020
Groucutt OSL 5000 BCE mustatil swarm 22 identified
2022
Heritage Commission lidar adds northern spur 3 mustatils
On the ground
Structures & features
26.1500° N · 39.4500° E · 680 m · 2 mapped features
Khaybar North Mustatil KN-14 Betyl
mustatil36-m mustatil with 1.1-m betyl orthostat and 22 caprine skulls
26.1520° N · 39.4480° EKhaybar North Corridor Ridge
landform8.4 km lava–sandstone ridge hosting linear swarm 22
26.1480° N · 39.4520° E
Gallery