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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0PLOS One

First results from the mustatils of the Harrat Khaybar: New insights into neolithic cult in Northwest Saudi Arabia

  • Melissa Kennedy1
  • Laura Strolin2
  • Jane McMahon3
  • Anas Abahussain4
  • Adel Alqaibari5
  • Naif Alshehri6
  • Hugh Thomas7
7 affiliations
  1. 1Archaeology, University of Sydney Australia, Sydney, Australia
  2. 2Classics and Ancient History, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
  3. 3Vere Gordon Childe Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
  4. 4Museum of Natural History of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
  5. 5Archaeology Stable Isotope Laboratory, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
  6. 6Institute for Prehistoric and Protohistoric Archaeology, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
  7. 7The Heritage Commission, Ministry of Culture, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Abstract

In 2023, the University of Sydney, in partnership with the Heritage Commission undertook research at a large mustatil site to the southeast of Al-Thamad on the Harrat Khaybar, Saudi Arabia. This site is marked by a concentration of 28 mustatils, as well as a series of other monumental stone-built features, dating from the Neolithic onwards. These are the first mustatils to be investigated on the Harrat Khaybar, where more than 400 have been identified. During fieldwork, all mustatils at the site were documented, with test excavations conducted in three structures. Dateable surface material was also obtained from several other mustatils at the site. The results of these test excavations and surface sampling sheds new light on and gives important insight into the mustatil tradition. Based on this dataset, and the comparative material available from AlUla County, it would appear that the mustatil tradition may have been a cohesive ritual concept extending across a large part of Saudi Arabia, potentially making it one of the earliest, widespread ritual traditions known to date.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{kennedy2026first,
  title = {{First results from the mustatils of the Harrat Khaybar: New insights into neolithic cult in Northwest Saudi Arabia}},
  author = {Melissa Kennedy and Laura Strolin and Jane McMahon and Anas Abahussain and Adel Alqaibari and Naif Alshehri and Hugh Thomas},
  journal = {PLOS One},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0358444},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0358444},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - First results from the mustatils of the Harrat Khaybar: New insights into neolithic cult in Northwest Saudi Arabia
AU  - Melissa Kennedy
AU  - Laura Strolin
AU  - Jane McMahon
AU  - Anas Abahussain
AU  - Adel Alqaibari
AU  - Naif Alshehri
AU  - Hugh Thomas
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/18
JO  - PLOS One
DO  - 10.1371/journal.pone.0358444
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0358444
AB  - In 2023, the University of Sydney, in partnership with the Heritage Commission undertook research at a large mustatil site to the southeast of Al-Thamad on the Harrat Khaybar, Saudi Arabia. This site is marked by a concentration of 28 mustatils, as well as a series of other monumental stone-built features, dating from the Neolithic onwards. These are the first mustatils to be investigated on the Harrat Khaybar, where more than 400 have been identified. During fieldwork, all mustatils at the site were documented, with test excavations conducted in three structures. Dateable surface material was also obtained from several other mustatils at the site. The results of these test excavations and surface sampling sheds new light on and gives important insight into the mustatil tradition. Based on this dataset, and the comparative material available from AlUla County, it would appear that the mustatil tradition may have been a cohesive ritual concept extending across a large part of Saudi Arabia, potentially making it one of the earliest, widespread ritual traditions known to date.
SN  - 1932-6203
ER  -