Ancient Humans Avoided the Rub' al Khali Despite Its Past Lushness Due to Lack of Stone

The Rub' al Khali, known as The Empty Quarter, is the world's largest sand sea and covers nearly a third of the Arabian peninsula. While the region was once part of the lush savannah referred to as Green Arabia, where periodic ice age climatic shifts brought increased rainfall, it remains devoid of ancient human occupation in its interior.

Archaeological evidence of early humans is abundant in the areas surrounding the desert, yet a recent expedition into the heart of the Rub' al Khali returned without finding any stone tools or other signs of settlement. This surprising absence has prompted archaeologists to propose a new theory regarding the factors that governed human migration and settlement patterns.

The findings suggest that ancient peoples required more than just water to establish themselves in a region; they also needed access to stone. The lack of this essential resource appears to have prevented early humans from settling in what was otherwise a fertile paradise during wetter climatic periods.

The Rub' al Khali, known as The Empty Quarter, is the world's largest sand sea and covers nearly a third of the Arabian peninsula. While the region was once part of the lush savannah referred to as Green Arabia, where periodic ice age climatic shifts brought increased rainfall, it remains devoid of ancient human occupation in its interior.

Archaeological evidence of early humans is abundant in the areas surrounding the desert, yet a recent expedition into the heart of the Rub' al Khali returned without finding any stone tools or other signs of settlement. This surprising absence has prompted archaeologists to propose a new theory regarding the factors that governed human migration and settlement patterns.

The findings suggest that ancient peoples required more than just water to establish themselves in a region; they also needed access to stone. The lack of this essential resource appears to have prevented early humans from settling in what was otherwise a fertile paradise during wetter climatic periods.

Sources: Nature.