Izingwenya zacwiliswa ngendlela eyingqayizivele endaweni yaseGibhithe iQubbat al-Hawā ngekhulu le-5 BC, ngokocwaningo olwanyatheliswa ngoJanuwari 18, 2023 ephephabhukwini elivulekile lokufinyelela i-PLOS ONE nguBea De Cupe weRoyal Belgian Institute of Natural. Isayensi, iBelgium, kanye neNyuvesi yaseJaén, eSpain, kanye nozakwabo.
Izilwane ezicwilisiwe, kuhlanganise nezingwenya, zivame ukutholakala ezindaweni zokuvubukula zaseGibhithe. Naphezu kwezinkulungwane ezimbalwa zezingwenya ezifakwe izidumbu ezitholakala emaqoqweni eminyuziyamu emhlabeni wonke, ngokuvamile azihlolisiswa. Kulolu cwaningo, ababhali bahlinzeka ngohlaziyo oluningiliziwe lwe-morphology kanye nokulondolozwa kwezidumbu eziyishumi zezingwenya ezitholakala emathuneni amadwala endaweni yaseQubbat al-Hawā osebeni olusentshonalanga yeNayile.
Izidumbu zazihlanganisa izingebhezi ezinhlanu ezingazodwa kanye namathambo amahlanu ayingxenye, abacwaningi abakwazile ukuwahlola ngaphandle kokuqaqa noma ukusebenzisa i-CT-scanning kanye ne-radiography. Ngokusekelwe ku-morphology yezingwenya, kwatholakala izinhlobo ezimbili: izingwenya zaseNtshonalanga Afrika nezaseNayile, ezinezibonelo ezisukela ku-1.5 kuya ku-3.5 wamamitha ubude.
Isitayela sokulondolozwa kwezidumbu sihlukile kuleso esitholakala kwezinye izingosi, ikakhulukazi asinabo ubufakazi bokusetshenziswa kwenhlaka noma ukukhishwa kwesidumbu njengengxenye yenqubo yokucwiliswa kwezidumbu. Isitayela sokulondoloza siphakamisa iminyaka yangaphambi kwePtolemaic, ehambisana nesigaba sokugcina sokusetshenziswa komngcwabo kaQubbat al-Hawā ngekhulu lesi-5 BC.
Ukuqhathanisa izidumbu phakathi kwezindawo zemivubukulo kuyasiza ekuhlonzeni izitayela zokusetshenziswa kwezilwane kanye nezinqubo zokucwiliswa kwezidumbu ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Imikhawulo yalolu cwaningo yayihlanganisa ukungabi khona kwe-DNA yasendulo kanye ne-radiocarbon, okungaba usizo ekucwengeni ukuhlonza nokuqokwa kwezinsalela. Izifundo zesikhathi esizayo ezihlanganisa lawa masu azokwazisa ngokuqhubekayo ukuqonda kwesayensi kwemikhuba yamasiko aseGibhithe lasendulo.
Ababhali bayengeza, “Izidumbu zezingwenya eziyishumi, kuhlanganise nezidumbu ezinhlanu noma ngaphansi eziphelele namakhanda amahlanu, zitholwe ethuneni elingaphazanyiswa eQubbat al-Hawā (Aswan, Egypt). Izidumbu zazisezimweni ezihlukahlukene zokulondolozwa nokuphelela.”
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