I-Peninsula yase-Arabia iyikhaya lezimangaliso zezakhiwo ezimangalisayo eMhlabeni, kodwa kuvela ukuthi umlando wayo ocebile udlulela ngale kwezakhiwo ezenziwe abantu.
Ucwaningo olusha seluveze ukuthi izithombe eziqoshwe emadwaleni esineminyaka engu-8,000 ubudala ezitholakala kule ndawo zingase zibe amapulani amadala kakhulu emhlabeni. Le mibhalo eqoshiwe, enezinkanyezi nemigqa, kungenzeka yayisetshenziselwa ukumelela izicupho zokuzingela eziseduze, okuzenza zibe imidwebo yokuqala ngqa emlandweni wesintu.
Lezi zakhiwo, ezaziwa ngokuthi ama-desert kite, zatholwa abavubukuli eminyakeni eyi-100 edlule lapho izithombe zasemoyeni ziqala ukuthatha izindiza. Ama-Kite ayizindawo ezinkulu zomhlaba ezizungezwe izindonga zamatshe aphansi, ezinemigodi ngaphakathi eduze konqenqema.
Ama-Kite, atholakala kakhulu eMpumalanga Ephakathi nase-Asia Ephakathi, kucatshangwa ukuthi asebenze njengendawo ezivalekile zezilwane noma izicupho. Abazingeli babelusa izilwane, ezinjengezinsephe, bazifake ekhayithi emhubheni omude, oqinile lapho igeyimu yayingakwazi ukubalekela izindonga noma imigodi, okwenza kube lula ukuyibulala.
Ama-Kite awakwazi ukubonakala ewonke kusukela phansi ngenxa yobukhulu bawo (isilinganiso esiseduze nendawo eyisikwele yezinkundla ezimbili zebhola). Kodwa-ke, ukutholakala kwezithombe zesathelayithi ezitholakala esidlangalaleni, ezinokulungiswa okuphezulu, njengalezo ezinikezwe i-Google Earth, kusheshise ukufundwa kwamakhithi asogwadule phakathi neshumi leminyaka eledlule.
Ukutholwa kwakamuva kwezimo ezifana nezakhiwo eziqoshwe emadwaleni eJordani naseSaudi Arabia kubonise ukuthi abantu beNeolithic kungenzeka baklame kanjani lezi “zicupho ezinkulu,” ngokocwaningo olusha olushicilelwe kujenali. PLOS One ngoMeyi 17, 2023.
Ababhali bocwaningo basebenzise izibalo zezibalo ukuze baqhathanise ifomu nosayizi wamakhithi aziwayo namaphethini ekhithi esikwa ngamadwala. Isibonelo sabo sokuqala kwakuyi-monolith eqoshiwe ye-limestone evela endaweni yase-Jordan ye-Jibal al-Khashabiyeh yemivubukulo.
Itshe elicishe libe ngamafidi angu-3 ubude (amasentimitha angu-80) lenze iseyili enhle kakhulu yabantu bangaphambi komlando, abaqopha imigqa emide, efana nekhayithi eyayiholela izilwane endaweni ebiyelwe emise okwenkanyezi enezindebe eziyisishiyagalombili ezimise okwenkomishi ezibonisa izicupho zemigodi.
Leli tshe linezitayela ezihlukene zokuqopha, kodwa akucaci ukuthi zenziwe ngumuntu oyedwa noma abantu abaningi, ngokocwaningo lombhali wokuqala uRémy Crassard, umvubukuli eFrench National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS).
Isifanekiso sesibili, esivela e-Wadi az-Zilliyat yase-Saudi Arabia, sibonisa amakhayithi amabili aqoshwe edwaleni elikhulu lesihlabathi elingaphezu kwamafidi angu-12 ubude nangaphezu kwamafidi angu-8 ububanzi (cishe amamitha angu-4 ngamamitha angu-2). Yize ingekho ngendlela efanayo nedizayini yekite yase-Jordan, umdwebo wekhayithi lase-Saudi Arabia unemigqa yokushayela, indawo evalekile emise okwenkanyezi, kanye nezimpawu zezinkomishi eziyisithupha ekugcineni kwamaphoyinti.
Ama-Kite ayaziwa ukuthi anzima kakhulu kuze kube manje njengoba enziwe ngamatshe amatshe nemigodi, okusho ukuthi ngokuvamile awanazo izinto eziphilayo ezingahlolwa kusetshenziswa i-radiocarbon dating.
Ithimba likholelwa ukuthi lezi zingosi ezimbili zisukela eminyakeni ecishe ibe ngu-8,000 edlule, ngasekupheleni kwenkathi ye-Neolithic e-Arabia, ngokusekelwe ekufananeni kwama-kite azungezile axhunywe inzika nezinsalela zemvelo.
U-Crassard kanye nozakwabo abavela kuphrojekthi ye-Globalkites babe sebesebenzisa ukumodela kwegrafu yendawo ukuze bafanise imiklamo ye-rock-cut namakhulu ezinhlelo zekite ezaziwayo.
Ukuqhathaniswa kwezibalo kwemidwebo enamakhayithi aqoshiwe kwembule amaphuzu afanayo: umdwebo waseJordani utholwe ufana kakhulu nekhayithi eliqhele ngamamayela angu-1.4 (amakhilomitha angu-2.3), kuyilapho umdwebo waseSaudi Arabia wawufana kakhulu nekhayithi eliqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-10 futhi kufana kakhulu nokubukeka kwamanye amamayela angu-16.3 (amakhilomitha angu-0.87) kude.
"Imibhalo eqoshiwe ingokoqobo ngokumangalisayo futhi inembile, futhi ngaphezu kwalokho ilinganisa, njengoba kubonwa ukuhlolwa okusekelwe kugrafu yejometri yokufana komumo," kubhala ababhali ocwaningweni. "Lezi zibonelo zezethulo ze-kite zingamapulani amadala kakhulu aziwayo emlandweni wesintu."
Ososayensi bacabanga ukuthi iqembu labantu abahlelela umsebenzi wokuzingela kungenzeka ukuthi libuyekeze futhi laxoxa ngesu lekhayithi eselivele lakhiwe, okungenzeka ukuthi libandakanye ukuxhumanisa inombolo nendawo yabazingeli nokubikezela ukuziphatha kwezilwane kusenesikhathi.
Kuyaqondakala futhi ukuthi lo mdwebo wasetshenziselwa ukwakha ikhayithi kwasekuqaleni. Kunoma ikuphi, abacwaningi baphikise ocwaningweni lwabo ukuthi abantu abakha ubudlelwano phakathi kwendawo ebonakalayo njengoba kubukwa phezulu kanye nokumelwa okunemifanekiso kuyinqubekelaphambili ebalulekile ekuqondeni okungaqondakali nokumelela okungokomfanekiso.
UJens Notroff, isazi semivubukulo ye-Neolithic e-German Archaeological Institute obengabandakanyeki kulolu cwaningo, utshele i-Live Science nge-imeyili ukuthi "ukutholakala kwalolu hlobo oluthile lobuciko be-rock ehlelekile kakade kuyisengezo esithakazelisayo ekuqondeni kwethu okukhulayo manje. Amakhithi ogwadule e-Neolithic kanye nesakhiwo sawo esiyinkimbinkimbi ngaphakathi kwendawo. "
U-Notroff uphinde wathi, "ukuqonda okumangalisa kakhulu kimina ngokwami yizinga lokungafinyeleli - kubonisa umbono wokuthi akekho noyedwa kulabo ababamba iqhaza ekwakhiweni nasekusetshenzisweni kwalawa makhithi asogwadule ongazalanisa kalula ngokuzibonela kwawo."
UCrassard kanye nozakwabo bayaqhubeka nomsebenzi wabo wokwakha amakhithi asogwadule ngokusebenzisa i-Globalkites Project. Nakuba “le mibhalo eqoshiwe iwubufakazi obudala kunabo bonke obaziwayo bezinhlelo ezisezingeni eliphakeme,” kusho uCrassard, kungenzeka ukuthi abantu benza imidwebo efanayo ngezinto ezingahlali unomphela, njengokuzidweba odongeni.
Ucwaningo lwashicilelwa okokuqala kujenali PLOS One ngoMeyi 17, 2023.
