Image Credits: Satellite photo by CNES/Airbus, via Google Earth

Google Earth may have just led to a new point of study for archaeologists in Saudi Arabia. More than 400 stone structures were discovered in one of the kingdom’s deserts. These stone structures, called ‘gates’ (because that’s what they look like from an aeriel POV), were never documented before. 

That’s pretty astounding. 

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NY Times reports that Google Earth has aided in various other discoveries, like the earthworks from Kazakhstan, Roman ruins and even a forgotten fortress in Afghanistan. 

What were the stone ‘gates’ for?

As of now, information on the actual use for these stone structures or lava fields have not been verified. However, David Kennedy, an archaeologist at the University of Western Australia says that the structures probably root back from the Bedouins of that time. Perhaps, created by the ancestors of the Kingdom, dating back to 9,000 years ago. The stones, however, show signs of being constructed arond 2,000 years ago. 

That’s all that is speculated for now. 

According to NYTimes, the structures can’t be seen in their ‘gate’ form “from ground level, but once you get up a few hundred feet, or with a satellite even higher, they stand out beautifully.” 

They were found in the volcanic region of Harrat Khyber, nicknamed as “Gates” because they look like as gates from satellite images

The largest of this is 1,700 feet long. Some of these gates looks like “I” shape and some are rectangular

It has a “Kite” like structure to  trap migratory animals…

These “Kite Traps” could be as old as 9,000 years, according to Newsweek.

Image Credits: @APAAME

What do you think of these mysterious new discoveries?