Archaeologists have found a 5,000-year-old ritual complex in Jordan

In the Muraigat region, scientists have discovered a vast ritual complex estimated to be 5,000 years old. It dates back to the Early Bronze Age and, according to experts, may shed light on how ancient societies coped with social and climatic upheavals.

The complex was built after the collapse of the Chalcolithic culture (around 4500-3500 BC), which is known for its small settlements, cultic traditions and heavy use of copper. The researchers suggest that climate change and internal crises led to the collapse of this culture, and Early Bronze Age people began to form new ritual practices and forms of social organisation in response.

According to the project leader, archaeologist Susanne Kerner from the University of Copenhagen, instead of settlements with small sanctuaries, typical for Chalcolithic, in Muraigat were found dolmens, megaliths and standing stones - signs of collective rituals and burials. No dwellings were found, indicating a ritual rather than domestic purpose for the site.

"Our excavations show that after social decline, people were looking for new ways of self-identification and interaction. Perhaps such monuments were used to mark territory, role hierarchy and community cohesion," Kerner explains.

During the research, more than 95 dolmens - stone tombs - were recorded on the central hill, as well as stone fences and rock-cut depressions. Scientists also found fragments of pottery, large communal bowls, stone millstones, flint tools, animal horns and rare copper objects. All this points to ritual activity, probably accompanied by collective meals.

Archaeologists pay special attention to the location of the complex: thanks to its elevated position, it is clearly visible from the surrounding area, which may indicate its role as a regional meeting place for different groups of people.

As Kerner notes, the find allows us to rethink the processes of transformation of early societies:

"Muraigat is an example of how ancient people in the face of instability created new forms of collective identity through rituals and monumental structures."

Susanne Kerner described the results of her research in her article "Dolmens, standing stones and rituals at Muraigat", published in the scientific journal Levant.