Rajajil Standing Stones

Rajajil, the men, is a field of some fifty groups of standing sandstone pillars south of Sakaka, each group of two to nineteen slabs set upright in the ground, some reaching around three metres, many now fallen. They are dated to roughly the fourth millennium BC, contemporary with early Mesopotamian urbanism, and some carry Thamudic inscriptions added much later. The groups appear to be aligned in a broadly consistent direction, which has prompted astronomical interpretations, but no burial or settlement evidence has been found with them and their purpose remains unexplained. The site has been fenced and a path laid, and it stands in open desert with the Jouf palm country beyond.

History

The site, dated to the Chalcolithic about 6,000 years ago, has 54 groups of trimmed pillars, two to 19 in each and up to about three metres high. Their rough alignment towards sunrise and sunset has suggested a calendrical purpose, while current opinion leans to a complex of small sanctuaries visited by groups from outside the area (Wikipedia, Columns of Rajajil).

What's there

• The stone groups - the clusters of upright sandstone slabs.
• Fallen pillars - the many slabs now lying in the sand.
• Thamudic inscriptions - the later texts cut on some stones.
• The desert setting - the open ground the field stands in.

When to go

November to March; Al-Jouf is very hot in summer, though winters can be cold. Low sun early or late throws the shadows that make the field read. The site keeps daytime hours.

What to expect

The purpose of the stones is unknown and the site interpretation says little. Many pillars have fallen and the field is less imposing than photographs suggest. There is no shade or facility. Sakaka is a long way from other destinations.

Nearby

Sakaka lies north; Dumat al-Jandal is west.

Key facts