Archaeologists from the University of Copenhagen have uncovered a fascinating 5,000-year-old ceremonial site in Murayghat, Jordan, that could reveal how early societies adapted to major social and environmental change.
The discovery provides a rare glimpse into how people responded to the collapse of an older way of life by creating new rituals and community structures.
The site dates back to the Early Bronze Age, a period that followed the decline of the Chalcolithic culture (around 4500–3500 BCE).
The earlier Chalcolithic period was known for its well-organized domestic settlements, copper tools, and symbolic traditions centered around small shrines.
But that world began to unravel—likely due to climate shifts and social upheaval.
As the old system faded, new communities began to express their identity through monumental rituals rather than everyday domestic life.
“Instead of the large domestic settlements with smaller shrines established during the Chalcolithic, our excavations at Early Bronze Age Murayghat show clusters of dolmens (stone burial monuments), standing stones, and large megalithic structures that point to ritual gatherings and communal burials rather than living quarters,” explained Susanne Kerner, the project leader and archaeologist at the University of Copenhagen.
So far, the research team has documented over 95 dolmens, along with a central hilltop filled with stone enclosures and carved rock features that appear to have been used for ceremonies.
These monumental constructions likely served as landmarks in a period when traditional authority structures had disappeared.
Kerner suggests that Murayghat’s visible stone monuments may have helped communities redefine territory, identity, and social roles after the collapse of the old order.
“Murayghat gives us fascinating new insights into how early societies coped with disruption—by building monuments, redefining social roles, and creating new forms of community,” said Kerner.
Excavations also revealed pottery, large communal bowls, grinding stones, flint tools, and animal remains, which point to communal feasts or rituals. A few copper objects were found as well, hinting at connections with wider trade or symbolic practices.
The site’s location and visibility suggest that it may have been a regional gathering place, where different groups came together to strengthen social bonds.
The findings have been detailed in Kerner’s recent paper, “Dolmens, Standing Stones and Ritual in Murayghat,” published in the journal Levant.
The study adds a crucial piece to the puzzle of how ancient societies rebuilt themselves after crisis—by turning to faith, ceremony, and shared memory carved in stone.
