By Shuchi Giridhar
New research has revealed that Arabia, famous for its desert landscape, was once laden with lush vegetation and played a vital role in human evolution. The large region was covered with plants and trees with crisscrossing rivers spread across the land. Rains during the monsoon season turned the northern parts of the Arabian Desert into an oasis with abundant water, giving early humans the opportunity to trek through the region from Africa.
It also served as a bridge between Africa and Eurasia, allowing humans to spread out.
At a site in the northern part of Saudi Arabia, five ancient lake beds from different ages along with ancient stone tools were unearthed. The lake beds also held fossils of hippos, wild cows, and other such animals. Until recently, the oldest stone tools crafted by archaic humans found in Arabia date to 300,000 years ago.