What distinctive architectural feature characterizes the prehistoric Hafit-period tombs found in the foothills of Jebel Hafeet and Bat?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Dome-shaped circular cairns built of stacked limestone with a central chamber
- Step 1: Hafit-period tombs (circa 3200-2700 BCE) are the earliest monumental stone structures in Oman.
- Step 2: They are circular, truncated-cone dry-stone cairns resembling beehives, constructed on prominent hilltops with a central chamber entered via a narrow entrance.
Answer
Dome-shaped circular cairns built of stacked limestone with a central chamber.
Why not the others: 'Subterranean catacombs carved into sandstone cliffs with painted frescoes' describes Nabataean or Roman tombs; 'Monumental stepped pyramids constructed with fired mud-bricks' describes Mesopotamian ziggurats; 'Dolmen megalithic slabs supported on vertical standing pillars' describes European megaliths.
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