Harrat al-Sham

The Harrat is part of a system of volcanic fields formed by tectonic activity from the Oligocene through to the Quaternary. This system, which geologists refer to as the 'Harrat Ash Shamah Volcanic Field', is the largest of several volcanic fields on the Arabian Plate, containing more than 800 volcanic cones and around 140 dikes. It is known to have erupted in historic times. The Jabal al-Druze, al-Safa and Dirat al-Tulul volcanic fields, among others, form the northern and Syrian part of this system. The Saudi Arabian portion of the Harrat Ash Shamah volcanic field extends across a , roughly northwest–southeast-trending area on the northeastern flanks of the Wadi Sirhan and reaches its high point at Jabal al-Amud. It is in the Tabuk Province of northwest Saudi Arabia. and is one of a series of Quaternary volcanic fields paralleling the Red Sea coast. == History and economy ==

The Harrat has traditionally been occupied by nomadic Bedouin of the Anizah confedaration. It It is primarily associated with the Ahl al-Jabal tribe, who graze sheep, goats, donkeys and camels there, but the Rwala, Zbaid, Ghayyath, Sardiyya and other tribes also use the area at times. In the second half of the 20th century, many Bedouin settled in the village of Safawi, which grew up around a pumping station on the Kirkuk–Haifa oil pipeline (H5). ==Archaeological sites==

• Desert kites Jordan • Jawa, Jordan, Early Bronze Age proto-urban settlement • Qasr al-Azraq and Qasr 'Ain es-Sil, ancient desert castles in the Azraq oasis • Qasr Burqu', ancient "desert castle" • Qasr Usaykhim, an ancient fort northeast of Azraq • Shubayqa 1, Natufian hunter-gatherer site with the oldest bread-making find in the world ==See also==