McCorriston et al. (2025) presents a comprehensive archaeological and environmental study of 371 prehistoric stone monuments in Dhofar, Oman, revealing how monument construction by ancient pastoralists reflects adaptive social resilience to climate change over 7,000 years. Using multivariate analysis, machine learning, and radiocarbon dating, the authors identify shifts in monument types—from large, episodically built Neolithic platforms during the wetter Holocene Humid Period to smaller, accretively constructed triliths and boat graves in increasingly arid conditions. These changes correspond to declining population densities, shifts in herding strategies (e.g., from cattle to goats and camels), and evolving social structures. The study finds that earlier monuments required large, simultaneous labor forces, while later ones were built incrementally by smaller, dispersed groups. Despite environmental stressors, pastoralists maintained social cohesion through monument construction, using them as cultural touchstones to communicate identity, memory, and belonging across time and space. The authors argue that this flexible monument tradition exemplifies a durable form of social resilience, offering insights applicable to other arid regions facing environmental change. 

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