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Saudi Heritage Commission Signs Agreement with Japan’s Waseda University for Al-Hawraa Excavation

SPA
SPA
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Saudi Heritage Commission Signs Agreement with Japan’s Waseda University for Al-Hawraa Excavation

SPA
SPA

The Saudi Heritage Commission (HC) signed on Sunday a cooperation agreement with Japan’s Waseda University (WU) to conduct archaeological survey and excavation work at Al-Hawraa site in Umluj Governorate, Tabuk Region, for 5 years.

The signing ceremony took place at the HC headquarters, King Abdulaziz Historical Center. It was attended by the CEO of HC, Dr. Jasser Al-Harbash, and a representative of the WU Comprehensive Research Organization, Dr. Hasegawa So.

The agreement includes the collaboration of the two parties in the survey and excavation at Al-Hawraa archaeological site.

A WU scientific team will participate alongside a counterpart Saudi team in carrying out archaeological survey and excavation work. Students from Japanese universities and scientific institutions will also have the opportunity to participate in the project for training and conducting specialized research, SPA reported.

This agreement is part of the HC's efforts to expand national and international scientific partnerships with universities and scientific institutions inside and outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the purpose of conducting archaeological surveys and excavation work at cultural heritage sites in the Kingdom.

These efforts reflect the Saudi Ministry of Culture's commitment to enhance international cultural exchange and promote Saudi participation and national culture within the framework of Saudi Vision 2030.

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Archaeologists Uncover Oldest Known Partial Face Fossil of Human Ancestor in Western Europe

This photo provided by the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution in March 2025, shows archaeological excavation work at the Sima del Elefante site in Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain, where a fossil from a hominin between 1.1 million and 1.4 million years old was found. (Maria D. Guillén/IPHES-CERCA via AP)
This photo provided by the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution in March 2025, shows archaeological excavation work at the Sima del Elefante site in Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain, where a fossil from a hominin between 1.1 million and 1.4 million years old was found. (Maria D. Guillén/IPHES-CERCA via AP)
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Archaeologists Uncover Oldest Known Partial Face Fossil of Human Ancestor in Western Europe

This photo provided by the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution in March 2025, shows archaeological excavation work at the Sima del Elefante site in Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain, where a fossil from a hominin between 1.1 million and 1.4 million years old was found. (Maria D. Guillén/IPHES-CERCA via AP)
This photo provided by the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution in March 2025, shows archaeological excavation work at the Sima del Elefante site in Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain, where a fossil from a hominin between 1.1 million and 1.4 million years old was found. (Maria D. Guillén/IPHES-CERCA via AP)

A fossil of a partial face from a human ancestor is the oldest in western Europe, archaeologists reported Wednesday.
The incomplete skull — a section of the left cheek bone and upper jaw – was found in northern Spain in 2022. The fossil is between 1.1 million and 1.4 million years old, according to research published in the journal Nature.
“The fossil is exciting," said Eric Delson, a paleontologist at the American Museum of Natural History, who was not involved in the study. “It's the first time we have significant remains older than 1 million years old in western Europe.”
A collection of older fossils from early human ancestors was previously found in Georgia, near the crossroads of eastern Europe and Asia. Those are estimated to be 1.8 million years old, The Associated Press reported.
The Spanish fossil is the first evidence that clearly shows human ancestors “were taking excursions into Europe” at that time, said Rick Potts, director of the Smithsonian’s Human Origins Program.
But there is not yet evidence that the earliest arrivals persisted there long, he said. “They may get to a new location and then die out,” said Potts, who had no role in the study.
The partial skull bears many similarities to Homo erectus, but there are also some anatomical differences, said study co-author Rosa Huguet, an archaeologist at the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution in Tarragona, Spain.
Homo erectus arose around 2 million years ago and moved from Africa to regions of Asia and Europe, with the last individuals dying out around 100,000 years ago, said Potts.
It can be challenging to identify which group of early humans a fossil find belongs to if there's only a single fragment versus many bones that show a range of features, said University of Zurich paleoanthropologist Christoph Zollikofer, who was not involved in the study.
The same cave complex in Spain's Atapuerca Mountains where the new fossil was found also previously yielded other significant clues to the ancient human past. Researchers working in the region have also found more recent fossils from Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens.