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Saudi Heritage Commission Approves 500 Sites in Urban Heritage Register

Saudi Heritage Commission Approves 500 Sites in Urban Heritage Register
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Saudi Heritage Commission Approves 500 Sites in Urban Heritage Register

Saudi Heritage Commission Approves 500 Sites in Urban Heritage Register

The Saudi Heritage Commission announced on Sunday the approval of the registration and classification of 500 new sites in the urban heritage register, bringing the total to 4,540, reflecting the deep history of the Kingdom, which has witnessed successive civilizations for thousands of years.

The new sites were registered in various regions of the Kingdom, including Riyadh with 413 sites, 39 in Makkah, 25 in Al-Baha, six in Hail, five in Jazan, four in Aseer, and two sites in each of the Eastern, Najran, and Al-Jouf regions. Tabuk and Qassim regions also registered one site each.

The Heritage Commission reiterated its commitment to the preservation of the Kingdom's historical and cultural heritage by continuing to register and document archaeological and heritage sites throughout the year.

The commission is actively engaged in the exploration and registration of new sites that reflect the richness and diversity of the Kingdom's cultural heritage.

It is also keen on developing management, conservation, and protection plans for these sites to ensure their survival within a comprehensive strategy to elevate the Kingdom's status as a global destination for heritage and culture.

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'Spectacular' Viking Burial Site Discovered in Denmark 

A Moesgaard Museum conservator holds a Viking Age ceramic bowl discovered at a Viking Age burial site in Lisbjerg, a village seven kilometers north of Aarhus, Denmark’s second largest city, on June 13, 2025. (AFP)
A Moesgaard Museum conservator holds a Viking Age ceramic bowl discovered at a Viking Age burial site in Lisbjerg, a village seven kilometers north of Aarhus, Denmark’s second largest city, on June 13, 2025. (AFP)
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'Spectacular' Viking Burial Site Discovered in Denmark 

A Moesgaard Museum conservator holds a Viking Age ceramic bowl discovered at a Viking Age burial site in Lisbjerg, a village seven kilometers north of Aarhus, Denmark’s second largest city, on June 13, 2025. (AFP)
A Moesgaard Museum conservator holds a Viking Age ceramic bowl discovered at a Viking Age burial site in Lisbjerg, a village seven kilometers north of Aarhus, Denmark’s second largest city, on June 13, 2025. (AFP)

In an accidental find, a 10th-century burial site believed to have belonged to a Viking noble family has been discovered in northern Denmark, packed with a "spectacular" trove of ancient objects, a museum announced Tuesday.

The discovery came when pearls, coins, ceramics and a box containing a gold thread were unearthed during construction work near Lisbjerg, a village located seven kilometers (four miles) north of Aarhus, Denmark's second-largest city.

Archaeologists found the site contained around 30 graves dating from the second half of the 10th century, when the famous King Harald Bluetooth reigned, said the Moesgaard Museum in Aarhus.

According to the museum's archaeologist Mads Ravn, the graves are most likely linked to a noble family from the Viking Age -- which lasted between the eighth and 11th centuries -- whose farm was discovered less than a kilometer from the burial site in the late 1980s.

"This could have been one of Harald Bluetooth's earls or stewards," Ravn told AFP.

Ravn noted that the king, who introduced Christianity to what is today Denmark, tasked nobles with managing certain regions.

Researchers also discovered some human remains, such as teeth and bones, at the site.

"People basically took what was important to them into the grave because they wanted to transfer it to the other world," the archaeologist said.

One of the graves, which scientists believe belonged to an important woman, contained a box filled with decorative objects and a pair of scissors.

The "magnificent" box is a remarkable find, according to Ravn, with only a few having been discovered before, including one in southeastern Germany.

"It's very rare, there's only three of them we know of," he said.

The excavations at Lisbjerg are due to be completed this week, after which experts will begin a thorough analysis of the objects recovered.

Wooden objects in particular should help them accurately date the burial site.

As a royal and commercial center, Aarhus was one of Denmark's most important cities during the Viking Age.