Archaeological Town from Bronze Age Discovered at Saudi Arabia’s Khaybar Oasis

The discovery is proof of the Kingdom's commitment to safeguarding its cultural and historical heritage, as well as its desire to exchange knowledge and experience with the international community. (SPA)
The discovery is proof of the Kingdom's commitment to safeguarding its cultural and historical heritage, as well as its desire to exchange knowledge and experience with the international community. (SPA)
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Archaeological Town from Bronze Age Discovered at Saudi Arabia’s Khaybar Oasis

The discovery is proof of the Kingdom's commitment to safeguarding its cultural and historical heritage, as well as its desire to exchange knowledge and experience with the international community. (SPA)
The discovery is proof of the Kingdom's commitment to safeguarding its cultural and historical heritage, as well as its desire to exchange knowledge and experience with the international community. (SPA)

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) announced that archaeologists discovered a Bronze Age town in the Khaybar Oasis, in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

The discovery was published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE and announced on Saturday at a press conference held by the RCU in Riyadh. The conference highlighted the significance of the discovery to the Kingdom's standing in the field of antiquities, as well as on its cultural richness.

The discovery is proof of the Kingdom's commitment to safeguarding its cultural and historical heritage, as well as its desire to exchange knowledge and experience with the international community, and promote awareness about the common human heritage, consistent with the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030.

It also underscores the need to strengthen international partnerships, to present such a rich heritage to future generations globally.

The transition from a mobile pastoral life to a settled urban life in the region during the second half of the third millennium BC is illustrated by the discovery, which was made in the framework of the Khaybar Longue Durée Archaeological Project, led by Dr. Guillaume Charloux, researcher at the French National Center for Scientific Research, and Dr. Munirah AlMushawh, archaeological survey manager at RCU.

This change in paradigm challenges the previous notion that pastoral and nomadic society was the dominant socio-economic model in northwestern Arabia during the early and middle Bronze Age.

The research points out that regions such as Khaybar were significant urban centers that permanently maintained the stability of their communities, particularly with the introduction of agriculture. They also served as centers of trade and commerce for nomadic communities. The emergence of this urban design significantly influences the socio-economic paradigm of the region.

In the Bronze Age, the northwestern Arabian Peninsula was home to a significant number of nomadic pastoral communities, but the region also had a number of walled oases that were connected to one another and were located around fortified cities like Tayma.

The discovered town, called Al-Natah, provides evidence of a clear division, within forts and cities, of residential and funerary areas. The site encompassed an area of 2.6 hectares, was inhabited by 500 individuals between 2400 and 2000 BC until 1500 and 1300 BC. The Khaybar Oasis was surrounded by a 15-km-long stone wall to ensure its protection.

The study was conducted by the Royal Commission for AlUla in collaboration with the French Agency for the Development of AlUla (AFALULA) and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).

The commission's Department of Archaeology, Collections and Conservation manages one of the largest archaeological research programs globally as part of its mission to elevate AlUla's status as a premier cultural heritage destination.

The Khaybar Oasis, located on the edge of the Harrat Khaybar volcanic field, formed at the meeting point of three valleys in a highly arid area. The remains of the town were discovered on the northern edge of the oasis, buried beneath layers of basalt rock for thousands of years.

The research team identified the archaeological site in October 2020, but distinguishing the structures and layout of the town proved challenging. In February 2024, the team employed field surveys, in-depth research, and high-resolution imaging to uncover more details of what lay beneath. Future excavations are expected to provide an even clearer understanding of the site.

The study offers an initial view of life in Al-Natah, where residents lived in traditional multi-story dwellings, typically using the ground floor for storage and the upper floors for living quarters. Narrow pathways ran between the dwellings, leading to the town center. Residents buried their dead in graves and tiered towers, signifying high social status by including valuable items like pottery or metal tools such as axes and daggers.

Town life was marked by skilled craftsmanship, with residents making pottery, trading it, working with metal, and adorning their clothing with beads. Their diet, based mainly on mutton, lamb, and grains, reflected a cooperative lifestyle, with the community reinforcing walls using dry stones and clay.

Besides Charloux and AlMushawh, historian Saifi Alshilali, a native of Khaybar, contributed to the discovery. The new findings add to a series of studies begun in 2018, which explore the history of ancient AlUla and Khaybar, including massive stone structures known as mustatils, stone traps, extensive funerary roads linking settlements and pastures, and stone circles used as dwellings.

Collectively, these studies reveal that Bronze Age societies in northwestern Arabian Peninsula were more sophisticated and interconnected with the wider region than previously believed.

RCU is currently supervising 10 archaeological projects, to which 100 archaeologists and specialists working in AlUla and Khaybar contribute.

This new discovery bolsters AlUla and Saudi Arabia's role as a global hub for archaeological research and cultural dialogue. It is announced immediately after AlUla World Archaeology Symposium 2024, which brought together archaeologists and cultural heritage experts from all over the world.

Themed "Moving Forward: Past, Present and Future in the Archaeology and Heritage of Mobile Communities", the symposium underscored AlUla's growing role in the global archaeological community.



Saudi KSGAAL Concludes Arabic Language Program in France

Saudi Arabia's King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language (KSGAAL) concluded its Arabic Language Month program in France on Friday. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia's King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language (KSGAAL) concluded its Arabic Language Month program in France on Friday. (SPA)
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Saudi KSGAAL Concludes Arabic Language Program in France

Saudi Arabia's King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language (KSGAAL) concluded its Arabic Language Month program in France on Friday. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia's King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language (KSGAAL) concluded its Arabic Language Month program in France on Friday. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia's King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language (KSGAAL) concluded its Arabic Language Month program in France on Friday. The program began October 7 and was held in Paris, Lyon, and Tourcoing. It included a series of educational activities aimed at developing Arabic language curricula, enhancing teacher performance, and strengthening the presence of the Arabic language in educational institutions.

KSGAAL Secretary-General Dr. Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Washmi said the academy is honored by the ongoing support it receives from Minister of Culture and KSGAAL Chairman of the Board of Trustees Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, whose support boosts all of KSGAAL's programs and activities, aligning with the objectives of the Human Capability Development Program, which is part of the initiatives for realizing Saudi Vision 2030.

The program included a series of visits and meetings with several French educational institutions that offer academic programs in Arabic and associations and centers focused on teaching and promoting the Arabic language. Additionally, there was a visit to the Saudi embassy and the Saudi cultural attaché in France.

Several scientific activities were carried out in collaboration with the Arab World Institute. These included a discussion session addressing key topics such as the most important tests used in evaluating Arabic teachers for non-native speakers, integrating technology in teaching Arabic, and identifying the best available tools and applications.

Furthermore, a comprehensive scientific symposium was conducted on Saudi Arabia's efforts to teach Arabic to non-native speakers, and discussions took place on the reality of teaching Arabic and its curricula in France, including the opportunities and challenges of bilingualism.

The program featured two scientific papers. The first was titled "Hamza Test to Measure Arabic Language Proficiency," which discussed the criteria for creating the Hamza test, its application mechanisms, and plans for its development. The second paper was titled "The Works of the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language in Supporting the Arabic Language through Digital Platforms," which introduced the academy's platforms dedicated to serving the Arabic language.

Various training courses were offered for both teachers and learners. The teachers' courses aimed to bolster the skills of Arabic teachers for non-native speakers, focusing on active learning strategies in teaching Arabic as a second language. In contrast, the learners' courses were centered on developing listening skills for Arabic learners and non-native speakers. The program also facilitated collaboration between the KSGAAL and King Abdulaziz University, which sent two specialist professors in Arabic to present a training course in Lyon.