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UNESCO: Arabic is One of the Pillars of Human Civilization

The UNESCO logo is seen during the opening of the 39th session of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at their headquarters in Paris, France, Oct. 30, 2017. Reuters
The UNESCO logo is seen during the opening of the 39th session of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at their headquarters in Paris, France, Oct. 30, 2017. Reuters
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UNESCO: Arabic is One of the Pillars of Human Civilization

The UNESCO logo is seen during the opening of the 39th session of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at their headquarters in Paris, France, Oct. 30, 2017. Reuters
The UNESCO logo is seen during the opening of the 39th session of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at their headquarters in Paris, France, Oct. 30, 2017. Reuters

UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay has described Arabic as one of the most widespread languages in the world, saying it is one of the pillars of human civilization.

“The Arabic language is one of the most widespread languages in the world, and it is the tongue of more than 422 million people, and through it they communicate and interact,” Azoulay said in a statement in a report released by the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth on the state of the Arabic language and its future.

“Arabic is one of the pillars of human civilization, and it is the language of innovation and exploration in the fields of science, medicine, astronomy, mathematics, philosophy and history, throughout the ages, and it was and still is a bridge of knowledge, across time and space and contributed through the centuries, with the rest World cultures, in the accumulation of the legacy of humanity.”

UAE’s Minister of Culture and Youth Noura Al Kaabi said "The State of the Arabic Language and Its Future” report constitutes a basis and a reference point to assist decision-makers in governments and private institutions at the regional and global levels in everything related to the Arabic language.

She noted that the report will be the first building block in the framework of a permanent case study project The Arabic language, and working to enhance its presence and use in its various forms.

The report focused on the most important issues of interest to decision-makers working in the Arabic language sector, she said.

The minister explained that this work is part of the UAE’s commitment to its cultural identity and its role as an active contributor to the cultural identity of the region.

Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan also said in the report that the Arabic language has received great attention from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

Saudi Arabia placed the language in a major position in all its systems and regulations, he said.

As for Sheikha Mai bint Muhammad Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, she described language as a mother.

“Language preserves identity and its first embrace. It is the first word that we wake up to in this world.”

The report showed the growth of digital publishing platforms in the Arabic language, as the number of novels published on one of the platforms reached 2,600 novels, while the number of views of some novels reached 10 million.

The report also found that Arabic is among the most used languages on the internet, and pointed to a high demand by non-Arabic speakers to learn Arabic.

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Danish Archaeologists Unearth 50 Viking Skeletons

Massacred 10th century Vikings found in a mass grave at St John’s College, Oxford. Photograph: Thames Valley Archaeological Services/PA
Massacred 10th century Vikings found in a mass grave at St John’s College, Oxford. Photograph: Thames Valley Archaeological Services/PA
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Danish Archaeologists Unearth 50 Viking Skeletons

Massacred 10th century Vikings found in a mass grave at St John’s College, Oxford. Photograph: Thames Valley Archaeological Services/PA
Massacred 10th century Vikings found in a mass grave at St John’s College, Oxford. Photograph: Thames Valley Archaeological Services/PA

The excavation of a large Viking-era burial site in Denmark has unearthed 50 unusually well-preserved skeletons that archaeologists expect will help shed light on the lives of the Nordic people best known for their seafaring exploits in the Middle Ages.

The skeletons, discovered near Denmark's third-largest city Odense, were kept intact by high water levels and favorable soil conditions that prevented them from decomposing, according to Michael Borre Lundoe, the excavation leader from Museum Odense, Reuters reported.

"Normally when we excavate Viking graves, we'd be lucky if there were two teeth left in the grave besides the grave goods. But here we have the skeletons fully preserved," said Lundoe.

"The skeletons are so amazing. They are so well preserved. There are five fingers, five toes. And that opens up a whole new set of possibilities for discoveries," he said.

Rare artifacts such as knives, glass pearls and brooches dated between year 850 to 970 were also found at the excavation, which began six months ago.

Lundoe said the grave gifts indicate most of the people were part of a small community of farmers, although a woman of higher status was buried with a silver-ornamented knife and a piece of glass which was rare in the Viking Age.

Archaeologists took soil samples to search for pollen to determine which season the person was buried in and what textiles they wore.

An x-ray of a soil block from the site revealed an oval brooch, an iconic Viking Age jewelry piece associated with women's garments, covered with wood and human remains.

On the back of another brooch with period-specific ornaments, mineralized woven textile fragments provided evidence of the type of dress worn in the Viking Age, the archaeologists said.

Most of the skeletons have been removed from the graves and packed in cardboard boxes at the museum to dry out before the examination and final cleaning.