Saudi Arabia Unveils Important Archaeological Discoveries at Al-Ablaa Site

Excavation works at Al-Ablaa site in Asir (Saudi Heritage Commission)
Excavation works at Al-Ablaa site in Asir (Saudi Heritage Commission)
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Saudi Arabia Unveils Important Archaeological Discoveries at Al-Ablaa Site

Excavation works at Al-Ablaa site in Asir (Saudi Heritage Commission)
Excavation works at Al-Ablaa site in Asir (Saudi Heritage Commission)

Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission unveiled important new discoveries at the Al-Abla site in Asir region during the seventh session of archaeological excavations in the area.

The discoveries included reservoirs used to build rainwater stores in homes and for industry. Walls and floors of buildings found at the site were also coated in gypsum, a mineral used in plaster.

They shed light on the prominence of Al Abla as one of the most important ancient mining locations in the south of the country, the Heritage Commission stated.

The scientific team also uncovered reservoirs under some architectural units at the site, which were used to store rainwater.

The reservoirs included roofs built to allow rainwater to travel through gypsum-lined or pottery channels to be stored until needed.

The Commission said that small glass vials, metal pieces, parts of bronze vessels, rings and beads made of ivory and precious stones, were also discovered at the site.

Hammerstones, grinders and pairs of quern stones in various sizes and forms were also found, as well as glazed pottery and bodies, rims and handles of vessels made of pottery and steatite, or soapstone.



Scientists in Japan Develop Plastic that Dissolves in Seawater within Hours 

A researcher shows a sample of ocean-degradable plastic at the Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) of Japanese research institution Riken in Wako, Saitama Prefecture, Japan May 27, 2025. (Reuters) 
A researcher shows a sample of ocean-degradable plastic at the Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) of Japanese research institution Riken in Wako, Saitama Prefecture, Japan May 27, 2025. (Reuters) 
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Scientists in Japan Develop Plastic that Dissolves in Seawater within Hours 

A researcher shows a sample of ocean-degradable plastic at the Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) of Japanese research institution Riken in Wako, Saitama Prefecture, Japan May 27, 2025. (Reuters) 
A researcher shows a sample of ocean-degradable plastic at the Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) of Japanese research institution Riken in Wako, Saitama Prefecture, Japan May 27, 2025. (Reuters) 

Researchers in Japan have developed a plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours, offering up a potential solution for a modern-day scourge polluting oceans and harming wildlife.

While scientists have long experimented with biodegradable plastics, researchers from the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science and the University of Tokyo say their new material breaks down much more quickly and leaves no residual trace.

At a lab in Wako city near Tokyo, the team demonstrated a small piece of plastic vanishing in a container of salt water after it was stirred up for about an hour.

While the team has not yet detailed any plans for commercialization, project lead Takuzo Aida said their research has attracted significant interest, including from those in the packaging sector.

Scientists worldwide are racing to develop innovative solutions to the growing plastic waste crisis, an effort championed by awareness campaigns such as World Environment Day taking place on June 5.

Plastic pollution is set to triple by 2040, the UN Environment Program has predicted, adding 23-37 million metric tons of waste into the world's oceans each year.

"Children cannot choose the planet they will live on. It is our duty as scientists to ensure that we leave them with best possible environment," Aida said.

Aida said the new material is as strong as petroleum-based plastics, but breaks down into its original components when exposed to salt. Those components can then be further processed by naturally occurring bacteria, thereby avoiding generating microplastics that can harm aquatic life and enter the food chain. As salt is also present in soil, a piece about five centimeters (two inches) in size disintegrates on land after over 200 hours, he added.

The material can be used like regular plastic when coated, and the team are focusing their current research on the best coating methods, Aida said. The plastic is non-toxic, non-flammable, and does not emit carbon dioxide, he added.