Related Research Articles
The Epipalaeolithic Near East designates the Epipalaeolithic in the prehistory of the Near East. It is the period after the Upper Palaeolithic and before the Neolithic, between approximately 20,000 and 10,000 years Before Present (BP). The people of the Epipalaeolithic were nomadic hunter-gatherers who generally lived in small, seasonal camps rather than permanent villages. They made sophisticated stone tools using microliths—small, finely-produced blades that were hafted in wooden implements. These are the primary artifacts by which archaeologists recognise and classify Epipalaeolithic sites.
Ḥaʼil Province, also known as the Ha'il Region, is one of the 13 provinces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is the eighth-largest province by area at 103,887 km2 (40,111 sq mi) and the ninth-largest by population, with the population in 2019 being 731,147. The province accounts for roughly 2% of the population of the country and is named for its largest city, Ha'il. Other populous cities in the province include al-Ghazalah, Shinan and Baq'aa. The region is famous for the twin mountain ranges of 'Aja and Salma, and for being the homeland of historic symbol of curiosity and generosity, Hatim al-Ta`i.
In archaeology, rock art is human-made markings placed on natural surfaces, typically vertical stone surfaces. A high proportion of surviving historic and prehistoric rock art is found in caves or partly enclosed rock shelters; this type also may be called cave art or parietal art. A global phenomenon, rock art is found in many culturally diverse regions of the world. It has been produced in many contexts throughout human history. In terms of technique, the four main groups are:
Dumat al-Jandal, also known as Al-Jawf or Al-Jouf, is an ancient city of ruins and the historical capital of the Al Jawf Province, northwestern Saudi Arabia. It is located 37 km away from Sakakah. The name Dumat al-Jandal means literally "Dumah of the Stone"; the name Al-Jawf means "depression", referring to Wadi Sirhan. The city's ancient Akkadian name was Adummatu. Dumat al-Jandal has a boundary wall which is considered a historical site. Moreover, there is an oasis that has a number of ruins.
Hegra, known to Muslims as Al-Hijr, also known as Mada’in Salih, is an archaeological site located in the area of Al-'Ula within Medina Province in the Hejaz region, Saudi Arabia. A majority of the remains date from the Nabataean Kingdom. The site constitutes the kingdom's southernmost and second largest city after Petra, its capital city. Traces of Lihyanite and Roman occupation before and after the Nabatean rule, respectively, can also be found.
Saudi Arabia is the second biggest tourist destination in the Middle East with over 16 million visiting in 2017. Although most tourism in Saudi Arabia still largely involves religious pilgrimages, there is growth in the leisure tourism sector. As the tourism sector has been largely boosted lately, the sector is expected to be the white oil for Saudi Arabia. This is proved as tourism sector is expected to generate $25 billion in 2019. Potential tourist areas include the Hijaz and Sarawat Mountains, Red Sea diving and a number of ancient ruins.
Thirteen ancient towns have been discovered in Saudi Arabia up to the present day. These include Qaryat al-Fāw, the Al-Ukhdūd archeological area, Hegra, Jubbah, Tārūt, Al-Shuwayḥaṭiyah, Thāj, Taimaa and Dūmat Al-Jandal. There are still more ancient towns in Saudi Arabia, but little information is currently available on them. Saudi Arabia occupies a unique and distinctive geographic location, bridging civilizations between continents. In ancient times the Arabian peninsula served as a corridor for trade; therefore it saw the beginning of many civilizations, the relics of which are still evident today. The Saudi government has recently established the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, which is responsible for the preservation of these cities.
Ḥarrat Khaybar is a volcanic field located north of Medina in the Hejaz, Saudi Arabia. It covers an area approximately 12,000 km2 (4,600 sq mi). The most recent eruption occurred between 600 and 700 AD. Man-made stone structures dating to the Neolithic period have been studied in Harrat Khaybar.
Saudi Arabian art is contextual to the country being the birthplace of Islam; it includes both the arts of Bedouin nomads and those of the sedentary peoples of regions such as the Hejaz, Tihamah, Asir and Najd.
Bir Hima is a rock art site in Najran province, in southwest Saudi Arabia, about 200 kilometres (120 mi) north of the city of Najran. An ancient Palaeolithic and Neolithic site, the Bir Hima Complex covers the time period of 7000–1000 BC. Bir Hima contains numerous troughs whose type is similar from North Arabia to Yemen.
Dosariyah is an archeological site in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, dating to the late 6th and early 5th millennium BCE. The spectrum of archaeological remains relate the site to the Arabian Neolithic. The earliest samples of Ubaid style pottery in Saudi Arabia were found at Dosariyah.
Archaeology of Qatar as a field study began in 1956. Three major expeditions were carried out in Qatar throughout the mid-20th century, with the first being launched by a Danish team who began work in the 1950s. This was followed by British and French expeditions in 1970s and 1980s, respectively. Approximately 200 archaeological sites were discovered during these expeditions, with the most extensive being the coastal areas of Al Da'asa, Ras Abrouq and Al Khor Island. Artifacts such as flint tools, Ubaid and Barbar pottery and encampments were found in situ.
Rock Art in the Ha'il Region is the fourth site in Saudi Arabia to be inscribed on the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites. The rock art includes two components situated in the desert of the Ha'il Region: the first is Om Sinman mountain at the city of Jubbah, and the second is al-Manjor and Raat at Al-Shuwaymis. An ancient population left traces of their passings in petroglyphs on the rock's surface, holding 8,000 years of history.
Jubbah or Jubbat Ha'il is a city in Ha'il Region, Saudi Arabia, 90 kilometres (56 mi) north-west of the city of Ha'il. The city lies on the old caravan road between Najd and the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Although completely surrounded by the vast Nefud Desert, Jubbah is known for its abundant agriculture and plentiful water and has a population of 20,000.
Gobustan Rock Art represents flora and fauna, hunting, lifestyles, and culture of pre-historic and medieval periods of time. The carvings on the rocks illustrates primitive men, ritual dances, men with lances in their hands, animals, bull fights, camel caravans, and pictures of the sun and stars. The date of these carvings goes back to 5,000 – 20,000 years before present.
Baaz Rockshelter is a prehistoric archaeological site in Syria. Located in the foothills of the Anti-Lebanon Mountains about 50 km northeast of Damascus, the site consists of a small rock shelter favourably situated overlooking the nearby plains and springs. Excavations have revealed that it was intermittently occupied during the Upper Palaeolithic, Late Epipalaeolithic, and Pre-Pottery and Pottery Neolithic.
Desert kites are dry stone wall structures found in Southwest Asia, which were first discovered from the air during the 1920s. There are over 6,000 known desert kites, with sizes ranging from less than a hundred metres to several kilometres. They typically have a kite shape formed by two convergent "antennae" that run towards an enclosure, all formed by walls of dry stone less than one metre high, but variations exist.
Mundafan was a former lake in Saudi Arabia, within presently desert-like areas. It formed during the Pleistocene and Holocene, when orbitally mediated changes in climate increased monsoon precipitation in the peninsula, allowing runoff to form a lake with a maximum area of 300 square kilometres (120 sq mi). It was populated by fishes and surrounded by reeds and savanna, which supported human populations.
The archaeology of Saudi Arabia includes the following archaeological sites:
References
- ↑ "Monumental Sandstone Reliefs from the Neolithic: New Insights from the Camel Site in Saudi Arabia". American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR). Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ↑ "Oldest Animal Art - Archaeology Magazine". www.archaeology.org. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ↑ "Camel carvings dating back 2,000 years found in Saudi Arabia". Al Arabiya English. 2018-02-15. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ↑ Guagnin, Maria; Charloux, Guillaume; AlSharekh, Abdullah M.; Crassard, Rémy; Hilbert, Yamandú H.; Andreae, Meinrat O.; AlAmri, Abdullah; Preusser, Frank; Dubois, Fulbert; Burgos, Franck; Flohr, Pascal; Mora, Pascal; AlQaeed, Ahmad; AlAli, Yasser (2022-04-01). "Life-sized Neolithic camel sculptures in Arabia: A scientific assessment of the craftsmanship and age of the Camel Site reliefs". Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. 42: 103165. doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2021.103165. ISSN 2352-409X.
- ↑ "Archaeological sites discovered constitute only 15% of KSA's treasures: Heritage Commission CEO". Saudigazette. 2022-09-28. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ↑ Mahmoud, Marwa (2021-09-20). "KSA discovers the oldest animal carving site in the world". Leaders. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ↑ Guagnin, Maria; Charloux, Guillaume; AlSharekh, Abdullah M.; Crassard, Rémy; Hilbert, Yamandú H.; Andreae, Meinrat O.; AlAmri, Abdullah; Preusser, Frank; Dubois, Fulbert; Burgos, Franck; Flohr, Pascal; Mora, Pascal; AlQaeed, Ahmad; AlAli, Yasser (2022-04-01). "Life-sized Neolithic camel sculptures in Arabia: A scientific assessment of the craftsmanship and age of the Camel Site reliefs". Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. 42: 103165. doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2021.103165. ISSN 2352-409X.
