Ancient city uncovered beneath Saudi oasis reshapes history
Archaeologists have made an extraordinary discovery in Saudi Arabia. Beneath the Khaybar oasis in the Madinah province, they identified traces of an ancient Bronze Age city that existed around 2400 B.C. This site, named al-Natah, is among the first evidence of urbanization in the northern part of the Arabian Peninsula.
7:46 AM EST, November 4, 2024
Khaybar, an oasis located in the northwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula, is a highly fertile area surrounded by vast deserts. It was here that archaeologists found building structures with solid foundations capable of supporting at least one-story and even two-story houses.
These remnants are evidence of a relatively advanced form of urban settlement during a time when most of the region was still dominated by pastoral communities. Research indicates that from 2400 B.C. to around 1300 B.C., al-Natah developed as a small urban settlement. It covered an area of about 4 acres and had approximately 500 residents.
The findings suggest that the city had a clearly organized structure with a central district surrounded by a protective wall and a residential area, reflecting the transition from nomadism to a settled lifestyle.
On the outskirts of the city, scientists discovered a cluster of graves forming a sort of necropolis. In these graves, metal objects including axes and daggers were found, along with semi-precious stone ornaments such as agate. This suggests that the inhabitants of al-Natah had craft skills and engaged in trade with other communities.
The diversity of the burials indicates the existence of social stratification, further evidence of the gradual evolution of this place from a pastoral settlement to a more complex urban community.
Significance of the discovery for studies on early urbanization
Archaeologists believe that northwestern Arabia during the Bronze Age was inhabited by nomadic pastoral groups, which were already part of an extensive trade network.
Compared to neighboring oasis centers, we propose that northwestern Arabia during the Bronze Age was dominated by pastoral groups, which were already integrated into far-reaching trade networks, write the scientists in an article published in the journal PLoS ONE.
These trade networks may have been precursors to the later "incense route," through which spices, incense, and myrrh from southern Arabia reached the Mediterranean region.
Researchers emphasize that the discovery of al-Natah provides the first evidence of the existence of small fortified cities in northwestern Arabia during the Bronze Age, raising new questions about the development of local urbanization.
