In a move to redraw the features of human history in the Arabian Peninsula, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Minister of Culture and Chairman of the Heritage Authority in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, announced an exceptional archaeological discovery in the “Masyoun” site northwest of Tabuk, which is the oldest of its kind in the region. The history of the settlement dates back to the pre -pottery Neolithic period, that is, to the period between 11 thousand and 10 thousand and three hundred years of the present time.
From the record of antiquities to a global discovery
Although the site was included in the national antiquities record since 1978, field studies that started in December 2022 revived its historical importance. The results demonstrated that it is an early model of human stability in the Arabian Peninsula, which makes this discovery a turning point in understanding the beginnings of human urbanization.
Common scientific efforts
This discovery came as a result of a high -level scientific cooperation between the Saudi Heritage Authority and the Japanese University of Kanazawa, and in partnership with the “NEOM” project, to be an example of the concerted local and international efforts in the service of human heritage. The team implemented four intense field seasons until May 2024, which was characterized by scientific accuracy and the rigor of the methodology.
Sophisticated architecture and an active life
Excavations revealed semi -circular architectural units built with local granite stones, which included residential buildings, warehouses, corridors and fire stoves, in advanced planning that is appropriate to the lifestyle based on fishing and grain cultivation. Stone tools such as arrows, knives and mills were also found, in addition to rare decorative tools made of Amazonite, quarters and shells, indicating the presence of productive activity and possibly a primitive trade exchange.
Social and symbolic evidence
In addition to the physical structures, the researchers discovered rare remains of human and animal structures, and stone pieces decorated with geometric lines with symbolic connotations. These finds give researchers a deeper window to understand the social, economic and cultural life in the region during the Neolithic period.
Global civilization importance
The Heritage Authority confirmed that the discovery reinforces the hypothesis that the northwest of the Kingdom was a natural extension of the “fertile crescent” that extends from Mesopotamia and the Levant to the south of Anatolia, and it was an early home to human transformations from traveling to stability. This gives him a global dimension in studying the history of civilizations.
Kingdom Heritage and Vision 2030
This disclosure comes within the efforts of the Saudi Heritage Authority to document archaeological sites, and to expand cooperation with international research centers, in order to achieve the Kingdom’s 2030 vision. The Kingdom’s commitment to making its human heritage reflects a cognitive beacon that enriches global awareness of human history and the development of its civilizations.
