The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is replete with several thousands of antiquities scattered over the entire length and breadth of the vast Kingdom occupying an area of 900,000 square miles, approximately. These antiquities came to light as a result of systematic surveys and excavations conducted during past three decades by the Kingdom's Antiquities Department and by the Department of Archaeology and Museology at the King Saud University, Riyadh. In the latter case, the scientific excavation was made under my direction, for the first time in the Kingdom, at the Pre-Islamic site of Qaryat al Fau located 700 Km. South west of Riyadh, and dated to 300 B.C. to 300 A.D. As such, this lecture is with special reference to the discoveries made at al-fau, most of them are unique in the Kingdom. However antiquities from other places in the Kingdom are also highlighted. The nature of the Pre-Islamic Saudi Arabian antiquities is very vast and varied. However, they may be broadly classified into five categories: (1) artifacts or smaller articles; (2) architectural remains and monuments; (3) rock art; (4) froscoes; and (5) inscriptions.
Besides indigenous antiquities of local origin, some of them are of foreign origin and some are product of foreign influences. The latter two cases are a result of foreign trade by land and sea with the neighboring countries and International trade passing through Arabia which acted as a corridor between the civilizations of east and west as early as third millennium B.C. Trade routes from Southern Arabia passed through Qaryat al Fau linking major commercial centers of Arabia with Mesopotamia, Syria, Egypt and the Mediterranean and the Arabian Gulf.
I - Artifacts:
Under the first category of antiquities we have the stone tools of the Stone Age man, his domestic utensils, metallic tools and weapons and other articles of the Bronze and Iron Ages, Jewellery of gold, silver, and of beads, coins, Ivory and wooden objects; statuttets and statues of humans as well as animals; seals etc. A large corpus of evidence, tools of the Stone Age man suggest that Saudi Arabia was extensively settled by early man as early as one hundred thousand years before the present. Their settlements are widespread and mostly concentrated along the margins of the deserts; for instance, the Nafud in the north and the Rub al'Khali in the south, southwest and southeast. A large variety of stone or flint tools ranging from the Lower Palaeolithic or the early Stone Age to the Neolithic of the New Stone Age recovered from surveys and excavations are preserved in the National Museum of the Kingdom at Riyadh. Raw stone extracted from the mountains were shaped in different sizes to serve different purposes and were used as axe, chopper, knife, scraper, burin, borer, blade, hammer, points, arrows etc.
The domestic utensils, pottery and soft stone of chloride, vessels used by the ancient man for preserving grains and food, for cooking, for carrying water etc., throw light on the domestic, social and cultural aspects of the life of the people. Shreds of painted 'Ubaid pottery dated to fifth millennium B.c., have been found at several sites in the eastern province of the Kingdom. A unique complete pot of 'Ubaid dated to circa 5100 - 4300 B.C. from khursaniyah is preserved in the National Museum at Riyadh. From Tarut we have black - on - red pottery of Umm an Nar of Emirates with geometric designs and animals drawn on them. From Tarut we have large biconnical carination pots with everted rim, resembling Jamdet Nasr types from Mesopotamia and are dated to 3000 B.C. They are preserved in the National Museum at Riyadh. A large variety of steatite vessels, similar to those found In Oman peninsula were found at Tarut. Alabastar dish and cylindrical jar with stone bowls were also found from Tarut. Four glazed Mesopotamian amphoraes were recovered from a Tarut mound and dated to Selucid-Parthian period. From Quarayyah in the northwest we have varlety of painted pottery dated to 12 - 10 centuries B.C.
Fragments of steatite vessels from the eastern region depict a variety of themes/degigns, such as, weave pattern, step pattern, birds, paim tree etc. exhibit the taste and culture of the people who made and used them. Different types of pottery collected from different far flung regions of the Kingdom suggest development of indigeneous culture.
From the excavations at al Fau settlement, a wide variety of pottery, coarse, fine and glazed and vessels of steatite to serve different domestic purposes were recovered. Jewellery of gold and silver and complete necklaces, pendant etc. were unearthed from al Fau. Two necklaces from Jawan tomb are of gold and semi-precious stones. Bracelets of metal, glass, bone, and Ivory were also found at al Fau. Most of the woven pieces of textiles found at al-Fau are of linen, lambs wool and camel-wool. These places are parts of dresses of men and women and also fabrics which adorned the camels' back and covered litters. Some were extremely soft and woven with fine linen yarn.
The Kinda Kingdom at al Fau minted its own silver and bronze coins in various denominations for domestic consumption and for commercial transactions of external trade passing through it. A large number of coins of silver and bronze-copper, were discovered at al Fau. They comprised locally minted as well as North and south Arabian and foreign coins; dated to Sasanlan, Helenistic and Roman periods. Al Fau coins are characteristic with the figure of their deity “Khal” and his monogram. These features are unique in Saudi Arabia and these characteristics are not found in the Himyrite and Minaean coins which seem to have served as proto-types for al Fau coins.
A statue of Sumerian type was found at Tarut, dating to circa 2500 B.C. A red sandstone statue of man was discovered at Dedan dated to 800 - 400 B.C. Alihyanite head of basalt dated to 4th - 3rd centuries B.C. is found at Yenbu.
Bronze statuttets of human male and female recovered from al Fau are in Hellenistic and Roman style and are of foreign origin. One represents Harpocrates the son goddess and another Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom. One of them has a double-crown, of upper and lower Egypt. A large bronze lion's head from Najran is an outstanding example of animal statues found in the Kingdom. At al Fau two lion heads cast in copper, forming the terminations of two tubes were found. Dolphins and camels in bronze and clay are found at al Fau. Statues of limestone are also found at al Fau. One is of a lady, possibly a goddess or a princess, wearing a crown or a diadem. Another of a lady having a braided hair. A sculpture of hard limestone seems to represent a king. Bas-relief representing a kneeling ibex, sun or moon disc, faade of a shrine are found on a rectangular stone. Archaeological surveys and excavations at Thaj has brought to light a wide variety of articles from the confines of the Pre-Islamic 'Walled' city. Such as: terracotta figurines of both human as well as animals and one of them is of mother goddess of red clay; incense burners; offering bowls; variety of pottery, plain and incised; bronze stamp seals, hundreds of coins of Nabatqnean and south Arabian states and others; etc.
Two very Important coins from Thaj, are tetradrachms, having a head of Heracies on the obverse, wearing a lion skin, and the reverse shows a seated Zeus figure holding a flower in the right hand and holding a sceptre in his hand.
Excavations of numerous burial mounds dated of first millennium B.C. found in Dhahran, are similar to those thousands found in Bahrain, and have produced a large array of antiquitles. They comprise: several gold ornaments; ivory earrings; stamps and amulets of stone, gypsum, diorite, seashell, soapstone etc; beads in different size, shape, colour and material; incen burners, copper ware and metallic articles, pottery and stone vessels; of two seals, one depicts a horse and star and the other a human. One of the stamp is like a small. Egyptian Scarab; large ceramic vessels are same as the ridged pottery from Dilmun. Two gold Jewellery hoards from Dhahran of Seleucid and Partian period consists of a large variety of Jewellery, such as: gold beads, saucer and cylinder shaped gold beats, gold plaques, gold earrings with attached gold beads, pair of gold earrings with vast shaped element, and earrings with pendant plaque, earrings with crushing lions and pomegranate beads, rings with inlaid garnet, gold bracelet with ibex-headed. Finials, etc. This recovery of golden Jewellery suggests that the inhabitants of the north-eastern Arabia accumulated vast amount of wealth with economic prosperity and indicate flourishing of an advance civilization. All these finds suggest Thaj's wider links with other Arabian centers of trade and culture. Some of the pottery shreds from Thaj are preserved at the British Museum.
Ancient Dumat al-Jandal (modern al Jauf) occupied an strategic position in the northern Arabia linking central and southern Arabia with northern Arabia, Petra, Syria etc during the first century B.C. It has several ancient buildings. Recent excavations have brought to light numerous articles: gold ornaments, stamp with a relief in the form of a scarab; coins, pottery, beads, metallic articles, etc.
II - Monuments
Different types of stone structures used by the ancient man as shelter or tomb for burial purpose still exist. The most famous are the Stone pillars at Rajajil, south of Sakaka, dated to the Bronze Age of second millennium B.C. The Tarut tell is also ancient wit its foundations dating to the Neolithic period or 5th - 4th millennium B.C. Elliptical stone structures with ideological indication are found at Thumama, near Riyadh and are dated to second millennium B.C. At Tayma, Dedan, Khayber, al Jauf (Dumat al Jandal), Qurayya etc., we find traces of large walled - town complexes during mod-to-late second millennium B.C. For instance, at al Jouf, the Qasr-Marid is the most impressive structure. It is the most Impressive structure. It is constructed of stones and mud-brick, and functioned as a fortress. It original foundation is seems to date to 3rd century A.D.
At al Fau the architectural remains comprises: a double-storey market (souk) which is unique in Arabia, so far discovered, with well planned shops lined on two opposite sides, a courtyard, corridors, leading to the stores, stair cases, water-well, public conceniences etc. It is built in stone and mud brick, with wide doors capped with semi-circular lintels. The market complex measures 30.25 x 25.20 metres.
Religious buildings are another unique aspect of al Fau so far discovered within Saudi Arabia. These are dedicated to the pre-Islamic deities, Shams, Sin, Wud, 'Abat, and al Hawar. The statuttes found within and outside these religious buildings are similar to those from Syria, Egypt, Palmyra and other Mediterranean countries; and thus suggesting foreign links and influences in religion and culture at al Fau. Blending of different architectural elements are evident from the general rectangular plan of these religious structures which are similar to those found in contemporary south Arabian states as well as at Awratian temple at Altin tepe, In Anatolia.
The residential area unearthed at al Fau with well planned houses, palaces, streets, lanes, hotels, rest-houses, water channels, storage tank, kitchen with oven and hearths, lavatories etc. gives us a vivid picture of the life and society of the people at al Fau suggesting flourishing of an advance civilization. For the dead also, well planned tombs were built at al Fau. Separate tombs for kings, nobility, and common people were built in different sizes and standard. The tombs of the kings are palatial buildings with several rooms/chambers, Interconnected, built in stone and time with permanent stairs for going down.
At Madain Saleh and al Ula in the north western region we have the most prominent monuments of great architectural achievement. At Madain 23 Nabatean tombs have been carved into the rocks and dated to the first century B.C. The details of pediment of tomb facades and internal designs are distinctive feature of Nabatean tomb architecture similar to those found at Petra in Jordan. The rock-cut Minaean tombs wit lions carved in them at al Ula are yet another outstanding remains. An ancient water tank, supposed to be associated with the Lihyanite sanctuary at Khuraibah is 4 metres in diametre and 2.5 metre in depth.
At Taymq several buildings, palaces, city wallk well etc. exist which are dated to first millenium B.C. Nabonius, the Nep-Babyleo king, during his flight sojourned at Tayma and built palaces. From the Qasr al-hamra, a cube of greenish-coloured soft stone was recovered wit relief carvings of a bull with religious symbols of crecent and star. The iconographic motifs are similar to those from Mesopotamia.
III - Rock Art
Saudi Arabia possesses not only largest number but richest rock art in the whole of southwest Asia. It gives us a vivid picture of ancient man's life styles, habits, social, cultural and economic conditions of the people. It speaks about the intellectual ideas and the aesthetic sense of interest and taste of the people who made it.
The early rock art depicts hunting and pastoral people with animals; and had outlined, large and crude figures. As the art developed and took refined shape during Neolithic period, the figures of this period are shown with detailed and realistic physical features, except for facial features which were always vague. The human and animal figures from Jubba and Hanakiya with their deep outlines and fully or partially pecked bodies represent the finniest specimens of the early Neolithic rocj art of Saudi Arabia. Fine life-size anthropomorphic figures of women are found at Bir Hima in the south. Petrogiyphs from Aiduma hills depict cows with cattle brands and human. These brands are hills de[ict cows wit cattle brands and human. These brands are called Wasum, the marks or symbols of identification of ownership. Subsequently, the rock art developed into representation by “stick-figure”.
At the Tuwaiq mountains, overshadowing al Fau settlement, we find life size figure of the deity “Khal” and numerous rocj engravings with Sabaean inscriptions.
The function of prehistoric art was generally for communication or aestheric purpose. In Saudi Arabia, from this pictographic communication system through rock engravings, evolved the alphabets of the Proto-Beduin writing system. The human stick-figures found in the rock art of Saudi Arabia, reveals that they were engraved methodically and arranged systematically with complete synchronization and homogeneity, and repetition of some figures with specific traits are indication of a definite meaning in itself. Some of the human stick figures of rock art are very similar to several letters in north and south Arabic script.
IV - Fresco
Coloured Wall paintings are found in the houses and palaces at al Fau depicting various social activity of the people and their cultural achievements. They depict, male and female in different actions, hunting scene, dancing groups, palm trees, fruits and fruit plucking, domestic and wild animals, water with swimming fishes etc. A large size coloured portrait, of a man wearing a diadem, with two persons in attendance has characteristic features of face, eyes, nose, moustaches, hairstyle, shows resemblance to people of different foreign lands - Central Asian people, Palmayrean, Indian etc., and does not appears to be purely al Fau to give the artist the vision to draw such a portrait. Alternatively the artist might be a foreigner. Bathing women is depicted in one of the scenes. Another has a nude women and a censer, surrounded by a frieze of South Arabian inscription giving her name. Hunting scene depict rider on camel chasing gazelles and ibexes. A scene depicts a camel carrying a hawdaj, and a man holding the tether, surrounded by decorations of vine leaves and stems. A mural shows a bunch of grapes.
V - Inscriptions
Along with graffiti on rocks scattered all over the Kingdom we find several thousands of inscriptions in different Pre-Islamic dialect, Lihyanite, Mineaen, Hasaean, Sabaean etc. Sabaean is dated from circa 1000 B.C. Inscriptions are also found on tomb stones, steles, statues, on walls of houses within the monuments, religious buildings, domestic articles, coins etc. These are either on stone slabs or on metallic plates. The Minaean inscription on stones found at al Jouf are among the rarest found in north Arabia, as Mineaen is very much confined to south Arabia. They reveal to us political, administrative, social economic, religious and cultural aspects and are most important for the study of history and civilization of pre-Islamic Saudi Arabia.
An inscribed stele in Lihyanite measuring one metre in height was found at al Ula. It mentions the names of a family of worshippers of the Lilyanite deity, Thu-ghabat, dated to 3rd century B.C. At al Fau a large number of inscriptions on stone and plaques have been recovered from the excavations of residential area, tombs and religious shrines. They not only reveal the names of the Kinda and Minaean Kings who ruled at al Fau, but reveal names of the nobility, and aspects of life and condition and some historical events. A bilingual Insciption in Nabateaean and Mineaen from Al fau suggests relations between al Fau and Nabataeans in north Arabia.
From Tayma we have an stele which is now preserved in the Louvre Museum. It bears Aramic inscription carved in relief and is dated to circa fifth century B.C. It records how a new deity, Salm of Hajam, alien to Arabia, was introduced at Tayma by the priest salm-Shezeb, who also made an endorsement for the new shrine, and founded an hereditary priesthood. On one side of the stone the deity Salm of Hajam is depicted in Assyrian fashion, and below him a priest is shown standing in front of an altar with the inscription.
A large size basin carved from stone found at Tayma has an Aramic text. Several Aramic Inscriptions from Tayma reveal personal names, sex of individuals, names of deities etc. This Information provides us a glimpse of the ancient population. They are dated to fifth or fourth centuries B.C. Nabataean dedicatory inscriptions are also found at Tayama.
At Thaj, in Arabian Gulf three slabs bearing Sabaean inscription of Southern Arabia were discovered from a grave. One of the slab was used as a headstone for a cist grave. From the same site, fragments of a large jar with painted inscription in Aramic was recovered. These incriptions suggests Thaj had direct links, specially commercial with both the North and South Arabian states; as it was situated on a traditional caravan route linking other trans-Arabian trade routes. Several stelaes of the Hasaitic inscription are found at Thaj around the graves mounds which reveal names of the deceased person's and their genealogical information about the persons descent, official designation he held etc. The Hasiatic labelled after their first discovery at al-Hasa, in eastern province of Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Arabian Antiquities are so unnumerable that it is beyond the scope of this lecture to mention them. I have tried to just highlight them in outline to show their richness, vastness and great potentiality they possess as national treasures for historians, archaeologists and tourists as well.
شارع عبد المقصود خوجة
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