Setting out initially to survey the AlUla hinterland, an area of more than 22,500 square kilometers, Dr. Working with staff and students of King Saud University in Riyadh, they identified more than 16,000 archaeological sites. m was surveyed separately by UK-based Oxford Archaeology. The following year the project was expanded to include the neighboring, heritage-rich region of Khaybar.Ī “core” area of AlUla of 3,300 sq. Thomas is co-director of the Aerial Archaeology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia project, set up in 2018 by the Royal Commission for AlUla, as part of the Identification and Documentation of the Immovable Heritage Assets of AlUla program. In the near future, he believes, “I think we are going to make massive discoveries that are going to change how we view the Middle East completely.”ĭr. “The reality in that in the Neolithic period these areas were significantly greener, and there would have been really sizeable populations of people and herds of animals moving across these landscapes.” “But as we do more and more research, we’re realizing that there was so much more here than small, independent, communities living on nothing much and not doing much in an arid area. Hugh Thomas, a senior research fellow at the University of Western Australia. “A lot of the archaeological focus in the region in the past has been on the Fertile Crescent, running through Jordan, Israel and up into Syria and beyond, and little archaeological attention has been paid to this early material of Saudi Arabia,” said archaeologist Dr. To the archaeologists who have just completed a four-year project to catalogue all the visible archaeology of AlUla County and the nearby Harrat Khaybar volcanic field, the tens of thousands of structures they have found, most between 4,000 and 7,000 years old, are the key to a radical rethinking of the prehistory of the Arabian Peninsula. Delegates will also have the unique opportunity to explore key heritage sites, many of which are presently undergoing active archaeological excavations.LONDON: To the bedouin, the mysterious structures of uncertain age and unknown origin scattered across the harsh and dramatic landscapes of northwestern Saudi Arabia have always been simply the works of “the old men.” A significant focus lies on archaeological research and conservation, a purpose that resonates with AlUla's historical role as a crossroads of civilizations, fostering the exchange of ideas and knowledge. The Royal Commission for AlUla is driving this summit as part of its broader initiative to rejuvenate AlUla as a global hub for cultural and natural heritage. Shadreck Chirikure from the University of Oxford, Jyoti Hosagrahar from UNESCO, and Gary Martin, the founder of the Global Diversity Foundation, will also contribute their perspectives. Meanwhile, international voices like Prof. Suleiman Altheeb, an expert in ancient Arabian scripts and languages. Daif Allah Al-Talhi, a distinguished archaeology professor and Prof. The list of notable Saudi speakers includes Manal Al-Dowayan, a renowned visual artist Jasir Alherbish, the CEO of the Saudi Heritage Commission Prof. This event coincides with Saudi Arabia hosting the 45th assembly of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Riyadh.
It will take place at the Maraya venue in AlUla, known as the world's largest mirrored building. This summit will serve as a gathering point for over 300 attendees, engaging in discussions on a wide range of topics to inspire heritage-based solutions for contemporary challenges.
The AlUla World Archaeology Summit, scheduled from September 13th to the 15th, will launch its first conference with a diverse lineup of over 80 speakers from Saudi Arabia and around the world, with the aim of fostering fresh insights and creative thinking in the field of archaeology.
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