Archaeologists of Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities have excavated a site and discovered a number of archaeological pieces dating back to the Stone Age in Alghat, Riyadh province.
“The antiquities prove that there were intense human activities in the area in ages before history,” the SCTA said in a statement on Saturday.
Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Ghabban, vice president for antiquities and museums, said the Stone Age antiquities were found in Quwaira.
“Our archaeologists have also located rock engravings and drawings in the area,” he said. He said the engravings belonging to Thamudites were found northeast of Alghat and on the west bank of Wadi Markh. They also found models of animals such as horses, camels, ibex and ostrich in the area.
Rock drawings have been located in a hill between Um Shadad and Wadi Markh, east of old Majmaa-Alghat Road.
“The antiquities found in the area date back to the Stone Age and are more than 80,000 years old,” Al-Ghabban pointed out.
Over the past years, several antiquities have been excavated in different parts of the Kingdom reflecting its glorious history. SCTA is exhibiting about 320 archeological masterpieces in the “Roads to Arabia” exhibition, which has already visited Paris and Barcelona. It will also be staged in Russia and Germany.
The relics cover many historic periods starting from the ancient Stone Age (one million year BC) till Saudi Renaissance time. This long period includes the Stone Age, the Slave Age (5th Millennium BC), the Delmon period, early middle and late Arabian kingdoms, the prophetic age, the Umayyad, Abbasids, middle and late Islamic period and lastly the unification of the Kingdom.
Source: Arab News [April 09, 2011]
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| One of the locations where SCTA archaeologists excavated remnants of Stone Age antiquities in Alghat near Riyadh [Credit: SPA] |
Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Ghabban, vice president for antiquities and museums, said the Stone Age antiquities were found in Quwaira.
“Our archaeologists have also located rock engravings and drawings in the area,” he said. He said the engravings belonging to Thamudites were found northeast of Alghat and on the west bank of Wadi Markh. They also found models of animals such as horses, camels, ibex and ostrich in the area.
Rock drawings have been located in a hill between Um Shadad and Wadi Markh, east of old Majmaa-Alghat Road.
“The antiquities found in the area date back to the Stone Age and are more than 80,000 years old,” Al-Ghabban pointed out.
Over the past years, several antiquities have been excavated in different parts of the Kingdom reflecting its glorious history. SCTA is exhibiting about 320 archeological masterpieces in the “Roads to Arabia” exhibition, which has already visited Paris and Barcelona. It will also be staged in Russia and Germany.
The relics cover many historic periods starting from the ancient Stone Age (one million year BC) till Saudi Renaissance time. This long period includes the Stone Age, the Slave Age (5th Millennium BC), the Delmon period, early middle and late Arabian kingdoms, the prophetic age, the Umayyad, Abbasids, middle and late Islamic period and lastly the unification of the Kingdom.
Source: Arab News [April 09, 2011]
