Ancient artefacts discovered in Saudi Arabia’s Najran
Al Okhdood is one of the most important archaeological sites in Arabian Peninsula
ASaudi archaeological team has discovered a pottery jar containing more than 1,000 ancient coins, metal seals and stones with inscriptions in the ancient South Arabian script (Musnad) dating back to the first century.
The rare archaeological find by the team under the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) is the latest evidence of the cultural, social and political prosperity of Al Okhdood in Najran in southern Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
Saudi tourism authorities refer to Al Okhdood as one of the most important monuments and archaeological sites in the kingdom.
The site features a castle built of stone and surrounded by a 235-metre long wall that has one gate on its west side.
Al Okhdood’s history
The carvings and inscriptions on the stone that date back more than 1,750 years make the city of Al Okhdood one of the richest ancient sites in the Arabian Peninsula.
Al Okhdood was a highly important cultural tourism and historical landmark in Najran, an area deeply steeped in history with more than 100 archaeological sites.
The origin of Najran’s civilisation, according to the latest archaeological discoveries, goes back to the Upper Paleolithic period. Archaeologists have also found traces of ancient lakes that have since dried up, but which proved the historical importance of the region as a focal point in the struggle of the ancient Arab kingdoms seeking to control the green oasis and to benefit from its economic significance as a major conduit for highly valued trade routes.
Another historical landmark of Al Okhdood site is the hole drilled by the pagan king of Humairi and which dates back to the time when Christianity emerged.
Historians believe that around 1,500 people who converted to Christianity in AD525 were burnt inside the hole in which wood and fuel were placed.
1,750 years is the estimated age of the carvings and inscriptions