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Research in north-west Arabia uncovers one of world's oldest series of monumental structures as AlUla reveals details of its new global hub for archaeology – the Kingdoms Institute

ALULA, Saudi Arabia, April 29, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

The Kingdoms Institute – AlUla's global hub for archaeological and conservation

research announced earlier this month – is providing the platform for

pioneering scientific research and discovery in Arabia's 22,000 square

kilometre Living Museum.

Detailed study in AlUla and beyond uncovers one of the oldest monumental

building traditions yet identified: 'This will transform how we view Neolithic

societies.'

Researchers conducted an unprecedented aerial survey of AlUla and the

surrounding region followed by extensive ground survey and targeted excavation.

The Kingdoms Institute, the recently unveiled centre for archaeological

research and conservation studies in AlUla, today announced a significant

archaeological discovery in north-west Saudi Arabia: the monumental, complex

structures called mustatils are more ancient than previously believed. The

update comes on the anniversary of the announcement of Saudi Vision 2030, which

was unveiled five years ago this week, and to which The Kingdoms Institute will

be a key contributor.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:

https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8889651-alula-reveals-new-global-hub-for-archaeology-the-kingdoms-institute/

The study and conclusions will be detailed and published in the peer-reviewed

journal Antiquity on April 30th, 2021.

The Kingdoms Institute, unveiled earlier this month, was established under the

auspices of the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU). The RCU has been conducting a

programme of extensive research across AlUla County that is expanding knowledge

of the area's human history while also becoming the intellectual foundation of

the institute as a global hub for archaeological research and conservation.

His Highness Prince Badr, the Saudi Minister of Culture and Governor of the

RCU, said: "Inspired by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s Vision for AlUla

to protect 200,000 years of history, AlUla's cultural legacy continues with the

Kingdoms Institute: a global hub for knowledge, research and collaboration,

exploring the frontiers of archaeology and unlocking new careers for our

community. A place for discovery and celebration, as we unfold Arabia's

contribution to humanity."

Largest study to date

While the existence of the mustatils was previously known, the more than 1,000

mustatils that the RCU-commissioned team recorded are roughly twice as many as

were previously identified.

The unprecedented aerial and ground research by a team from the University of

Western Australia surveyed vast stretches of the region by remote sensing and

helicopter. After recording their presence from the air, the team then explored

some 40 at ground level and excavated one – altogether constituting the largest

study of mustatils to date. These ancient structures in the Arabian desert

provide early evidence of ritual activity.

Radiocarbon dating of a cattle horn and tooth that were found in a chamber at

one mustatil in AlUla, and which, along with others, appear to have been used

as ritual offerings, revealed a Late Neolithic, sixth-millennium BC date.

Mustatil research is a priority for the RCU. The campaign of archaeological

research across AlUla, including the mustatil discoveries, is currently

featured in the Discovery Channel documentary series Architects of Ancient

Arabia.

A centre of discovery                                      

The Kingdoms Institute is being established as a world-class scientific centre

for archaeological and conservation research, dedicated to the study of the

history and prehistory of the Arabian Peninsula and aiming to preserve its

legacy as the crossroads connecting three continents, supported by fieldwork

across AlUla County that is already filling gaps in the region's natural and

human history.

Inspired by the role of AlUla as a cultural crossroads and its historical

importance in the global cultural and trade exchange, the Kingdoms Institute

will be an academic centre as well as a cultural platform for knowledge,

exploration and inspiration. It will be one of the pillars of the cultural

infrastructure in AlUla within The Journey Through Time Masterplan, launched

this month.

The Kingdoms Institute will help fulfill Vision 2030's goal of advancing Saudi

Arabia as a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation. In

addition to developing a global hub on the AlUla County's history, The Kingdoms

Institute will also train the next generation of Saudi archaeologists and

future leaders of the institute, opening new avenues for the nation's young

professionals.

The Kingdoms Institute's permanent home, a red-sandstone structure that will

echo the monumental works of the Dadan civilisation, will open its doors to its

first visitors by 2030. The RCU estimates that the institute will have 838,000

visitors a year by 2035 in a permanent home covering 28,857 square metres at

its location in the Dadan District of AlUla.

Its permanent physical presence is still in the planning stages, but as an

active research organisation since the inception of the RCU, over 100

archaeologists are already digging, surveying and conducting associated studies

across AlUla during seasonal fieldwork. The institute's permanent collection is

growing as well.

Although the Kingdoms Institute's mandate covers AlUla's 200,000 years of human

and natural history, the 'era of the kingdoms' – the time of the Dadan, Lihyan

and Nabataean kingdoms circa 1000 BCE to 106 CE – will be an area of emphasis

for the institute.

The institute will have under its scope dozens of archaeological and

conservation missions involving experts of multiple allied disciplines working

across AlUla County. Already efforts involve teams from Saudi and international

institutions, including King Saud University – which has performed invaluable

groundwork at AlUla over the past 15 years – as well as UNESCO, ICOMOS,

France's Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Germany's Deutsches

Archäologisches Institut and the University of Western Australia, among others.

"We have only begun to tell the hidden story of the Ancient Kingdoms of North

Arabia," said José Ignacio Gallego Revilla, the RCU's Archaeology, Heritage

Research and Conservation Executive Director. "There is much more to come as we

reveal the depth and breadth of the area's archaeological heritage, which for

decades has been under-represented, but which will finally have the showcase it

deserves in the Kingdoms Institute."

Not only will the institute peel back the layers of AlUla's deep history and

inter-cultural influence through the lens of archaeological discovery, but also

develop national and international training programmes, academic and

vocational, highlighting state-of-the-art methods and techniques, deeply

investing in the next generation of Saudi specialists to sustain The Kingdoms

Institute for generations to come.

Progress has already been made with the appointment of Dr Abdulrahman

Alsuhaibani as Acting Director of Museums and Exhibitions, as well as Munirah

Almushawh, as the first female archaeologist co-directing an archaeological

project in Saudi Arabia.

Dr Rebecca Foote, Director of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Research for

RCU, said: "With the many research programmes under way, AlUla County is

becoming the most active area of archaeological research in the Middle East. We

have just completed surveying its more than 22,000 sq km of terrain from the

air and on the ground and recorded more than 30,000 areas of archaeological

significance. Targeted excavations at more than 50 of those sites are providing

data to inform especially later prehistory (circa 6,000-2,000 BCE) with

astonishing results such as our new insights into the mustatils."

To learn more about the Kingdoms Institute and The Journey Through Time

Masterplan, visit https://ucl.rcu.gov.sa/

About AlUla

Located 1,100km from Riyadh in north-west Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a place of

extraordinary natural and human heritage. The vast area, covering 22,561km²,

includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains and ancient cultural

heritage sites dating back thousands of years.

The most well-known and recognised site in AlUla is Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first

UNESCO World Heritage Site. A 52-hectare ancient city, Hegra was the principal

southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and is comprised of nearly 100

well-preserved tombs with elaborate facades cut into sandstone outcrops.

Current research suggests Hegra was the most southern outpost of the Romans

after conquering the Nabataeans in 106 CE.

In addition to Hegra, AlUla is home to a series of fascinating historical and

archaeological sites such as: an Old Town surrounded by an ancient oasis;

Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms, which is considered one of

the most developed 1st-millennium BCE cities of the Arabian Peninsula;

thousands of ancient rock art sites and inscriptions in Jabal Ikmah; and Hijaz

Railway stations.

Note to editors:

Kingdoms Institute is plural, no possessive.

It is always AlUla / not Al-Ula

About the Royal Commission for AlUla

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) was established by royal decree in July

2017 to preserve and develop AlUla, a region of outstanding natural and

cultural significance in north-west Saudi Arabia. RCU's long-term plan outlines

a responsible, sustainable, and sensitive approach to urban and economic

development, that preserves the area's natural and historic heritage, while

establishing AlUla as a desirable location to live, work, and visit. This

encompasses a broad range of initiatives across archaeology, tourism, culture,

education and the arts, reflecting a commitment to meeting the economic

diversification, local community empowerment, and heritage preservation

priorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 programme.

Photo -

https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1499035/Kingdoms_Institute_Conceptual_design.jpg

Source: Royal Commission for AlUla, Saudi Arabia