Revealing Cultural Landscapes in North-West Arabia

These papers present a range of recent discoveries that demonstrate north-west Arabia’s centrality to understanding the greater region and further, and to begin to clarify the extraordinary richness of life in this pivotal zone of the Arabian Peninsula from the Palaeolithic through to the Islamic period.

While Saudi Arabia’s first inscribed World Heritage Site, Hegra (al-Hijr) – Nabataean sister city of Petra – may be the best-known archaeological site in north-west Saudi Arabia, the region is extremely rich in cultural heritage beyond it. The special session Revealing Cultural Landscapes in North-west Arabia, included in the 54th Seminar for Arabian Studies (delayed from 2020 to 2021), presented the latest findings at a range of sites in this critical but understudied area of Saudi Arabia, showcasing a deep and complex past through many millennia. Since the establishment of the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) in 2017, a result of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, extraordinary attention and resources have been exacted on the study of the archaeological assets and cultural heritage of al-?Ula County, within its oases and beyond, and shortly after of Khaybar, when parts came under RCU’s jurisdiction. A strategy and initial programme of research projects were established, and in 2019 the French Agency for the Development of AlUla (Afalula), the key partner of RCU, began sponsoring archaeological research as well. Unsurprisingly, therefore, recent work in al-?Ula and Khaybar predominate the volume. The results and analyses offered in the articles derive from survey, extensive targeted excavation at multiple sites, and intensive excavation and studies at single sites. Together the papers present a range of recent discoveries that demonstrate north-west Arabia’s centrality to understanding the greater region and further, and to begin to clarify the extraordinary richness of life in this pivotal zone of the Arabian Peninsula from the Palaeolithic through to the Islamic period.

Guidelines and Transliteration Editor's Foreword Discovering al-'Ula (AlUla): extensive landscape survey and targeted excavations in the al-'Ula Core Area - Laura Morabito, Jamie Quartermaine, Kirk Roberts, Christopher A. Tuttle & Wael Abu-Azizeh Results from the aerial archaeology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, al-?Ula (AlUla) and Khaybar Projects: 2018-2021 - Hugh Thomas, Melissa A. Kennedy, Matthew Dalton, Jane McMahon, Rebecca Repper, David D. Boyer & Aimee-Leah Gellard Mapping an Arabian oasis: first results of the UCOP systematic survey of al-'Ula (AlUla) Valley (2019-2021) - Julien Charbonnier, Yasmin Kanhoush, Julie Gravier, Gael Gourret, Imane Achouche, Vincent Bernollin, Sofian Boudia, Walter Bucci, Barbara Chiti, Pascale Clauss-Balty, Vincent Colard, Emmanuelle Devaux, Armance Dupont-Delaleuf, Alexandre De Smet, Cassandra Furstos, Julie Goy, Mathias Haze, Tobias Hofstetter, Romuald Housse, Thomas Huet, Celine Marquaire, Maria Paola Pellegrino, Catherine Raad, Jean-Daniel Ricart, Alexia Rosak, Ahmad F. Said, David Serres, Pierre Simeon, Francelin Tourtet & Jessica Giraud Khaybar through time. First results of the Khaybar Longue Duree Archaeological Project (2020-2021) in the light of historical sources - Guillaume Charloux, Remy Crassard, Munirah AlMushawh, Diaa Albukaai, Guillaume Chung-To, Bruno Depreux, Kevin Guadagnini, Laurence Hapiot, Yamandu H. Hilbert, Stephen McPhillips, Jerome Norris, Emmanuelle Regagnon, Shadi Shabo & Saifi Alshilali The Camel Site reliefs - an investigation of the site's original layout and use - Maria Guagnin, Guillaume Charloux, Mathew Stewart, Pascal Mora, Abdullah M. Alsharekh, Yamandu Hilbert, Huw S. Groucutt, Ahmad AlQaeed & Yasser AlAli The Horn Chamber Mustatil: a Neolithic open-air sanctuary evidencing pastoral nomadic ritual activity in the north-western Arabian Desert (al-?Ula [AlUla]) - Wael Abu-Azizeh, Jacqueline Studer, Saeed Alahmari, Angela Boyle, Lucie Dausse, Jamie Quartermaine, Laura Strolin, Olivier Tombret & Antoine Zazzo New clues to the development of the oasis of Dadan. Results from a test excavation at Tall al-Salimiyah (al-'Ula [AlUla], Saudi Arabia) - Jerome Rohmer, Fabien Lesguer, Charlene Bouchaud, Louise Purdue, Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani, Francelin Tourtet, Herve Monchot, Vladimir Dabrowski, Alexia Decaix, Xavier Desormeau, Rozan Alkhatib Alkontar & Hugo Reiller Hegra (al-Hijr), a Lihyanite caravan city? A reassessment of the early settlement in Hegra/Mada in Salih - Caroline Durand & Thomas Bauzou,

Guidelines and Transliteration

Editor’s Foreword

Discovering al‑ʿUlā (AlUla): extensive landscape survey and targeted excavations in the al‑ʿUlā Core Area – Laura Morabito, Jamie Quartermaine, Kirk Roberts, Christopher A. Tuttle & Wael Abu-Azizeh

Results from the aerial archaeology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, al‑ʿUlā (AlUla) and Khaybar Projects: 2018–2021 – Hugh Thomas, Melissa A. Kennedy, Matthew Dalton, Jane McMahon, Rebecca Repper, David D. Boyer & Aimee-Leah Gellard

Mapping an Arabian oasis: first results of the UCOP systematic survey of al‑ʿUlā (AlUla) Valley (2019–2021) – Julien Charbonnier, Yasmin Kanhoush, Julie Gravier, Gaël Gourret, Imane Achouche, Vincent Bernollin, Sofian Boudia, Walter Bucci, Barbara Chiti, Pascale Clauss-Balty, Vincent Colard, Emmanuelle Devaux, Armance Dupont-Delaleuf, Alexandre De Smet, Cassandra Furstos, Julie Goy, Mathias Haze, Tobias Hofstetter, Romuald Housse, Thomas Huet, Céline Marquaire, Maria Paola Pellegrino, Catherine Raad, Jean-Daniel Ricart, Alexia Rosak, Ahmad F. Saïd, David Serres, Pierre Siméon, Francelin Tourtet & Jessica Giraud

Khaybar through time. First results of the Khaybar Longue Durée Archaeological Project (2020−2021) in the light of historical sources – Guillaume Charloux, Rémy Crassard, Munirah AlMushawh, Diaa Albukaai, Guillaume Chung-To, Bruno Depreux, Kévin Guadagnini, Laurence Hapiot, Yamandú H. Hilbert, Stephen McPhillips, Jérôme Norris, Emmanuelle Régagnon, Shadi Shabo & Saifi Alshilali

The Camel Site reliefs — an investigation of the site’s original layout and use – Maria Guagnin, Guillaume Charloux, Mathew Stewart, Pascal Mora, Abdullah M. Alsharekh, Yamandú Hilbert, Huw S. Groucutt, Ahmad AlQaeed & Yasser AlAli

The Horn Chamber Mustatil: a Neolithic open-air sanctuary evidencing pastoral nomadic ritual activity in the north-western Arabian Desert (al‑ʿUlā [AlUla]) – Wael Abu-Azizeh, Jacqueline Studer, Saeed Alahmari, Angela Boyle, Lucie Dausse, Jamie Quartermaine, Laura Strolin, Olivier Tombret & Antoine Zazzo

New clues to the development of the oasis of Dadan. Results from a test excavation at Tall al‑Sālimīyah (al‑ʿUlā [AlUla], Saudi Arabia) – Jérôme Rohmer, Fabien Lesguer, Charlène Bouchaud, Louise Purdue, Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani, Francelin Tourtet, Hervé Monchot, Vladimir Dabrowski, Alexia Decaix, Xavier Desormeau, Rozan Alkhatib Alkontar & Hugo Reiller

Ḥegrā (al-Ḥijr), a Lihyanite caravan city? A reassessment of the early settlement in Ḥegrā/Madāʾin Ṣāliḥ – Caroline Durand & Thomas Bauzou

• Edited by Rebecca Foote
• Edited by Maria Guagnin
• Edited by Ingrid Périssé
• Edited by Steve Karacic