Saudi Arabia's Heritage Commission discovers ancient human settlements

New findings south of Riyadh date back to Neolithic period

Led by the Saudi Heritage Commission, a group of Saudi and French archaeologists have uncovered new findings in the Al Faw archaeological area south of Riyadh that may provide insights into ancient human settlements.

With the help of several tools, such as archaeological probe distribution, laser scanning and ground-penetrating radar, drone topographic surveying, geophysical surveying and light detection, the team where able to discover the remains of settlements dating back to the Neolithic period.

This latest discovery has provided the team with a deeper understanding of the religious practices of the ancient city.

Religious rock inscriptions were found, addressed to Khaal, an ancient deity of Al Faw. And remote sensing images revealed several agricultural fields that archaeologists believe added to the ancient city’s food security.

The foundations of four monumental buildings were also found. These buildings identified the irrigation system, which contained hundreds of underground reservoirs that ancient residents dug to store water for areas that were used for agriculture.

Rock drawings were also discovered etched into Tuwaiq Mountain that depict daily activities, including hunting, travelling and fighting.

The excavations and fieldwork of the Al Faw site began 40 years ago, owed to the efforts of the King Saud University, led by Saudi archaeologist Dr Abdulrahman Al-Ansari.