Ancient town dating back to 2,400 BC discovered in Saudi Arabia

Archaeologists have uncovered a 4,000-year-old abandoned town in Saudi Arabia’s Khaybar oasis.

Published in PLOS One, the town known as al-Natah dates back to 2,400 BC during the early Bronze Age and was said to be home to around 500 residents.

Led by archaeologist Guillaume Charloux, a team of researchers explained that the town was abandoned thousands of years ago but the reason why remains unclear.

Al-Natah spans 3.7 acres with a central district and a nearby district surrounded by protective ramparts.

The central area contained roughly 50 houses on a hill and two buildings that were once potentially used as administrative areas. A cemetery was situated in the western part of the central area with what archaeologists described as "stepped tower tombs". It also featured a large quantity of pottery and grinding stones.

The team discovered al-Natah after spotting an ancient 14.5-kilometre-long wall at the site.

The research unveiled the radical change in lifestyle "from a pastoral-nomadic way of life to more agro-pastoral subsistence, and in mortuary practices (from funerary avenues to site necropolis), had a profound impact on autochthonous socio-economic organization and complexity."

In a statement, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud, governor of the Royal Commission for AlUla and minister of culture for Saudi Arabia, said: "This important archaeological discovery highlights the Kingdom’s global significance in the field of archaeology and confirms the depth of civilisation that the land holds.

"This discovery reinforces the Kingdom’s efforts in protecting cultural and historical heritage and emphasises the importance of exchanging knowledge and expertise with the world to enhance awareness of our shared human heritage."

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