Ancient Town: Al-Natah

Archaeologists have uncovered a 4,000-year-old fortified town in Saudi Arabia, illustrating the gradual shift from nomadic to urban lifestyles.

About Al-Natah: 

  • French archaeologist Guillaume Charloux and his crew led the discovery.
  • Excavation at the Khaybar oasis has found that a sophisticated Bronze Age town existed between 2400 and 1500 BCE.
  • Features: The town reveals-
  • The presence of an organised settlement in an era previously believed to be dominated by nomadic pastoral societies. 
  • It is enclosed by a 14.5-kilometre wall and occupies a 2.6-hectare area.
  • It housed up to 500 residents who lived in multi-story dwellings. 
  • The town was likely a centre for agricultural production and trade, sustaining a cooperative society in the otherwise arid environment.
  • Residents of Al-Natah lived in rectangular dwellings, constructed from materials such as stone and mudbrick, with narrow paths connecting the various structures. 
  • The town’s layout included burial sites, with some graves and tiered towers marking higher social status.
  • A similar town in southern Saudi Arabia, Al Faw, was given UNESCO World Heritage Site status this year.

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