Animal sacrifices and astral tombs: mysteries still emerge from the Saudi deserts

CNN
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What happens when several hundred archaeologists gather in a “glass box” in the desert?

It’s a strange question, but it really happened last week when experts from around the world gathered at the sparkling, mirror-covered Maraya Cultural Center near the ancient oasis of AlUla in Saudi Arabia, for the inaugural World Archaeological Summit.

The result was an event that gave new perspectives on some of the ancient secrets that have been discovered in Saudi Arabia as it invests billions of dollars in opening up its long-hidden past to global tourism.

The conference, established by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS, and sponsored by the AlUla Governorate Royal Commission, chose panel discussions, not academic papers, and invited a diverse group of archaeological experts.

The goal was in part to help chart Saudi Arabia’s path toward sustainable heritage tourism.

Most attendees were wary about what to expect in a country where the event’s sponsor has a reputation for shocking brutality and high-speed fixes. They certainly weren’t bored. “We didn’t expect much conversation, and I don’t think the organizers did either,” one attendee told me.

The offbeat conference was only part of the attraction. Experts have been given a rare opportunity to access a host of ancient finds that, until a few years ago, were off the beaten archaeological path to all but a handful of serious enthusiasts.

Archeology is a passion of Mohammed bin Salman and a gateway to his vision to diversify the Saudi economy by bringing tourists to enjoy heritage sites alongside luxury resorts.

For him, it is also a useful way to marginalize the disdain of the Saudi minority of conservative Islamists for websites, which they consider un-Islamic.

By reversing decades of cultural isolation, developing the AlUla Oasis, and opening vast, millennia-old Nabataean tomb complexes in the nearby Al-Hijr region – as well as exploring countless other sites – Saudi Arabia is witnessing fascinating ancient discoveries.

However, for every mystery unraveled, another one or 10 emerges – such as the stellar alignments of massive Nabataean tombs carved into the stunning sandstone cliffs.

Adam Ford, archaeologist at the Royal Commission for AlUla, took me to see the graves up close.

He says: “It seems that they (the graves) align with the rising and setting of the sun and moon, at the times of the solstice, perhaps to know the seasons.”

Ford, who mixes the weathered look of a field archaeologist with the friendly manner of a teacher, brings the past to life as we explore.

“As many as 10 ancient languages ​​from North Africa have been discovered here,” he says.

Archaeological discoveries so far show that humans have trodden this land for at least 200,000 years. Ford says they came after leaving Africa via Sinai. “They turned right and headed south” to the Arabian Peninsula, today’s Saudi Arabia.

Every discovery brings potential for new understanding, he says. He says that a recently found piece of ancient silk shows trade routes extending south all the way to “India or the Far East.”

“We are still testing the piece,” he adds.

Thanks to new and unprecedented access to the ancient wonders of AlUla, they are also still trying to unravel the mystery of the Nabataean tomb’s orientation and how they might relate to stargazing or other planetary events.

“We just had a researcher come to us from the Canary Islands,” Ford says. “That was only a few months ago, and the data (on the stars) was very preliminary, and he was still working his way through it.”

One recent discovery is what is believed to be one of the oldest animal sacrifice sites in the world. Although it is clear that many monsters died there, it remains a source of much mystery, according to Jonathan Wilson, the RCU’s director of collections and knowledge.

At the Royal Commission for AlUla’s new headquarters, the renovated AlUla Museum, Wilson opens one of the huge drawers in the crowded artifacts storage room and carefully lifts out a clear plastic bag containing what looks like a huge yellow horn.

He says: “The arkhus.” “A now-extinct ancestor of today’s domesticated cattle, but larger.”

Carbon dating of cooking charcoal found nearby dates the site accurately to 5,200 BC, but the mystery is why only the top portion of the monster’s skull and horns were found, Wilson says.

“They got rid of the rest.”

It is difficult to imagine that livestock could survive, let alone thrive, in the oven-like desert of Saudi Arabia today. According to Ford, “the scene was greener back then.” It seemed like there was more rain. but why? This too is a mystery.

RCU says its mission is to help archaeologists in Saudi Arabia solve such mysteries as the desert regularly poses, while sustainably expanding the scope of their operations and expertise.

Wilson turns to another drawer and pulls out a broken, dark ocher-colored statuette about six inches tall, perhaps used as some sort of offering.

“They were taken to the mountain, and once they were destroyed they were left there, and the people never came back,” he says.

He refers to the Dadanites, the people who ran the incense and spice trade routes through AlUla before the Nabataeans wrested power from them, through events that are another mystery.

As the RCU’s operations grow, Wilson hopes its experts will learn more, including why statues are torn down.

Wilson says each season he obtains about 700 artifacts from archaeological digs run by the RCU.

“Each box can contain up to 600 items,” he says. “We sort them by importance” with the goal of showcasing many of these unearthed treasures.

He says the coins provide some of the biggest clues about the civilizations that AlUla was once home to. The Nabataeans placed the heads of kings on their heads, which is very useful for tracing dynastic periods.

The Dadaists did not do that. They were, according to Wilson, counterfeiting Greek coins “because they were more valuable than their own coins.”

The area around Al-Ula and Al-Hijra is stunning, says Ford, whose decades of archaeological experience spans many continents.

“Some of the most amazing monuments in the world,” he says.

Ford says old assumptions have been torn down.

“In the past, we thought that civilizations were less precise and less interconnected.” However, he says what was discovered at AlUla indicates that “the ancient world was more interconnected than we think.”

Oddly enough, interconnectedness was the near-universal takeaway from the archaeological summit, as attendees seemed to enjoy the opportunity to speak outside their own specialties while discovering shared and sometimes competing sentiments about their profession.

I was at the summit to help moderate two of the many panel discussions. Conversations became rowdy at times. Controversial topics that gained attention were around the role archeology plays in identity and the responsibility governments and archaeologists have to openly reflect discoveries and not distort them.

The importance of saving ancient artifacts from destruction or just daily wear and tear also sparked discussions. Best practices were identified that balance the needs of government, listen to communities, and work with them to be stewards in a way that suits their values.

It was clear from conversations during the two-day event that there was no silver bullet, and no one size fits all.

But if the lessons learned from the summit are heeded within the mirror walls, Saudi Arabia’s arrival at archaeological maturity will receive a boost.