Chronicle Heritage pivoted from an archaeological monitoring project to an archaeological excavation following the discovery of significant cultural resources during a planned development initiative.
Project Overview
In 2023, Chronicle Heritage Arabia was commissioned by a construction firm headquartered in Riyadh to monitor the groundwork associated with a development project on the east side of Old Town AlUla. The purpose of the project was to reengineer an inclined retaining wall, placing it closer to the Old Town and resulting in a significant reduction in the ground level across the extent of the eastside terrace.
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) granted a cultural heritage work permit for the proposed development in August of 2023. Initial surface reduction efforts in the far south and north revealed significant subsurface archaeological remains throughout the project area. At that point, the project was modified from an archaeological monitoring initiative to include targeted archaeological excavation.
Background
AlUla was situated on one of the long-established trade routes across the Hejaz, which functioned as a crossroads between Egypt, the Levant, and Arabia. Since antiquity, AlUla was an important stopping point for caravans transporting spices and aromatics such as frankincense and myrrh from Yemen and elsewhere in the southern Arabian Peninsula and North Africa to the Mediterranean and West Asia. The valley of AlUla is uniquely well-watered and arable for northwestern Arabia, and over the centuries it has been home to multiple ancient urban centers such as Dedan (Al-Khurayba), which dates to the Bronze Age and is located 3 km northeast of AlUla.
Generally, Old Town is thought to have emerged during the 6th century CE. The settlement developed in the area around an outcropping with sheer sides that served as a place of safety during periods of flooding and as an easily defended citadel. The first mention of Old Town AlUla is associated with the prophet Mohammed (570–632), who stopped and prayed in the mosque on his way from Medina to Tabuk in 630. The Al-Azam Mosque, immediately to the southwest of the project area, is sometimes referred to as the “Mosque of the Bone” in memory of this event. The central outcropping was later rebuilt into the Musa bin Nusair Citadel by the Fatimid Caliph Al-Muizz Lidin Allah in 968.
From the twelfth century onwards, the town of AlUla became the predominant settlement in the region, growing not only as a commercial hub but also becoming an essential stop for many Muslim pilgrims on their way to Mecca and Medina. Historic records indicate that there were several rebuilding phases, particularly after reoccurring Bedouin raids that began during the Ottoman period in 1521. The most significant raid took place in 1757 and resulted in the deaths of 20,000 pilgrims travelling in a caravan. After this event, Berber pilgrims are credited with refounding the town. During the latter part of the 20th century, especially following the discovery of oil in 1934 and subsequent urban planning programs beginning in 1947, Old Town AlUla was gradually abandoned in favor of the modern town of AlUla.
At its height, AlUla Old Town was a settlement with 14 gates, 800 dwellings, five mosques, 80 shops, and a public bath. The town is bounded to the west by the crags at the edge of the AlUla valley. To the east is a large oasis with numerous palm groves on both sides of a central channel that extends through the valley’s center. The main water source came from a natural spring called the Mother Well located to the north of the Old Town, which was diverted into a series of qanats (underground aqueducts) that were used to water the oasis. In addition to the Musa bin Nusair citadel, the Old Town’s defenses included a continuous perimeter wall, with houses built against each other to create a uniform external barrier that was interrupted only by multiple gates.
Our Approach
The original purpose of Chronicle Heritage’s investigation was to monitor the ground reduction efforts within the project area for potential heritage impacts. The scope of the investigation was modified from an archaeological watching brief (AWB) to include targeted archaeological excavation upon the discovery of unanticipated archaeological remains throughout the project area. The new objectives were as follows:
- To establish the extent of the settlement plan of Old Town AlUla;
- To establish the chronology of settlement at the site; and
- To establish the antiquity of thoroughfares connecting the town with the oasis.
A total of 43 subgroups (coherent archaeological features consisting of multiple contexts) were identified during monitoring and excavation. Significant features included the Old Town City Wall running from north to south across the site, a public building, two thoroughfares, and at least 20 other structures with multiple architectural elements. The sequence across the site extends into the Medieval period and possibly to earlier periods as well.
Targeted excavation occurred in consultation with the RCU Heritage Administration and the construction firm upon encountering the complex archaeological structures and deposits. Nearly all walls and structures were exposed and recorded and remained largely in place. When human remains were encountered, work ceased in the immediate area and a preservation plan for the burial site was enacted in accordance with applicable regional laws.
A large assemblage of artifacts was recovered during archaeological work by Chronicle Heritage, with a combined total of over 1,300 unique objects including ceramics, metal items, and beads as well as a stone bearing a Minaean inscription. Finds from excavated deposits were collected and retained in the lab for analysis.
The Results
After significant cultural resources were uncovered during the initial surface reduction efforts, the Chronicle Heritage team quickly adapted to on the ground discoveries and project challenges, shifting from the original monitoring initiative to an archaeological excavation. The heritage assets unearthed during the project revealed a much deeper history of the settlement of Old Town AlUla, presenting archaeological evidence of continuous occupation of the site since the Early Islamic Period from at least from the 9th century CE and possibly earlier. This archaeological evidence compliments the textual sources that attest the settlement’s habitation since the 7th century CE.
Chronicle Heritage has since been able to begin the process of identifying the settlement plan in this neighborhood of Old Town in recent history and to start developing lines of inquiry into how that plan would have extended into the Medieval and Iron Age periods. The Chronicle Heritage team has also been able to establish the antiquity of thoroughfares connecting the town with the oasis. These throughfares would have been crucial to the residents of Old Town commercially and socially. This aspect of the built environment indicates a strong continuity in the way that persons lived their daily lives in Old Town AlUla for many generations.
While the initial phase of ground reduction is complete, the retaining wall development is currently undergoing a program of redesign that will incorporate the findings of Chronicle Heritage’s report. The team’s excavations have helped to demonstrate the need for continued protection of this sensitive area of Old Town and will guide future archaeological inquiry in the area.