The ruins of a long-lost town dating back to the early Bronze Age have been discovered by archaeologists in a Saudi oasis. The surprising discovery shows evidence of a transition from nomadic to urban life in the region.
According to a new study, a French and Saudi Arabian research team discovered a 4,000-year-old hidden treasure named al-Nataa within the walled oasis of Khyber, a fertile land surrounded by desert in the northwestern Arabian Peninsula. The town was excavated.
The ancient city dates back to 2400 BC and is thought to have been a 2.6-hectare settlement with around 50 high-rise residential buildings and a population of around 500 people, according to the journal PLOS One. French archaeologist Guillaume Charroux, who led the research, said: he told AFP.
Charroux said this well-structured community was surrounded by a protective rampart and probably also included a decision-making zone and a cemetery containing metal weapons and stones such as agate.
His team also believes the town was home to a powerful leader, based on its walls, which are about 16 feet tall, the newspaper reported.
The town was abandoned 1,000 years later, between 1500 and 1300 BC, leaving few clues as to why, the researchers said.
But the archaeologists say the discovery reveals a process of “slow urbanization” and theorize that the town's deterioration was caused by environmental changes, limited resources, or shifts in trade routes. .
