1,774 Archaeological Finds Recorded in Madinah Region

A total of 1,774 archaeological discoveries have been documented in Al Mahd in the Madinah Region during the second season of survey work carried out by the Heritage Commission.

The fieldwork covered the areas of Al-Suwayriqiyah, Al-Muwayhiyah and Hadhah, resulting in the identification of 156 new archaeological sites. Among the finds were 1,259 rock art panels, 461 Islamic inscriptions, 34 Thamudic inscriptions, 11 stone structures, three historic palaces, two caravan routes and four wells.

Notable discoveries include rock inscriptions bearing the name of Omar ibn Al-Khattab and Arabic poetry engraved on rock surfaces.

The Heritage Commission said survey and documentation efforts will continue across the Kingdom as part of broader initiatives to preserve cultural heritage under Saudi Vision 2030.

Separately, the commission announced the completion of the first excavation season at the ancient Al-Juhfah Miqat site, undertaken in collaboration with the University of Exeter.

More than 1,700 artefacts were uncovered, confirming the site's historic role along the Egyptian pilgrimage route. Findings included everyday objects, six pottery kilns, a water channel believed to have served pilgrims and travellers, and 13 tombstones dating to the Umayyad and Abbasid periods.

Some artefacts were traced to the Levant, Egypt and Ethiopia, reflecting the area's historical connections with different regions.

Located 187 kilometres northwest of Makkah, Al-Juhfah has served as a designated miqat since the early Islamic period and is believed to have flourished during the second Hijri century, when water facilities and shops catered to pilgrims and traders.