The remains of a long-lost city from the Early Bronze Age were discovered in a Saudi Arabian oasis by archaeologists who say the astonishing discovery offers evidence of the region’s shift from nomadic to urban existence.
According to a new study, a French-Saudi research team unearthed a 4,000-year-old hidden city – named Al-Natah – within the walled city of Khyber, a fertile land surrounded by desert in the northwest of the Arabian Peninsula.
Guillaume Charloux, a French archaeologist who led the study published in the journal PLoS One, said the ancient city, which dates back to 2400 BC, is believed to have been a 2.6-hectare settlement with about 50 multi-storey houses, home to about 500 residents. Told AFP.
Charloux said that the well-structured community was surrounded by protective ramparts and also included a possible decision-making area and a necropolis, which contained metal weapons and stones such as agate.
His team of researchers also believe the city, based on a nearly 16-foot-high rampart, was home to a powerful leader, the outlet reports.
The researchers said the city was abandoned after a thousand years, between 1500 and 1300 BC – with few clues remaining as to why this happened.
However, the discovery revealed a “slow urbanization” process, according to archaeologists, who believe that the city’s decline was caused by environmental changes, limited resources, or changes in trade routes.
(Tags to translate) US news
