According to the Heritage Commission of Saudi Arabia, a major archeological discovery was made in the city of Tabuk, where an ancient human settlement dating back more than 10,000 years was uncovered in the Masyoun region.

Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and its prophet as well as home to Mecca and Medina, two of Islam’s holiest cities. But what existed in the desert Kingdom before the advent of Islam? Well, a groundbreaking archeological dig may have just uncovered secrets of pre-Islamic Arabia and the Arab civilization that inhabited the region in ancient history.

What existed in Saudi Arabia before Islam?

According to the Heritage Commission of Saudi Arabia, a major archeological discovery was made in the city of Tabuk, where an ancient human settlement dating back more than 10,000 years was uncovered in the Masyoun or Musaywin region, northwest of Tabuk. Experts have hailed it as the oldest-known human settlement in the Arabian Peninsula, which offers a window into the history of the region, and key insights into pre-Islamic Arabia and its surrounding regions.

As per experts, the remarkable discovery will also offer significant insights into the religious and social practices in Arabia before the advent of Islam.

In a presser on Thursday, the Heritage Commission described the archeological discovery as one of the most important in recent history, and revealed that archaeologists have dated the site to the Neolithic period, around 10,300-11,000 years ag0, which marks the start of human settlements in northwest Saudi Arabia.

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Why the discovery is important?

According to Saudi officials, the Musaywin settlement provides compelling evidence about Arabian Peninsula being the ancient cradle of civilization, and underscores the role of ancient Arabia in shaping human civilizational efforts during nascent stages. The site proves that Saudi Arabia was home to human communities thousands of years ago, and the region’s rich cultural mysteries offer immense opportunities for exploration, they said, according to Gulf News.

Officials revealed that archeologists have founds several markers of human activity at the site, including semicircular architectural units constructed from local granite stones, residential buildings, storage facilities, corridors, and hearths. The evidence reveals that humans who lived at the site had a hybrid lifestyle that included a hunter-gatherer approach and grain cultivation.

Additionally, archeologists also found a wide-range of stone tools at the site, including arrowheads, knives, and grinders. Jewelry made from amazonite, quartz, and shell. Further, a few remains of human and animal skeletal structures and stone artifacts decorated with geometric patterns were also found at the site.