Bull-head altar and ancient furnaces unearthed in Southern Saudi Arabia
Archaeological mission uncovers foundations, artifacts, and industrial remnants
Dubai: The Saudi Heritage Commission said Thursday that a joint Saudi-French archaeological mission has concluded its 2025 season at Al Ukhdood, an ancient site in the southern Najran region, yielding discoveries that shed light on human settlement in Arabia as far back as the 3rd century B.C.
Over the course of the season, the team surveyed nearly 60 percent of the site, registering 483 archaeological sites and documenting more than 550 monuments with the aid of digital scanning and 3-D modelling.
Excavations revealed the foundations of a building with rooms and courtyards, alongside artifacts that include a sandstone altar carved in the form of a bull’s head, bronze statues, an incense burner inscribed with ancient script, and fragments of pottery and glass.
The findings also point to industrial activity: furnaces used for metal smelting suggest that Al Ukhdood was not only a cultural hub but also an early economic centre.
The work is the fruit of a partnership between the Heritage Commission and French institutions including the National Centre for Scientific Research and Sorbonne University, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s strategy of leveraging international expertise to document and promote its heritage.
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