The Saudi Heritage Commission has announced the discovery of ancient artifacts in Al-Quraynah, a town northwest of Riyadh. These findings, including stone tools and pottery fragments, indicate human activity dating back as far as 50,000 years to the Middle Stone Age. The unearthed tools were likely used for hunting, food preparation, and early craftsmanship. This excavation is part of the Al-Yamamah initiative, launched in September 2024 and scheduled to conclude in 2028, which aims to map the region's archaeological landscape using advanced technologies like satellite imagery and ground-penetrating radar.
The excavation also revealed circular structures identified as tombs from the third and second millennia BC, as well as an ancient road connecting a valley to a plateau and extending towards Riyadh. Researchers anticipate that the study of these artifacts will significantly enhance the understanding of ancient settlement patterns, architectural methods, and the chronological development of central Arabia. These discoveries reinforce the narrative of Saudi Arabia's deep and multifaceted cultural heritage, highlighting the Arabian Peninsula's historical importance as a crossroads for human migration and adaptation. Similar findings, such as 200,000-year-old stone tools found in Qassim, further support the region's extensive history of early human activity, with evidence suggesting periods of a "Green Arabia" that sustained these populations.