A newly identified Late Antique settlement in the al-ʿUlā oasis. New insights on the occupation, material culture, agricultural practices and religion of Late Antique northwest Arabia.
Résumé
Although it is documented by later sources and a growing – though still limited – number of inscriptions, the Late Antique period remains a virtually blank page in the archaeological record of northwest Arabia. In this context, the discovery by the Dadan Archaeological Project (CNRS/RCU/AFALULA) of a Late Antique settlement 1 km south of ancient Dadan, in the al-ʿUlā valley, represents an essential addition to the knowledge of this period. This settlement was identified in 2019 and investigated during three excavation seasons (2021-2023), exposing a massive building used from the 4th to the 6th century AD and probably belonging to a ruling elite. The interdisciplinary study of this site (combining archaeology, ceramology, study of macrolithic artefacts, archaeobotany, archaeozoology and geo-archaeology) offers new insights into the material culture, agricultural practices, diet and even religious identity of its inhabitants. Last but not least, the excavations have provided important clues suggesting that this settlement took over an earlier site, perhaps connected with the Minaean colony at Dadan.
