Located in northern Saudi Arabia, the Bronze Age city of al-Natah offers rare insights into early urbanization, social structures, and trade networks in the Arabian Peninsula.
AFALULA-RCU-CNRSA reconstruction of al-Natah, the Bronze Age city uncovered at the Khaybar Oasis in Saudi Arabia.
In 2020, an archaeological team embarked upon an ambitious project in the Saudi Arabian desert. Their mission was to study the evolution of ancient oasis settlements in the area, ultimately leading them to uncover al-Natah, a Bronze Age city in the Khaybar Oasis.
This walled city, dating back to around 2400–2000 B.C.E., was home to roughly 500 residents at its peak and lasted until 1500–1300 B.C.E. The city’s layout demonstrates what researchers call “low-level urbanization,” offering insights into the early stages of urban planning and the role that growing trade routes played in the city’s founding.
While many aspects of al-Natah remain a mystery, ongoing research promises to shed more light on the city’s place in the broader narrative of early urbanization, especially in northern Arabia, where surviving Bronze Age cities are scarce.
Archaeologists Discover A Walled Bronze Age City In The Saudi Arabian Desert
AFALULA-RCU-CNRSAn aerial view of the remains of al-Natah.
In 2020, the Khaybar Longue Durée Archaeological Project led by Guillaume Charloux of France’s National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) set out into the Saudi Arabian desert to find information about how the area’s oases evolved with time and human occupation.
The team, comprised of more than 30 researchers, analyzed nearly 20,000 archaeological features. In October 2020, the team discovered al-Natah, a Bronze Age walled city in northern Saudi Arabia, not far from the storied ancient city of Hegra.
AFALULA-RCU-CNRSA map of the Bronze Age city of al-Natah that once stood in what’s now northern Saudi Arabia.
From that point until February 2024, the archaeological team excavated al-Natah and discovered key facts about its development. The site dates back to the 3rd millennium B.C.E, likely between 2400–2000 B.C.E. and it was occupied until 1500 B.C.E. or 1300 B.C.E., when it was abandoned for reasons that remain unknown.
“In the absence of more recent material, the reasons for the abandonment of the site are still enigmatic: return to nomadic life, disease, climate deterioration, etc,” researchers wrote in their study, published in PLOS ONE.
The site was covered almost completely by basalt blocks, which allowed its ruins to remain hidden for thousands of years. Ultimately, high-resolution photographs revealed the layout of the six-acre city and its various areas, including a residential sector, central district, and cemetery, all of which was protected by a wall, as is the case with other Bronze Age cities.
What Can al-Natah Tell Us About Early Urbanization In The Arabian Desert?
AFALULA-RCU-CNRSThe residential area of the ancient city of al-Natah, once home to approximately 500 people.
The city of al-Natah was home to 500 residents at its height, making it an example of “low-level urbanization,” which is rarely seen in Saudi Arabia.
In fact, there are very few surviving examples of Bronze Age urban sites in Saudi Arabia. The discovery of al-Natah has allowed researchers to study characteristics of a Bronze Age settlement over a large area in Saudi Arabia for the first time.
For example, while other Bronze Age cities had a higher-status subset of their population that resided in better-quality or larger homes, the houses in al-Natah all feature a universal style and composition.
“Little evidence for significant social differentiation [exists] in residential contexts. This ‘middle way,’ distinct from ‘real’ urbanization, could be an interesting way of describing the Bronze Age walled oases in Northwestern Arabia,” the study’s authors explained.
Additionally, researchers believe that al-Natah may have been the result of a growing trade network in the northern Arabian desert. The city may have been built out of necessity in light of the growing “incense route,” the trade of spices, frankincense, and myrrh from southern Arabia to the Mediterranean.
“Alongside this local economy, the site was part of a wider regional exchange network, at a time when trans-Arabian travel by donkey was on the increase. The microfabrics of a few rare sherds of Red Burnished Ware found during surveys and excavations seem to come from outside the oasis (perhaps Qurayyah or Tayma),” the study’s authors said.
Ultimately, al-Natah offers a rare glimpse into early urbanization in northern Saudi Arabia, revealing facets of Bronze Age life in the Arabian Peninsula that have been largely lost to time. As researchers continue to study its layout and connections to regional trade networks, al-Natah promises to deepen our understanding of the urbanization process in the ancient world.
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