Archaeologists to share live experience of exploration at first Saudi antiquities forum

Archaeologists from around the world will share the live experience of archaeological exploration at the first Saudi Archaeology Forum, to be held under the patronage of King Salman at the King Abdul Aziz Historical Center in Riyadh from November 7 to 9.

The forum is being organized by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) as a part of the efforts of the Program for Caring for Kingdom’s Cultural Heritage in collaboration with the King Abdul Aziz Research Center (Darah), the ministries of municipal and rural affairs, culture and information, and the Education, wherein a number of concerned government agencies will also cooperate to make it a success.

“Visitors to the first Saudi Archaeology Forum will have the opportunity to join a number of local and international archaeologists in a live experience of archaeological excavation dedicated to this event at the venue,” the media department of the SCTH said Thursday.

The forum is aimed at introducing the public to archaeological excavation and discovery, methods of identifying archaeological objects, the tools used in the excavation process, and the precise methods carried out by archaeologists in remote desert areas of the Kingdom.

According to the commission, work is underway to design a site that simulates the selected sites of archaeological excavations in the Kingdom, and detail the discovered relics.

The forum will feature a scientific conference during which a number of working papers covering different historic periods, from prehistory until the end of the fourteenth century of Hijri calendar will be presented. However, it is not just a scientific conference and most of its events are oriented to the public, where the forum will have exhibitions and events to highlight the archaeology of the Kingdom and introduce citizens to the antiquities.

The forum will be attended by about 30 Saudi-international archaeological teams that are currently conducting archaeological excavations across the Kingdom, said the SCTH.

Moreover, 10 exhibitions specialized in archaeology will accompany the forum, as well as a number of projects and initiatives related to archaeology in the Kingdom will be inaugurated.

The maiden conference will cover the pre-historic antiquities, rock arts, Hajj and trade routes, the Arabian Peninsula’s pre-Islamic antiquities, antiquities of the Islamic ages, arts and architecture, sunken antiquities, ancient and Islamic writings, and heritage sites.