RIYADH: The Royal Commission for AlUla has launched a project to analyze and document more than 25,000 inscriptions discovered across various sites in the region, dating from the Iron Age to the late Islamic period.
The RCU wants to safeguard cultural heritage and advance research into the history of writing in northwestern Arabia, it announced in a press release recently.
The project aims to establish a comprehensive digital record of AlUla’s inscriptions through linguistic analysis and 3D scanning, while connecting each finding to its historical and cultural context.
The diversity of languages and scripts — 10 in total — underscores AlUla’s historic role as a crossroads of civilizations and a hub for cultural exchange.
Among the most prominent sites is Jabal Ikmah, home to Dadanitic and other ancient North Arabian texts, recognized by the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 2023 for their documentary value.
Several valleys including Wadi Abu Oud contain Lihyanite and rock inscriptions depicting daily life and tribal symbols. (SPA)
Jabal Al-Aqra also features a collection of early Arabic-Islamic inscriptions associated with pilgrimage routes, while the paths linking Dadan and Hegra have some of the earliest Arabic inscriptions related to trade and travel.
Several valleys including Wadi Abu Oud contain Lihyanite and rock inscriptions depicting daily life and tribal symbols, offering insight into human interaction with the natural environment across different eras.
Among the most distinguished examples is the Zuhayr inscription, dating to the 24th year after the Hijra. It provides valuable evidence of AlUla’s contribution to the early spread of Arabic writing and its role in recording the historical transformations that shaped the region.
The project also features training programs for archeology students and those interested in documentary heritage, alongside public awareness initiatives.
The findings will be published in a series of special scientific journals to support research and education in the fields of language, history, and archaeology.
Through this initiative, the release said, the RCU reaffirms its commitment to protecting cultural heritage over more than 3,000 years.
