25,000 Finds Uncovered in Historic City of Jeddah; Findings Include 11,400 Animal Bones, 11,400 Pottery Fragments

Roughly 25,000 remains were unearthed by archaeologists in the historic city of Jeddah, which is Saudi Arabia's second-largest city.

25,000 Finds Found

The findings include over 11,400 pottery fragments, nearly 11,400 bones of animals, and around 1,700 shells. They also include metal and glass artifacts, as well as building materials.

These were all discovered through excavations that took place in the historic district of al-Balad in the city last 2020. According to the Jeddah Historic District Program, the unearthed findings make up an important addition to Saudi Arabia's field of archaeology.

The historic district has remained preserved since the establishment of the city in the 7th century. It was established as a major Indian Ocean trade route port that routed goods toward Mecca. It also served as a gateway for Muslim pilgrims who traveled to Mecca and arrived by sea. The district has even been considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The dual roles were able to witness the city becoming a multicultural center that is thriving and marked by a unique tradition in architecture. These include towers constructed in the late 19th century by the mercantile elites of the city. It was also combining coastal coral building traditions in the Red Sea with crafts and influences from along the routes of trade.

Rich Archaeological Sites

Four different sites were focused on by the fieldwork that revealed the latest findings set in the city's old part. These sites include the al-Shona archaeological site, the Othman bin Affan Mosque, a portion of the Northern Wall, and the Eastern Moat. Among the unearthed remains, the oldest are from the 7th and 8th centuries. However, archaeologists were also able to identify findings from periods that were later.

The discovered artifacts in the Othman bin Affan Mosque included ceramic vessels and high-quality porcelain pieces, such as some that were made in the Jiangxi Chinese province that date back to the 16th to 19th centuries.

The specialists also analyzed the ebony pillars discovered on the mihrab sides, which are a niche in a mosque's wall. They were able to find that these structures potentially date as far back as the 7th or 8th centuries. The ebony was found to originate from Ceylon Island within the Indian Ocean. This highlights the trade connections of Jeddah that reach far areas.

At the Al-Shona archaeological site, researchers were able to discover various fragments of pottery containing porcelain and other kinds of ceramics from China, Japan, and Europe. These date back to the 13th and 14th centuries.

They were also able to find several tombstones that are made of granite and marble. These tombstones were spotted in various locations within the historic city. They could date back to the 8th and 9th centuries and display unique inscriptions of epitaphs, names, and Quran verses.

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