24 January 2026 The Future is the Product of the Past

200,000-year-old hand axe discovered in the northern part of Saudi Arabia

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) of Saudi Arabia has announced that archeological excavation teams at the Qurh site in AlUla Governorate have discovered a Paleolithic Age hand axe estimated to be more than 200,000 years old.

Qurh (AL-Mabiyat) is located near the village of Mugheira, some 20 Kilometers south of the modern town of AlUla.

Qurh, a website with historic significance from the early Islamic intervals, stands as one of many Arabian Peninsula’s essential city locales, concealing a wealth of secrets and techniques and historic treasures.

The archaeological site covers a large area and includes several open trenches from previous archaeological campaigns as well as several free-standing or exposed architectural elements such as sections of the city wall. The visible remains include a variety of architectural elements, the majority of which are made of earthen materials, as well as brick and stonework.

Photo: Royal Commission for AlUla

It is known as Deira (The town). Inside the town, there are ancient heritage buildings, mosques and markets, dating back to about 7 centuries. Its birth long pre-dates Islam but it prospered and flourished between 800 and 1100 CE.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



This ancient tool was discovered by a team of archaeologists from the heritage consultancy TEOS Heritage.

This strong instrument, crafted from comfortable basalt stone and measuring 51.3 cm in size, reveals traits indicative of chopping or chopping functions. Ongoing studies aim to precisely ascertain the tool’s intended use.

The ruins of Qurh. Photo: Wikipedia

The hand axe discovery is hailed as a transformative chapter in the history of humanity both within and beyond the Arabian Peninsula.

RCU at present oversees 11 specialized archaeological initiatives in AlUla and Khyber as a part of its dedication to unraveling the mysteries of historic occasions.

The commission attaches great importance to archeological discoveries as part of its AlUla comprehensive development plan to become a world-leading destination for natural and cultural heritage.

Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU)

Related Articles

Archaeologists discover medieval a tableman gaming piece in Bedfordshire, England

26 April 2023

26 April 2023

Archaeologists in Bedfordshire, England, have made an intriguing discovery: a tableman gaming piece was discovered at a medieval site. Cotswold...

Inscriptions That Could Change the History of Turkish Migration to Anatolia Are Disappearing: Esatlı Kaya Inscriptions

30 March 2025

30 March 2025

Researchers made a significant discovery during field research conducted in 1994 in Esatlı village, Mesudiye, Ordu. They introduced a series...

Mysterious Mongolian Arc in Eastern Mongolia Studied for the First Time

30 December 2023

30 December 2023

Researchers have studied the 405-km wall system in eastern Mongolia known as the Mongolian Arc to learn more about its...

Archaeologists reveal largest paleolithic cave art site in Eastern Iberia

17 September 2023

17 September 2023

More than 100 ancient paintings and engravings thought to be at least 24,000 years old were found in the cave...

The first Dutch Neanderthal’s ‘Krijn’ face was reconstructed

7 September 2021

7 September 2021

World-renowned “paleo-artists” Kennis brothers have reconstructed the face of the first Neanderthal in the Netherlands. After more than 50,000 years,...

Sixth-Century Sword Unearthed in Anglo-Saxon Cemetery near Canterbury, England

28 December 2024

28 December 2024

A spectacular sixth-century sword has been unearthed in an Anglo-Saxon cemetery in southeast England, and archaeologists say it is in...

Contemporaneous with ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia the Indus Valley Civilization city of ‘Mohenjo Daro’: Skilled urban planners with a reverence for the control of water

10 September 2022

10 September 2022

The Indus River Valley (or Harappan) civilization (3300-1300 BCE) lasted 2,000 years and spanned northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest...

Washi papers discovered inside a 675-year-old Buddhist statue in Japan

3 February 2024

3 February 2024

The carved head of an ancient Buddhist statue hidden in the Myooin temple in Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Japan, has revealed pages...

3D Technology Reveals 2,000-Year-Old Gladiator Graffiti and Love Messages in Pompeii

21 January 2026

21 January 2026

For more than two centuries, the walls of Pompeii have been studied, photographed, and catalogued. Yet new research shows that...

Private lodges were uncovered in the colosseum of the ancient city of Pergamon

24 September 2021

24 September 2021

Private lodges built for the elite-class people to watch gladiator or wild animal fights shows have been unearthed in the...

Hungarian Archaeology Student Discovers Rare Bronze Figurines at Roman-Era Brigetio Site

31 July 2025

31 July 2025

A remarkable archaeological discovery emerged this July at the ancient Roman site of Brigetio in Komárom, Hungary. First-year archaeology student...

Archaeologists Find the “Lost” House of the Last Anglo-Saxon King Depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry

28 January 2025

28 January 2025

A team from Newcastle University and the University of Exeter have uncovered evidence that a house in England is the...

Last Assyrian Capital “Ninive”

7 February 2021

7 February 2021

Ninive is an ancient Assyrian city located on the eastern bank of the Tigris River in northern Iraq, near today’s...

Baptismal font from the Ottonian period discovered: Oldest evidence of a quatrefoil-shaped basin north of the Alps

19 March 2024

19 March 2024

The site of a font of the medieval Ottonian dynasty, from the tenth century, has been discovered in the crypt...

The First Dinosaurs Discovered in Japan From the Late Cretaceous Period

30 April 2021

30 April 2021

Yamatosaurus Izanagii, a new genus, and species of hadrosaur or duck-billed dinosaur have been discovered on one of Japan’s southern...