2 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

A Rare Bilingual Inscription Discovered in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk Province

Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission announced the discovery of a rare bilingual inscription in the village of Alqan in the Tabuk region, reported the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on Wednesday.

The piece, found during an archaeological dig in the village of Alqan, comprises two lines in Thamudic script and one in early Arabic.

Thamudic inscriptions belong to a South Semitic Language related to Arabic, the Thamudic language. This language is an Ancient North Arabian dialect known from pre-Islamic inscriptions carved on stones in regions stretching between the Arabian Desert and the Sinai. The Thamudic script is considered a variant of the South Arabian one.

Thamudic inscriptions usually date back to the period extending between the 4th century BC and the 3rd or 4th century AD. However, the style of the characters suggests the piece dates from the 5th century.

The discovery is a component of the commission’s ongoing archaeological survey efforts throughout the Kingdom. The inscription is thought to have been written in the fifth century AD based on research on letter forms and their evolution. The inscription is a combination between the Thamudic script and early Arabic script, standing as a living proof of the continued use of the Thamudic script in the 5th century AD.

Recent archaeological find demonstrates the historical coexistence of Thamudic in the Arabian Peninsula, says the Saudi Heritage Commission. Photo: Saudi Heritage Commission
Recent archaeological find demonstrates the historical coexistence of Thamudic in the Arabian Peninsula, says the Saudi Heritage Commission. Photo: Saudi Heritage Commission

The commission also stated that the new find is evidence of the Arabian Peninsula’s ancient writing systems and styles evolving.

The discovery offers new scientific insights into the historical coexistence of Thamudic and early Arabic writing, as well as the continuity of Thamudic script knowledge among ancient communities until the 5th century AD.

It represents a significant addition to the commission’s collection of ancient Arabic inscriptions and writings and aligns with its ongoing efforts to study, document, preserve, and promote archaeological sites across the Kingdom.

Such work underscores Saudi Arabia’s commitment to protecting and showcasing its rich cultural heritage.

Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission

Cover Photo: SPA

Related Articles

Researchers Say that Neanderthals Had the Same Hearing Capacity as Humans

1 March 2021

1 March 2021

Virtual reconstructions of Neanderthal ears show that had the same physical capacity for hearing as modern humans, and by inference...

Archaeologists Uncover Roman London’s First Basilica Beneath an Office Basement

13 February 2025

13 February 2025

Archaeologists have made a groundbreaking discovery beneath an office building in London, unearthing a substantial section of the ancient city’s...

Magnificent Romanesque and Peasant war fury in the lost Kaltenborn monastery near Allstedt

18 August 2023

18 August 2023

From the 12th to the 16th century, the Kaltenborn monastery near Allstedt was a religious, cultural, and economic center of...

Egypt unearths 2,300-year-old remains of Greco-Roman town in Alexandria

28 August 2021

28 August 2021

An Egyptian archeological team discovered the ruins of a Greco-Roman residential and commercial town in the north coast city of...

Czech experimental archaeologists successfully completed their 1-month voyage in the Aegean Sea using a replica of a prehistoric vessel

17 July 2023

17 July 2023

Radomír Tichý, an archeology professor at the University of Hradec Králové who is also the director of the Všestary Archeopark,...

Ancient Egyptian silos and administrative buildings uncovered at Kom Ombo in Egypt’s Aswan

6 March 2022

6 March 2022

The Egyptian-Austrian archaeological mission working in the Temple of Kom Ombo in Egypt’s southern province of Aswan unearthed an administrative...

Africa May not be Where the First Pre-Human First Appeared

22 March 2021

22 March 2021

According to one opinion: About 2 million years ago, our first ancestors moved north from their hometown and left Africa....

An Ancient Building and Gold Artifacts Found in the Ancient Greek City of Rypes in Achaea

10 December 2024

10 December 2024

Recent excavations on the Trapezá plateau, eight kilometers southwest of the city of Aigio in the Peloponnese, have uncovered an...

Ancient Egyptian cult drank a trippy mix of drugs, human blood, and bodily fluids

7 June 2023

7 June 2023

Researchers have identified some of the components of found in an ancient Bes vase dating back to Ptolemaic era Egypt....

A unique 2,800-year-old ivory-decorated piece was discovered in the Ancient City of Hattusa

13 November 2023

13 November 2023

An ivory-decorated piece, estimated to be approximately 2,800 years old, was found during the archaeological excavation in the Hattusa Ancient...

Medieval Rye: From Humble Weed to Powerful Staple – New Study Reveals Surprising Farming Secrets

27 May 2025

27 May 2025

Discover how medieval rye cultivation was far more advanced than previously believed. New research reveals intensive farming and fertilizing techniques...

“Non-returning” Aboriginal boomerangs were discovered in Cooper Creek dried-up riverbed

22 November 2021

22 November 2021

The drying waters of the Cooper Creek river have revealed extremely rare 4 boomerangs that have been partially buried. The...

300-Year-Old Sacred Mummified Mermaid From Japan’s Mystery Solved

20 February 2023

20 February 2023

A mummified mermaid has been worshiped in Japan for centuries because locals believe it has healing powers. However, upon closer...

Archaeologists Reveal a Hair Style They Think Was Fashion 2000 Years Ago

19 February 2021

19 February 2021

The small 5 cm figurine found during excavations at Wimpole in Cambridgeshire surprised with its details. National Trust archaeologists and...

Archaeologists Uncover Unique 6th Century Mosaic in Abandoned Byzantine Monastery

9 April 2025

9 April 2025

A recent excavation report from the Israel Antiquities Authority has revealed the discovery of a well-preserved Byzantine-period monastery and farmhouse...