Egyptologist and former Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Zahi Hawass told the Saudi Tafa'al website that interest in the antiquities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is no longer limited to the Islamic era and before it, but has extended far beyond that to include prehistoric eras.
The eminent scholar added in his statements to the Saudi Tafa'ul website: "The Kingdom has recently been investigating the steps taken by early humans on the Arabian Peninsula, so that we can learn from the results we have obtained what happened in the Arabian Peninsula during this period, which has not been studied before."
The former Minister of Antiquities said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has recently witnessed many new discoveries. These discoveries in the Kingdom indicate that the Arabian Peninsula in prehistoric times enjoyed all the elements of a distinctive life, as it was abundant with water, climate, and greenery.
Egyptologist Zahi Hawass continued his talk, saying: Scientists, including the Green Arabian Peninsula team, discovered what is called the “middle finger bone” in the Tell al-Ghadah area, located northeast of Tayma. The discovery confirmed that it dates back to the Holocene era, an era previously unknown.
Recent studies have proven that prehistoric humans began to abandon their primitive lifestyle and move towards a settled life. Researchers have given the name "Homo sapiens" to the people of this primitive era because they began to seek a stable livelihood and build their lives.
The eminent scientist Zahi Hawass added: "Fossilized bones of an extinct creature, the mammoth, have been found. This is the strongest evidence that the Arabian Peninsula enjoyed a humid climate suitable for the survival of mammoths before history."
He continued, saying: "There is another area in Wadi ad-Dawasir that dates back to the Neolithic period, and scientists have confirmed that this date is estimated at approximately 9 years."
Artifacts dating back to the Middle Stone Age were also found at this site, and other artifacts were found at the Safaka archaeological site in Al-Dawadmi Governorate in Riyadh.
Hawass said: "Numerous missions have been conducted in Riyadh, including archaeological surveys, the results of which revealed evidence of Acheulean groups dating back 200 years. All of this constitutes evidence of the most recent Acheulean sites in southwest Asia."
Hawass concluded his remarks to Saudi Interaction by saying: "The beginning of ancient man was in southwest Asia, but what is new is the emergence of a society in the Arabian Peninsula." He emphasized that all of this is scientific evidence beyond doubt that the first human steps in the Arabian Peninsula date back thousands of years before Christ.
