Long-serving Saudi-French archaeological mission ends tenure after 20 years in Farasan Islands

Saudi Gazette

25-05-2025

Saudi Gazette report JAZAN — The Saudi Heritage Commission has concluded a joint archaeological excavation with France in the Farasan Islands, unveiling new discoveries that shed light on the region's ancient human settlements and strategic role in Red Sea maritime trade. Conducted in collaboration with Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), the fieldwork targeted key archaeological sites at Al-Qassar, Al-Ghureen, and Wadi Shami. The mission aimed to study burial sites, trace settlement phases, and understand the historical context of human activity in the southern Red Sea archipelago. The expedition included archaeology and anthropology experts, along with students from Saudi universities and Paris 1, as part of a supervised field training program. The Saudi-French partnership began in 2005 with a comprehensive survey and documentation of architectural structures across Farasan. Since then, successive excavation campaigns from 2011 to 2024 have led to significant discoveries, including remains from the Bronze Age, evidence of South Arabian kingdoms, watchtowers, and industrial installations believed to be remnants of a 2nd-century BCE military camp used to monitor and protect maritime trade routes. These discoveries underscore Farasan's pivotal role in connecting ancient civilizations of South Arabia and the Mediterranean, as reflected in the spread of human settlements and prehistoric shell mounds across the islands. The Heritage Commission continues to advance archaeological research and preservation through broad international collaborations, reinforcing Saudi Arabia's presence on the global archaeological map and contributing to the goals of sustainable cultural development.