Saudi archaeologists have discovered underground aqueducts dating back to early Islamic period. They were found during an excavation in the historic city of Fayd, in Hail, along with bakery ovens, wash basins and a large number of architectural sites.
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| Habitation area outside the walls of Fayd Fortress [Credit: Florent Egal] |
“The archaeologists, who work under the supervision of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), found traces of the underground aqueducts in the archaeological city in Hail,” Majed Alshadeed, a SCTH spokesman, told Arab News on Monday.
The breakthrough discoveries were made outside the fort in Hail, with a second site uncovered in the area between the two walls of the southern side of the fort. A third site was found at Al-Qalqah citadel.
The sites included an ancient mosque dating back to the early Islamic era, in addition to architectural units with several rooms, and architectural details buried between the exterior and interior walls of the fort.
The archaeological action plan included detecting, preparing and cleaning old wells in the traditional city. The wells are connected to the underground aqueducts, Alshadeed said.
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| Mosque dating back to the early Islamic era [Credit: Arab News] |
A service site for the ancient fort was also uncovered, with bakery ovens and wash basins found in channels that pass through the last underground square. Pottery utensils, and glass, stone and metal pieces were also retrieved.
The city of Fayd is a major archaeological and historical site, located 120 kilometers east of the city of Hail. It is the third city of the old pilgrimage route “Darb Zubaidah” — after Kufa and Basra — and the largest station on the pilgrimage route used by millions of pilgrims for their once-in-a-lifetime Hajj journey to the holy city of Makkah.
Foundations located in the northern part of the fort were built in regular forms using volcanic stones commonly found in the city. Some architectural forms and objects such as basins were also carved from volcanic rock.
The presence of iron residues showed the objects may have been in the manufacture of glass and iron.
Author: Rashid Hassan | Source: Arab News [August 28, 2018]
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