The Rediscovery of the Necropolis of the Ancient Dumah/Dumata (Dūmat al-Jandal, Saudi Arabia)

Abstract

The ongoing archaeological research in the North-Arabian oasis of Dūmat al-Jandal revealed an unbroken chronological sequence stretching from the eighth century BCE to the 19th century, based on evidence related to the urban settlement, with occupational peaks during the ‘Assyrian’ phase (eighth–seventh century BCE), the Nabataean phase (first century BCE second century CE) and the late Roman to Byzantine phase (third–seventh century). Nevertheless, the evidence related to the funerary contexts appears to be very limited and fragmentary. Regarding the Nabataean phase, recent field campaigns have clarified the location of the Nabataean necropolis, which was brought to light between 1985 and 1986 by Saudi archaeologists al-Dayel and al-Shadukhi. Although the contexts are disturbed, the preserved architecture and materials allow for dating and defining the cultural context of the tombs, as well as to appreciate, thanks to the numerous osteological finds, the complexity of the funerary rituals.