Ancient Settlement of Tayma

Taymāʾ

Saudi Arabia · Tabuk

Ancient cityIntermittent excavation
Approximate period7,000 BCE — 1,800 CENeolithic to the Islamic period See on the map ↓

In brief

Tayma is an important Northern Arabian oasis with a long history of settlement and agriculture. Excavations document the development of the walled settlement and its connections with the Levant and Mesopotamia.

What was found?

  • 1Walls surrounding the oasis

    The monumental outer wall encloses a large part of the oasis as well as the settlement. Its scale shows that construction and maintenance required strong organization.

  • 2Neolithic arrowheads and bifacial tools

    These are stone tools dating from the 7th millennium to the beginning of the 6th millennium BCE. They document that human presence in Teyma long predates caravan trade.

  • 3Nabonidus’s cuneiform stele

    The Babylonian cuneiform stele and other inscription fragments confirm the presence of the Babylonian king Nabonidus in Teyma. They show the oasis's connection with Mesopotamian politics.

  • 4Monumental temple statues

    The monumental statues in the temple are considered in the source to be among the material traces of Lihyan rule. They make it possible to trace the oasis's changing political connections.

  • 5Rujum Sa’sa tombs

    Circular tombs and later rectangular collective tombs show the oasis's long-term use as a burial ground. They allow comparison of funerary architecture from different periods.

What does it point to?

Teyma is an oasis settlement supported by water resources and agriculture, with connections to distant regions. According to researchers, its development rests on local continuity; its walls and inscriptions make organized administration and external relations visible.

What did it teach us?

  1. It showed that oasis agriculture and settled life developed before camel caravans became widespread.
  2. It revealed that Bronze Age Teyma participated in interregional relations.
  3. It confirmed Nabonidus’s presence in Teyma through inscribed archaeological finds.

Record

Culture
Northern Arabian oasis cultures; Babylonian and Nabataean connections
Team / historical
German Archaeological Institute and the Saudi Heritage Commission; Arnulf Hausleiter
Coordinates
27.6274°, 38.5499°

Sources

  1. dainst.org
  2. whc.unesco.org
  3. publications.dainst.org

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