Inscribed Stone

The Inscribed Stone is a rectangular-shaped sandstone block discovered at the Qaryat al-Faw Archaeological Site, located at the junction of Wadi ad-Dawasir and the Tuwaiq Mountains range, in the southeast of Wadi ad-Dawasir Governorate in Riyadh Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The edges of the stone are eroded, and the block appears to have been roughly cut. It has a smooth surface and is divided into five lines of text inscribed in the ancient South Arabian Musnad script, with clear, deeply engraved letters. The inscription reads as follows:

Daal, Ayn, Noon, Meem. Baa, Noon. Dhaal, Alif, Laam. Alif, Haa, Noon, Kaaf, Taa.

Waaw, Baa, Noon, Haa. Meem, Seen, Ayn, Daal. Waaw, Laam, Ayn, Daal, Meem. Baa, Noon, Daal, Ayn.

Noon, Meem. Baa, Noon, Yaa, Waaw. Waaw, Haa, Waaw, Thaa, Raa. Qaaf, Baa, Raa, Haa, Meem, Waaw. Seen, Laam.

Waaw, Noon. Waaw, Haa, Ayn, Dhaal, Haa. Baa, Kaaf, Haa, Laam, Meem, Meem, Laam, Kaaf. Waaw, Sheen.

Raa, Yaa, Meem. Waaw, Meem, Taa, Noon, Meem. Waaw, Laam, Ayn, Noon. Kaaf, Haa, Laam. Haa, Laam, Laam.

Dimensions of the stone

Length: sixty-seven cm.

Width: Forty-four cm.

Thickness: Twelve cm.

The inscribed stone dates back to the period between the third century BCE and the third century CE.

The stone was discovered during archaeological survey and excavation efforts carried out by the antiquities and museums sector in Saudi Arabia over the past years. It is among the findings of Saudi archaeologists, scientific expeditions, and research teams.

The inscribed stone is displayed at the Museum of the Archaeology Department at King Saud University in Riyadh and is registered under number 2 F 12. It was selected as one of the archaeological artifacts featured in the Saudi Archaeological Masterpieces Through the Ages Exhibition, which was held at the Louvre Museum in the French capital, Paris, in 2010. The exhibition showcased three hundred artifacts representing various materials and historical periods, sourced from different provinces of Saudi Arabia. These artifacts are categorized according to their historical sequence into three groups: prehistoric artifacts, pre-Islamic artifacts, and Islamic-era artifacts.

This inscription highlights the scribe's skill, demonstrating his ability to engrave on stone, make efficient use of the available space, and expertly shape the letters.