Ash-Shuwayhitiyah Archaeological Site
Ash-Shuwayhitiyah Archaeological Site is one of the ancient archaeological sites in Al-Jawf Province, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is located forty-five km northwest of Sikaka City. Some of its archaeological findings are associated with the Oldowan civilization, dating back to the Paleolithic Age, around 1.3 million years ago.
Artifacts and antiquities discovered in Ash-Shuwayhitiyah Archaeological Site
Ash-Shuwayhitiyah Archaeological Site was discovered in 1977 within the framework of the Comprehensive Archaeological Survey Program in Saudi Arabia. It is one of the ancient human settlement sites. Several stone tools were found therein, some of which were identified to date back to the pre-Acheulean era. Artifacts uncovered at the site include stone knives, hammers, and arrowheads. A small hill is located on the outskirts of the site. It features rock art of camels, ibexes, hunting scenes, and a drawing of three men riding camels, in addition to straight line patterns.
The excavation uncovered seventeen ancient human settlements in Ash-Shuwayhitiyah, in addition to 1,884 stone tools on both sides of the valley, including 1,517 ancient tools and 367 more recent ones. These encompass bifacial tools, scrapers, spherical and polyhedral tools, and drills. The characteristics of the stone tools found therein date back to the Oldowan era.
Studies found that human settlement in Ash-Shuwayhitiyah is attributed to the site's livelihood available essentials, including animal pastures, water, and grazing lands. The artifacts reflect the methods adopted by humans to hunt animals, where they made traps dedicated to catching animals after chasing them, ultimately tightening their grip on them.
The primitive stone tools found in Ash-Shuwayhitiyah, namely knives and quartz axes, indicate that the site is linked to sites in East Africa that predate the Acheulean era.
Human settlements in the site
The site's field surveys revealed the presence of seventeen settlements where more than 1,800 pieces of archaeological and stone tools were uncovered. Moreover, a collection of stone tools was also found on the banks of Wadi Ash-Shuwayhitiyah.
Development of Ash-Shuwayhitiyah Archaeological Site
In 2018, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (at the time) approved the survey of Ash-Shuwayhitiyah Archaeological Site. The survey aimed at determining the archaeological phenomena and data available therein, caring for archaeological sites, creating tourist paths in the province, ultimately serving tourism development, and creating new job and investment opportunities that would contribute to the province's economic movement.