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| Source: Jeddah Historic District Program. Aerial view of the excavated segment of the north fortification wall of historic Jeddah. |
The Jeddah Historic District Program, in cooperation with the Heritage Commission, has uncovered 25,000 fragments, the oldest of which dates from the first two centuries AH (from the 7th to the 8th centuries AD).
The fieldwork was conducted at Othman bin Affan Mosque (may Allah be pleased with him), Al-Shona, the Eastern Moat, and a segment of the Northern Wall, under the framework of the Archaeology Project which is supervised by Jeddah Historic District Program.
The announcement of the archeological discoveries is part of the efforts the Historic Jeddah Revival Project, which was launched by HRH the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz of KSA. The Archaeology Project aims to preserve national antiquities and archaeological sites, unveil the history embedded in the kingdom's lands, and support Historic Jeddah as a cultural and touristic centre to further achieve the Saudi Vision (2030).
Archaeological survey and excavations conducted in November 2020 found 11,405 pottery shards which weigh a total of 293 kg, 11,360 animal bones totalling 107 kg, 1,730 shells (32 kg). In addition, 685 building materials were found, weighing 87 kg, as well as 5 kg of glass artifacts in 187 pieces, and 7 kg of metal artifacts (71 pieces).
Archaeological investigations in Othman bin Affan Mosque—may Allah be pleased with him—showed that the oldest items dated back to the first two centuries AH, including the early Islamic era, the Umayyad era, the Abbasid era, then the Mamluk era, and on to modern times (i.e., the early 15th century AH up to the the 21st century AD).
Analyses conducted on ebony pillars found on the sides of the mihrab* at the mosque revealed that these pillars likely date back to the first two centuries AH. The wood has been identified as being from Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) which highlights the far-reaching trade connections of Historic Jeddah.
The artifacts discovered in Othman bin Affan Mosque include ceramic vessels and pieces of high-quality porcelain, among of which are some made in Jiangxi that potentially date back to the 10th and 13th centuries AH (the 16th to 19th centuries AD). Some of the older pottery fragments date back as far as the Abbasid era.
At Al-Shona, the chronology of the site dates back at least to the 13th century AH (19th century AD) with indications of archaeological remains that could be as old as the 10th century AH (16th century AD). Numerous pottery shards have been found at the site, comprising porcelain and other ceramics from Europe, Japan, and China, dating back to the 13th and the 14th centuries AH (the 19th to 20th centuries AD).
In addition, excavations at Al-Kidwah (Bab Makkah, or Makkah gate) revealed parts of the Eastern Moat which most likely date back to the late 12th century AH (late 18th century AD).
Moreover, several tombstones of Mangabi stone, marble, and granite were also found in different locations in Historic Jeddah. The tombstones have inscriptions of names, epitaphs, and verses of the Quran which likely date back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AH (8th and 9th centuries AD), and are still under study currently.
Archaeological studies of the four historical sites included excavations, radiocarbon analysis, soil analyses, geophysical surveys, and scientific studies of the discovered artifacts. Additionally, more than 250 wood samples were taken from 52 buildings and studied in specialised international laboratories for identification and dating. Furthermore, the international archival research resulted in the collection of more than 984 historical documents on Historic Jeddah, including historical maps and drawings of the Jeddah city wall, Al-Shona, and other parts of Historic Jeddah, which are now being studied.
The Jeddah Historic District Program, in cooperation with the Heritage Commission, supervised the documentation, registration, and preservation of archaeological artifacts discovered in Historic Jeddah, and listed the finds in the National Archaeological Register. Scientific databases were also created to protect and preserve the information about the discovered artifacts.
The work of the Historic Jeddah project began in Jumada Al-Awwal, January 2020, with the preparation of exploratory studies and a geophysical survey across the four locations, including the Othman bin Affan mosque, Al-Shona, a segment of the Northern Wall, and Al-Kidwah.
*The mihrab is a niche found in mosques indicating the direction of Makkah.