Lecture Summaries: 19 January, 2006

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The (Re-) Discovery of Mada'in Salih, Ancient Hegra, Saudi Arabia

by
Laïla Nehmé

     Madain Salih is the modern name of ancient Hegra, one of the most important Nabataean sites after the capital, Petra. It developed between the second century BC and the fourth century AD and was part of the Roman province of Arabia. It was at the southern end of both the Nabataean kingdom and the Roman Empire, lying on the edge of a supposed frontier. It is located in northwest Saudi Arabia, 20 km north of al-Ula, ancient Dedan, the capital of the kingdom of Lihyan. The main exploration of the site was done at the beginning of the 20th century by the Domincan fathers A. Jaussen and R. Savignac. Since then, the site has not been much visited and little was known of its chronology, its urban layout and its monuments, except perhaps for the monumental tombs with decorated façades, which echo those in Petra.

   In 2001, a new project, aiming at the study of all the remains at the site, whether archaeological or epigraphic, has been undertaken under the aegis of the French Ministry for Foreign affairs and the Deputy Ministry for Antiquities and Museums. All means of exploration which can be placed under the heading "survey" have been used to provide the most accurate map of the site, including a geophysical survey in the so-called residential area. This lecture presents the preliminary results of this project, with particular attention given to the oasis, an important element of the urban space of Hegra, which has hitherto received little attention. On the monumental tombs, the information given concerns mainly aspects which are seldom pointed at, that is dimensions, building process, internal layout, social distribution, etc. The religious monuments are presented from the point of view of their distribution, trying to understand how the sanctuaries and the religious area were organized and how they were used. When relevant, comparison with Petra is made so that the differences between the two sites can be perceived by those who know either or both. Finally, a state of our knowledge on the chronology of the site, including recent discoveries and thoughts, is proposed.

Laïla Nehmé is based in the Laboratoire des études semitiques anciennes, CNRS, Paris

Last modified 19 January, 2006