Al Thumamah, Riyadh

A significant Neolithic settlement in the desert northeast of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with origins traced back nearly 8,000 years. Archaeological excavations led by the Thumamah Project uncovered foundations of stone houses, tombs of varied designs, structures believed to be places of worship, buried wells, and advanced stone tools including spearheads and arrowheads. The site also features petroglyphs and rock carvings, indicating a substantial prehistoric community with sophisticated social organization.