120,000-year-old footprints of humans and animals found in Saudi Arabia

On September 16, Saudi Arabia announced a “new archaeological” discovery of a gigantic primitive human footprint from 120,000 years ago found in the province of Tabuk, north-west of the Kingdom. In an official post on Facebook, Saudi’s Ministry of Culture wrote alongside the images of the recent discovery saying, “Heritage Commission is now announcing the details of the new archaeological discovery “Human and animal footprints dating back more than 120,000 years”. During a press conference organized by the Heritage Commission held in Riyadh, the Saudi government said that while the country is known for historical treasures and monuments, authorities have found new traces of the seven human footprints, 07 camel footprints, 43 elephant footprints and other wild animals and predators. 

“This archaeological discovery represents the first scientific evidence about the oldest existence of human life in Saudi Arabia and offers a rare glimpse into the natural environment and biodiversity in the region”, Chief Executive of the Authority Dr. Jasser Al Herbish said at the conference.

Further, Dr Jasser Al Herbish stated that the new discoveries added to the Kingdom’s development in the field of archaeology. As many as 233 fossils of elephant fossils were also excavated at the site which provides the opportunity for future research into the existence of predators on the site in primitive era, Herbish said. The team of scientists found the footprints marks after they inspected the area and screened the site at dry lake. A joint Saudi-international team of archaeologists carried out the research and found that the imprints and samples dated back to millions of years. 

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At ancient lake bed in Nafud desert

Earlier, Saudi’s archaeological team discovered other human footprints that led the scientists to discover that the ancient people left Africa through Sinai after footprints were found at the banks of an ancient lake bed in the Nafud desert. Prince Sultan Bin Salman, President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) said at the press conference in Japan while a visit to the National Museum of Tokyo that his country would host “Roads of Arabia — Saudi Archaeological Masterpieces through the Ages” exhibition. “This is a wonderful and very rare discovery that shows man’s arrival in the Arabian Peninsula from Africa alongside other human migrations,” Riyadh-based Centre for International Communication (CIC) quoted Prince Sultan as saying. 

[Site where human and animal footprints dating back more than 120,000 years were found.]

[A joint team of scientists found the footprints.]

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(Images Credit: Facebook/Saudi Ministry of Culture)